An Update From Our Wonderful Jefferson County Intern

Jefferson County intern Kim Parish talks a little bit about what she's been up to this semester.

I'm Kim Parish, the Jefferson county chapter intern. I have been interning for the Jefferson County Chapter since August and I have gotten to participate in some of the great work KFTC does. 

This spring I have been able to work with a student organization GRASS at the University of Louisville, a group focused on environmental issues. My introduction to GRASS (Group Recycling and Sustainable Solutions) came from the students' interest in I Love Mountains Day. Working together, we were able to get 20 students to Frankfort to show our support for the people, mountains, and streams of Eastern Kentucky. We were so excited to reach out to other students to raise awareness about issues surrounding mountaintop removal we decided to follow up with a film screening. 

Last Thursday, March 29th, KFTC and GRASS partnered to screen "Deep Down: A Story from the Heart of Coal Country" and "Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to Re-Energize America" on campus. About 25 students and community members attended the screening. Members of KFTC and GRASS talked with attendees about the work the organizations are doing around mountaintop removal and clean energy. Jefferson County Member and Steering Committee Representative Mary Love spoke after "Deep Down" about her experiences working with KFTC on ending mountaintop removal and updated us on the continuing battle in Wilson Creek. 

We added "Kilowatt Ours" to encourage students to do our part in decreasing energy consumption and to tie in to Campus Conservation Nationals. From March 26th through April 15th, this competition challenges students in residence halls to reduce energy and water use. 

GRASS plans to screen additional environmental justice films in the future, along with continuing work on sustainability on campus.