Sara Merken, a senior majoring in journalism, is a Hatchet opinions writer.
New York University officials recently rejected a proposal to divest from fossil fuels – a nearly identical decision to the one GW administrators made earlier this year.
Universities – and all companies and organizations – make the choice to invest in the fossil fuel industry. Recently, some organizations have decided to stop endowing fossil fuels because of the negative environmental impacts of burning fossil fuels, like receding the ozone layer.
GW and NYU, along with other peer institutions, should drive a national conversation on the benefits of divesting from fossil fuels, rather than continue to support the industry. These universities in particular have the ability to shape public opinion on the issue, given that they have large undergraduate populations that will go on to form national and international policies on fossil fuel emissions and global warming.
Not only have GW, NYU and countless other universities decided to invest in the fossil fuel industry in the first place, officials have struck down policy suggestions and petitions from student organizations that have laid out why fossil fuels are harmful. Officials should listen to students and take the time to understand why their investments are actively helping a harmful industry stay afloat.
Burning fossil fuels to provide energy for cars, houses, planes and electricity plants emits gasses including carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. And while universities might see financial gains by investing in the fossil fuel industry, there are plenty of other sustainable energy companies that produce alternative fuels that officials could invest money in. It’s a smart financial move for universities to invest responsibly in industries that have positive environmental impacts.
Colleges are filled with mostly young people who will live with the effects of global warming more than older generations. University officials need to make sustainable decisions that teach students about the benefits of alternative fuels and show a commitment to bettering the future for their students. Because the global community is constantly focusing more on the future of the environment and the planet, universities need to teach students the importance of sustainability.
Investing in the fossil fuel industry contradicts GW’s pride in sustainability: The University holds sustainability challenges in residence halls, and University President Steven Knapp signed on to a solar power initiative. Many University buildings have recently earned a LEED gold certification, and the Office of Sustainability promotes green projects in 10 aspects of campus life.
Now that NYU has followed in GW’s footsteps, more universities might feel comfortable with refusing to divest. At a time when GW and other universities could have been an influential part of a sustainable future, GW and NYU chose to back down. But Georgetown University, another peer institution, and 40 other universities have chosen to divest.
It’s time for more universities to divest from fossil fuels and to view GW and NYU’s decisions as mistakes, not as the standard.
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