When we think of the word “celebrity”, images of emaciated scantily clad women generally cross our mind, individuals whose largest accomplishment to date was managing to drag themselves out of bed after a night of partying. But in this world there exists another celebrity, one who stands for more than aesthetic beauty and the power of Photoshop. These celebrities recognize the needs and shortcomings in our world and are determined to find solutions. HC readers, meet Matt Kirkegaard: a sophomore at the U with a mission of his own.
Major: Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Political Science
Relationship Status: In a Relationship
Favorite thing about the U: It’s a hidden treasure, when compared to other universities. Here you can get a world class education for expenses many times less that of other comparable colleges.
What is fossil fuel divestment? This is one of strongest actions we as a university can take against climate change. Let me reiterate that climate change is unequivocal. It is already having severe, costly, and immediate effects on people across the world and these effects will only worsen. Since climate change is primarily driven by increases in greenhouse gases produced by fossil fuels, clearly we shouldn’t be investing in companies whose goal it is to burn these fuels. Why would the university invest in the destabilization of the world for which it’s preparing its own graduates? Just as we seek to reduce our climate change impacts on campus, we should do so with investments in one of the most immediate, low-cost options we can take: not investing in the fossil fuel companies which drive climate change. This is divestment.
We are just one college involved among hundreds of other endowed institutions, including churches and states looking divestment. Only recently, the mayor of Seattle ordered divestment of its holdings. The movement is building.
What are you and others doing about it? My friend Max Stiefel and I co-direct a student group on campus, Fossil Free U, which advocates for divestment. In only three months, we’ve managed to round up about 1000 signatures on a petition for divestment at the U, we have passed a joint student resolution through ASUU Assembly and are working to get it through the Senate, partnered with sister campaigns at other colleges such as Weber State and Westminster, and have begun the groundwork for advancing the campaign further.
How can readers get involved? There are a few easy ways readers can get involved. Like “Fossil Free U” on Facebook, sign our petitions, and spread the word about divestment. Write or call President Pershing and tell him you don’t believe our University should be complicit in investing in climate change, but should instead be a leader in sustainability. If you’d like to have a more active role, contact Max or I at maximilian.stiefel@gmail.com or mckirkegaard@aol.com. We’re going to need all the help we can get!