Resource Center

Learning what your college or university might be using can keep you safer as you stand up against injustice through protest. Consider compartmentalizing your organizing away from your studies. Create and use separate accounts—and devices, if possible—for political speech to save yourself a headache down the road. Be mindful of what you log into, the devices you carry with you, and how you move around campus when participating in protests or amidst campus activism. Be aware that any interaction, or even near-interaction, with an officer could be on camera. Your digital footprint can be your biggest asset when organizing and protesting, but it can also be used against you—if you are live-tweeting protests or often share your student organizations’ events, assume the school is watching. Be alert and aware of cameras and similar-looking devices! If you hear the buzzing sound of a drone above you, there’s a chance it’s operated by campus or local police. (These educational materials do not constitute legal advice. Contact a local attorney for additional questions.)

Workers in clean energy in Texas experience difficult labor conditions. This research finds that many workers across sectors in Texas face dangerous and even deadly working conditions; lack access to benefits like health insurance, workers’ compensation, and retirement plans such as a pension or 401(k); and have experienced pervasive income, wealth, race, and gender inequality. This field study examines the conditions of 1,224 individuals working in utility-scale solar, wind and clean energy manufacturing. Texas has emerged as a national leader in wind production and solar energy installation, with renewable energy accounting for 86% of the state’s planned energy generation through 2030. This growth is in part due to unprecedented funding provided by historic federal climate investments such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).