Associated Students is lobbying the University Foundation to pull its investments from companies that produce fossil fuels, which is the socially conscious thing to do.
A.S. has given $271,000 in student money to invest. It would take 5 to 7 years to gradually divest from fossil fuel companies that the money is currently invested in, such as Exxon Mobil and Conoco Phillips.
Despite the long wait to divest completely, it is worth it to remove student money from the fossil fuel industry, one that drives negative climate change.
Chico State prides itself on being an eco-friendly campus. We participate in sustainable activities such as farm-to-table lunches, alternative transportation programs and student resident hall competitions to reduce energy use.
For the second year in a row, Chico State was recognized as one of 22 schools nationwide to receive the highest score possible from The Princeton Review’s Green Honor Roll.
Spending student dollars to subsidize a non-sustainable and environmentally harmful industry undermines Chico State’s reputation as a “green school.”
Chico State would be one of a few universities that have decided to participate in the divestment movement if the University Foundation agrees to stop investing in fossil fuels. San Francisco State and UC Berkeley are among the few universities that have decided to take a stand against continuing to invest in fossil fuel companies.
A few cities are also participating in the movement to divest in fossil fuels. Seattle is one of the cities that decided to do this and Massachusetts might be the first state to take this stance.
Instead of using student money to subsidize the fossil fuel industry, we should invest it in sustainable activities on campus. The university could also use the money to invest in local businesses with sustainable practices and products.
We want to mean what we say when we claim Chico State as an advocate for sustainability. With divestment, A.S. will be able to put our money where our collective mouth is.
Illustration by Liz Coffee.
