Ah, college.
Intellectual discussions. Frisbee on the quad. Youthful exuberance. Dirty money.
Say what?
College costs money. But tuition dollars only go so far. Most colleges and universities are funded by big endowments, invested in all kinds of businesses. And, it turns out, if students do a little digging, they’ll discover that some of those business are busily extracting and burning our dwindling fossil fuel resources.
Universities not only invest in these companies, but they also often accept high-profile donations from them. That’s the dirty money.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Students are asking colleges to drop these affiliations … like it’s hot. (I know, I know. But trust me, the joke is in the video.)
In the past few years, more and more universities, religious organizations, and cities are divesting from fossil fuels. Not just fringe-y, tiny places, either. Perhaps you’ve heard of Syracuse University? They just announced that they’re divesting and getting out of the planetary destruction business.
A group of students at Santa Clara University decided that their school should join the movement and divest from fossil fuels.
They made this sweet video to spread the word.
But wait, what’s divesting?
Divesting is the opposite of investing.
Instead of putting money into a business or industry, you take it out and stick it somewhere else.
If you’re part of a university, sharing this video might be a good way to start a conversation about where your funding comes from.
Want to follow the project at Santa Clara U? Check out their Facebook page.
To learn more about fossil fuel divestment, Fossil Free is a great resource.
