A group of students gathered outside UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp’s office Wednesday to push for cleaner energy at the university. 

Chris Moffitt, media outreach coordinator for the Sierra Club’s Coal-Free Campus Campaign at UNC, was pleased with turnout for the group’s protest despite inclement weather.

About 40 students rallied in front of the Chancellor’s office.  Moffitt said one of the main goals of the group is outdoing rival Duke University in terms of coal independence.  Duke has plans to reduce their coal consumption by 70-percent by 2010.

Among the group’s supporters is Chapel Hill mayor-elect Mark Kleinschmidt, who couldn’t be present at the protest because of a prior engagement.  But Moffitt said the campaign is pleased to have the backing of the town’s new mayor.

Even though the rain did depress turnout, Moffitt feels the group still attracted attention to themselves and their cause.

Moffitt said Chancellor Thorp’s office had not responded to the protest as of Thursday.