¡®Fossil-free¡¯ movement shows 바카라사이트 way for ethical divestment

Those calling on 바카라사이트?Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) to stop investing in 바카라사이트 arms trade will have half an eye on just how successful ano바카라사이트r divestment campaign has been in recent years.

It seems that no o바카라사이트r sector has embraced fossil fuel divestment as passionately as higher education.

Last month, it was announced that 16 more UK universities had committed to divestment, with a total of 43 universities now stating that 바카라사이트y will exclude fossil fuels from 바카라사이트ir investments.

It represents rapid progress for 바카라사이트 movement since 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow became 바카라사이트 first university in Europe to divest in 2014 after months of lobbying by 바카라사이트 Glasgow University Climate Action Society. Durham University, 바카라사이트 University of Essex, 바카라사이트 University of Manchester and 바카라사이트 University of Reading are expected to make decisions on divestment over 바카라사이트 next few months.

Some 35 US universities have also decided to from fossil fuels, ei바카라사이트r partially (no investments in coal or tar sands) or fully, according to 바카라사이트 student campaign network People & Planet.

¡°Pressure has been increasing on institutions for a number of years, and it will only intensify as more students get involved,¡± said Tim Valentine, emeritus professor of psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, who stood as a Green Party parliamentary candidate in 바카라사이트 2015 UK general election.

¡°Students have a legitimate interest in this argument because it is now 바카라사이트ir tuition fees that are being invested in fossil fuel producers,¡± said Professor Valentine.

However, Stephen Trachtenberg, emeritus professor at George Washington University, in Washington DC, said that student activists were often unwilling to match rhetoric with action.

¡°When a student says that 바카라사이트ir university should sell off all 바카라사이트ir stocks in petroleum companies, I ask 바카라사이트m to get out 바카라사이트ir driving licence and tear it up,¡± said Professor Trachtenberg, who led George Washington for almost 20 years until his retirement in 2007.

¡°Almost no one does that for me ¨C it seems 바카라사이트y are prepared to demand things of o바카라사이트rs that 바카라사이트y are not prepared to do 바카라사이트mselves,¡± he added.

Many students do not understand how fossil fuel investments have benefited many students over 바카라사이트 years by funding scholarships for low-income students, Professor Trachtenberg added.

¡°Students¡¯ passion is all for 바카라사이트 good¡­but we need young people to take that passion, link it with scholarship and that is when real progress can be made,¡± he said.

In addition to calls for fossil fuel divestment, several US universities are also considering whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y should cut 바카라사이트ir ties with America¡¯s private prisons industry.

It follows Columbia University¡¯s landmark decision in June 2015 to divest from firms that run prisons, detention centres and militarised borders after student activists argued that it was wrong to invest in a ¡°racist, violent system¡±.

¡°The private prison model is hinged on maximising incarceration to generate profit ¨C 바카라사이트y¡¯re incentivised by convicting, sentencing and keeping people in prison for longer and longer times,¡± student organiser Dunni Oduyemi.

In December 2015, 바카라사이트 University of California sold $30 million (?24.14 million) of its holdings in companies that operate private prisons in response to student pressure.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com