TO THE EDITOR:
UNC students will decide on Feb. 12 whether to support the University’s endowment divesting from the coal industry. I’m asking my fellow students to vote yes to divest from coal.
This campaign is part of a massive national movement. More than 200 groups are calling on their colleges and universities to shift investments away from fossil fuels.
On Tuesday, former Vice President Al Gore spoke in support of divestment at Harvard University.
“This is an opportunity for learning and the raising of awareness, for the discussion of sustainable capitalism,” he said.
Coal is a dying industry that harms public health, demolishes mountains in Appalachia, poisons our air and water and wrecks the climate.
We have nothing to gain by sticking with the status quo and nothing to lose by pursuing divestment. Clean energy can now be just as profitable as coal, and new research shows we can divest from the worst coal companies with no impact on portfolio risk.
The Campus Y, Sierra Student Coalition, Roosevelt Institute, Residence Hall Association and UNC Young Democrats have endorsed the Beyond Coal campaign, and all five Student Body President candidates have voiced their support.
This student ballot referendum is our chance to affirm our values of transparency, smart investment and sustainability. Do we continue to invest in dirty coal, or do we call on UNC’s endowment to align itself with our mission of solving the world’s biggest challenges?
