Celebrity support shines spotlight on ethics of fossil fuel investments
A well-known name in the Canadian environmental movement has recently made a statement supporting Fossil Free Guelph and their goal of fossil fuel divestment at the U of G. This statement comes as administrators are currently planning how to move forward on the issue.
“There’s the moral imperative: we cannot in good faith continue to invest in industries which we know harm our planet beyond repair,” reads David Suzuki’s statement to the student activist group Fossil Free Guelph. “In a modern democratic society, academic institutions are considered thought-leaders; they are perfectly positioned to lead us toward new ways of thinking and acting.”
“The University of Guelph has a wonderful opportunity on its doorstep — to join the ranks of leaders the likes of New York City, the World Bank, Laval University, countries like Norway and others and divest from fossil fuels,” Suzuki continues. “It’s the right thing to do for the economy and the environment. This movement is growing, and it will prevail. It’s time for U of G to either help lead the charge or watch from the sidelines.”
He also argued that oil should “stay in the ground” and we should completely switch to renewable energy.
In January 2018, a decision was delayed after U of G’s Board of Governors made a motion to postpone the final vote on the topic of divestment. At this meeting, an official recommendation from the finance committee was brought forward suggesting that the U of G take no action on the issue and instead continues to invest $38 million in the fossil fuel industry.
Many students and community members didn’t like this plan, so they rallied together and over 100 people attended the meeting to voice their disagreement. In the end, the Board chose not to give a definitive answer and instead will make the final decision on Jan. 23, 2019.
Delays, deflection, and diversion have been a recurring strategy for U of G decision-makers so far and they have largely avoided making any conclusive promises about fossil fuel divestment.
Now, an endorsement by David Suzuki shows how this movement goes beyond just our school; people across the nation and around the globe have their eyes on U of G. This is the perfect opportunity for the university to distinguish itself as an environmental leader and show other institutions what it means to take climate change seriously by committing to divest from fossil fuels.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons