WASHINGTON – WHAT: Fossil Fuel Divestment Day (aka “F2D2”), a national day of action with hundreds of students at over 50 colleges and universities participating. Students will hold rallies, sit-ins, and other events to call on their schools to divest their endowments from fossil fuel companies.
WHO: Students as part of the fossil fuel divestment movement
WHERE: At least 50 college campuses in the U.S, Canada, Nigeria, and Kenya
WHEN: Thursday, February 13, 2020 – actions happening throughout the day
WHY: Huge day of action to show the breadth and unity of the student fossil fuel divestment movement; highlight the culpability of fossil fuel companies in climate change and ecological destruction and that it’s immoral for academic institutions to invest in them.
BACKGROUND:
Fossil fuel divestment is the phasing out of investments in fossil fuel companies, namely, coal, oil and gas companies. The fossil fuel divestment movement began in 2010 and has now secured over 1,000 organizations (including cities, nations, religious organizations, foundations, and academic institutions) committed to divestment, representing nearly 14 trillion dollars. Institutions are choosing to divest for both moral and financial reasons.
The student divestment movement in the US gained widespread media attention in 2019. Students mobilized thousands at the Climate Strikes, students disrupted the annual Harvard Yale football game, and Middlebury, Smith, and University of California all committed to fossil fuel divestment. And on February 6th, Georgetown University committed to full divestment from all fossil fuels, the 2nd largest full divestment commitment in the country. University of Pennsylvania also announced on January 29th that they would not directly invest in coal and tar sands.
Fossil fuel divestment brings both colleges and college students into the national conversation on climate change, and represents an important next step of activism for the youth Climate Strikes.
Print
Common Dreams | Radio Free (2020-02-13T15:13:49+00:00) TODAY: 50+ Campus Actions Demand Fossil Fuel Divestment, Climate Action. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2020/02/13/today-50-campus-actions-demand-fossil-fuel-divestment-climate-action/
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