Students at McMaster University are asking McMaster board members to divest from Fossil Fuel companies. We do not want to support or attend a university that is directly harming the environment. Students across North America are asking their institutions to divest from large fossil fuel corporations that are polluting our water, air and soil. To get involved please contact us at [email protected] ail.com

Thank you!

Unless your primary transportation is a human-powered vehicle, you grow your own food, and don't participate at all in the economy at all, you yourself are: "supporting large fossil fuel corporations that are polluting our water, air and soil" directly or indirectly through the products you buy and the services you support.

And how do they propose to power the university?

I don't think this plan was well thought out. Telling people to abandon fossil fuels won't really happen.

On the other hand, making fossil fuels more expensive (like it is now) is actually doing great for the environment, as much as we all hate it. People change their habits that quickest when it is more expensive to do otherwise, but just telling people to divest isn't going to get you far

Originally Posted by rcrw88

Unless your primary transportation is a human-powered vehicle, you grow your own food, and don't participate at all in the economy at all, you yourself are: "supporting large fossil fuel corporations that are polluting our water, air and soil" directly or indirectly through the products you buy and the services you support.

I think all people who are environmentally conscious, do their part to consume less, use public transportation, buy organic products, etc. This is not about one individual this is a student movement, similar to the anti-sweatshop movement, trying to hold Universities accountable for the immoral actions. Perhaps for some who cannot afford to buy organic or grow their own food, this could be a start. Thanks, I hope this was helpful.

Originally Posted by Snowman

I don't think this plan was well thought out. Telling people to abandon fossil fuels won't really happen.

On the other hand, making fossil fuels more expensive (like it is now) is actually doing great for the environment, as much as we all hate it. People change their habits that quickest when it is more expensive to do otherwise, but just telling people to divest isn't going to get you far

We are telling our University board members to divest from fossil fuel corporations, not individuals to abandon fossil fuels. We are trying to hold our university accountable for investing into oil companies that are harming the environment. We agree that raising oil prices would be great, but with new oil reserves being discovered everyday, this could be one way to get the corporations to reconsider their nonrenewable energy strategies. At least it could show that the future consumers and car owners are concerned about their practices.

I'm not even quite sure what the tangible end goal is in this movement. Is it to have University accountants pull out any money in oil-investments? To have us stop associating with oil companies?

I consider myself one of the conscious people you refer to; much more so than many others. But the funny part is, our Chemical Engineering kids would be pretty pissed if the school divested from oil industry... The majority of them entered that industry because of the promise of a $100K a year after a couple years in oil, and frankly, they can get that easily with just their co-op jobs...

How about you and the rest of your elitist, fake environmentalist pals stay out of the university's business and start doing something productive. Instead of trying to disrupt McMaster's investments why don't you go start a garden, plant some trees, or pick up waste around campus? Stop trying to take the moral high ground when I'm sure your own actions are not perfect.

Why do you call it immoral for Mac to have investments in fossil fuel companies yet you're suggesting for people to take public transit and eat organic food? Do you know what those HSR buses run on? Do you know what those tractors and trucks to ship food run on? Whether you like it or not, everyone is directly or indirectly dependent on fossil fuel. You calling Mac's investments in oil companies is like me calling you immoral for flying somewhere, or getting a package shipped to your house.

It would be great to one day no longer be reliant on fossil fuels, but the reality is that directly or indirectly, everyone still is. It will be a slow progression towards renewable energy but this will be pushed by innovation and smart new ideas, not divesting in oil companies and thinking things will magically be better.

Originally Posted by mike_302

I'm not even quite sure what the tangible end goal is in this movement. Is it to have University accountants pull out any money in oil-investments? To have us stop associating with oil companies?

I consider myself one of the conscious people you refer to; much more so than many others. But the funny part is, our Chemical Engineering kids would be pretty pissed if the school divested from oil industry... The majority of them entered that industry because of the promise of a $100K a year after a couple years in oil, and frankly, they can get that easily with just their co-op jobs...

The end goal is to divest from fossil fuel companies. Not because fossil fuel companies are evil because if we don't take these small measures then the fossil fuel companies will continue to work per usual. However, at this rate we cannot afford more damage to the ecosystem. If you have a few minutes read the information on gofossilfree.org/faq and all your questions can be answered.

Originally Posted by kowalej

How about you and the rest of your elitist, fake environmentalist pals stay out of the university's business and start doing something productive. Instead of trying to disrupt McMaster's investments why don't you go start a garden, plant some trees, or pick up waste around campus? Stop trying to take the moral high ground when I'm sure your own actions are not perfect.

Why do you call it immoral for Mac to have investments in fossil fuel companies yet you're suggesting for people to take public transit and eat organic food? Do you know what those HSR buses run on? Do you know what those tractors and trucks to ship food run on? Whether you like it or not, everyone is directly or indirectly dependent on fossil fuel. You calling Mac's investments in oil companies is like me calling you immoral for flying somewhere, or getting a package shipped to your house.

It would be great to one day no longer be reliant on fossil fuels, but the reality is that directly or indirectly, everyone still is. It will be a slow progression towards renewable energy but this will be pushed by innovation and smart new ideas, not divesting in oil companies and thinking things will magically be better.

I cannot speak for other people's interests but I personally got involved after taking a few environmental classes. I see this movement about raising awareness and letting the University know that students care about how the University invests its money. The university has options to invest into more sustainable energy like nonrenewable energy that is not harming the environment.

The reason we say it is immoral because the University has options to invest in other areas. It is not immoral for a University student to take public transportation because they have no alternative means.

The reason oil & gas companies are investing money into R&D in nonrenewable areas is because of the pressure put on them by consumers and governments. Please do not personally attack people on forums by calling them names, it makes you look weak. We respect your opinion no matter what it is, we'd appreciate you do the same.

Last time i checked the university is doing quite a bit with environmental tech. They have partnered with car companies working on the next generation motortrain (battery, fuel cell etc) and the latest building (ETB) as well as future buildings have (or will have) high level LEED certification .

So unless you want serious upgrades to the nuclear reactor or something to power campus im not entirely sure what you want

I think as a university entity we should collectively poop together in one place, and burn our poop as a source of energy, ie burn poop to make food at centroll.

Why we are focusing on fossil fuels?

If current rates of emissions from fossil fuels are maintained then the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predict that, by 2100, the temperature of the Earth's surface will increase between 1 and 6 degrees Celsius. While this rise may seem negligible it is useful to consider that the earth has only warmed by 5 degrees Celsius since the coldest period of the ice age 18,000 years ago. According to the IPCC, the amospheric concentration of carbon dioxide increased from a pre-industral average of 280 ppm to 379 ppm in 2005. Emissions are not distributed equally over the globe, however, with the highest cumulative output coming from the industrialized states of the Global North (US 27% and EU 18%). - 2007 IPCC

So what does this mean?

Increase in temperature beyond 1 degree may elicit rapid, unpredictable and non-linear responses that could lead to extensive damage to the ecosystem. - UN Advisory Group on GHG, 1990

The human body can deal with such temperature fluctuations, but the ecosystems on which we rely on cannot.

Where do we stand now?

Hedley Centre for Meteorological Research stated that we are heading for 2 degrees Celsius increase by 2100. Positive feedback from 2 degrees Celsius will lead quickly to 6 degrees Celsius.

At 6 degrees Celsius increase in temperature there is no ocean on Earth or phytoplankton.

The IEA (International Energy Agency) predicts we will hit 2 degrees Celsius increase by 2017 in their Energy Outlook 2017 report.

What kind of evidence is there other than reports?

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiIqDLqY5TI (Arctic Ocean methane hydrates)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_45MeY03v2c (Arctic defrosting) - the Arctic is known as the World's air conditioner... there hasn't been an Arctic free ice-ocean for 3 million years
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRbi9CfEjbc (Siberian methane release) -- forward to 36 seconds for video
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9foQjNVc6w (Amazon drought)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyT7gnev67w (Canada's Boreal peat)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os5istn1pG8 (Russian bog fires)

stop spamming the forums with your resume gold-leafing ambitions. thank you

don't care what happens to the planet past 2050. you can't force me to invest in your kids and their futures.