Give Fossil Fuels a Rest: Divest!
by Brittany Sumner
Divestment is the opposite of investment; it’s taking money away from stocks, bonds, or other investments with the purpose of putting pressure on select companies. The current divestment campaign is aimed at fossil fuels. This movement is encouraging businesses, universities, churches, and as many organizations as they can to divest from fossil fuels and re-invest that money in green technology. The money that is invested in fossil fuels goes to running those companies, so by taking money away from them we are pressuring them to go out of business or change their business.
Divesting from fossil fuels is the one of the best ways to ensure a cleaner future. The divestment movement asks people to distance themselves from environmentally-harmful fossil fuels and pushes them towards forms of energy production that are sustainable. The market for fossil fuel is limited because fossil fuels themselves are limited. They are a finite resource, so it is only a matter of time before the market surrounding fossil fuels crashes as fossil fuels themselves are depleted. Investing in fossil fuels isn’t an investment at all, because in reality it will destroy the future of our planet and our people. It is therefore in everybody’s best interest to begin the move away from our dependence on fossil fuels.
The movement is already starting to catch on as more and more universities and organizations announce their divestment from fossil fuels. Unity College, located in Maine, was the first school in the country to divest in 2012; Seattle, WA has also committed to fossil free operations along with Cambridge, MA and dozens of other cities across the globe. Since 2012, Stanford University has announced their divestment of $18 billion from coal and the heirs to the Rockefeller oil have divested about $50 billion.
If as many organizations as possible divest from fossil fuels, we can show world leaders our desire and commitment to move to sustainable energy. Barack Obama, Al Gore, Jim Yong Kim (the World Bank President), Mary Robinson (former Irish President), and many more important world figures have already spoken out in support of divestment. It is even predicted that our economy will be strengthened by investing in sustainable energy. The increase of spending in research of effective, sustainable, and clean energy solutions will give our economy a boost and will, at the same time, ensure a greener future for the country. There is no reason for us to continue using fossil fuels when it has been scientifically proven that an increase of carbon in the atmosphere will only harm the environment more. We can simultaneously save the environment by decreasing carbon emissions, while finding a form of energy production that allows us to maintain our current level of energy output, and improve the economy. So, why aren’t we pursuing it?
[Photo, Divest, by Tony Webster licensed by CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]
by Brittany Sumner
Divestment is the opposite of investment; it’s taking money away from stocks, bonds, or other investments with the purpose of putting pressure on select companies. The current divestment campaign is aimed at fossil fuels. This movement is encouraging businesses, universities, churches, and as many organizations as they can to divest from fossil fuels and re-invest that money in green technology. The money that is invested in fossil fuels goes to running those companies, so by taking money away from them we are pressuring them to go out of business or change their business.
Divesting from fossil fuels is the one of the best ways to ensure a cleaner future. The divestment movement asks people to distance themselves from environmentally-harmful fossil fuels and pushes them towards forms of energy production that are sustainable. The market for fossil fuel is limited because fossil fuels themselves are limited. They are a finite resource, so it is only a matter of time before the market surrounding fossil fuels crashes as fossil fuels themselves are depleted. Investing in fossil fuels isn’t an investment at all, because in reality it will destroy the future of our planet and our people. It is therefore in everybody’s best interest to begin the move away from our dependence on fossil fuels.
The movement is already starting to catch on as more and more universities and organizations announce their divestment from fossil fuels. Unity College, located in Maine, was the first school in the country to divest in 2012; Seattle, WA has also committed to fossil free operations along with Cambridge, MA and dozens of other cities across the globe. Since 2012, Stanford University has announced their divestment of $18 billion from coal and the heirs to the Rockefeller oil have divested about $50 billion.
If as many organizations as possible divest from fossil fuels, we can show world leaders our desire and commitment to move to sustainable energy. Barack Obama, Al Gore, Jim Yong Kim (the World Bank President), Mary Robinson (former Irish President), and many more important world figures have already spoken out in support of divestment. It is even predicted that our economy will be strengthened by investing in sustainable energy. The increase of spending in research of effective, sustainable, and clean energy solutions will give our economy a boost and will, at the same time, ensure a greener future for the country. There is no reason for us to continue using fossil fuels when it has been scientifically proven that an increase of carbon in the atmosphere will only harm the environment more. We can simultaneously save the environment by decreasing carbon emissions, while finding a form of energy production that allows us to maintain our current level of energy output, and improve the economy. So, why aren’t we pursuing it?
[Photo, Divest, by Tony Webster licensed by CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]