Students at the University of Pittsburgh have been calling for divestment from fossil fuels for years. Tomorrow (Monday, 11/19), there will be a town hall meeting at NOON at the Kurtzman Room (first floor of the William Pitt Union) to give people an opportunity to speak their mind on the prospect of divesting the University of Pittsburgh’s endowment of fossil fuel companies.
Considering the fact that our region’s horrible air quality is caused primarily by fossil fuel combustion, and also considering how we have ~12 years to turn the corner on CO2 emissions, I hope you will consider attending and saying a few words at Monday’s town hall at noon. (A full formal speech is not required! I just gave casual comments, as did most of the people at last night’s event.) If UPitt divests it will be a huge statement to the community AND to politicians, particularly as natural gas seeks to double down on its polluting presence in our region.
The town hall is open to the public, and anybody may speak, but it is particularly powerful if alumni, students, and faculty speak up and fill the room (PittNews article here). I spoke last week and we nearly filled the room. Can we do it again tomorrow? Please join and make sure of it!
Sincerely yours,
Mark Dixon
P.S. Additional details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/899079343632085/?event_time_id=900796250127061
Event is at noon to 1:30pm at the William Pitt Union – Kurtzman Room.
P.P.S. Here is some info from the Fossil Free Pitt Coalition’s Facebook post:
Do you have thoughts about how Pitt should be spending its money? Come voice your opinion to the Pitt administration!
How? Back in 2017 Fossil Free Pitt Coalition won our fourth ask!
Pitt created a Socially Responsible Investing Committee to look at Pitt’s endowment as a whole through a social and moral lens. The socially responsible investing committee has done research over the summer about what an SRI amendment to the endowment might look like, and now they want our input.
This is extremely important and almost never happens.
The university wants to know what you (the Pitt community) want them to invest (or divest from, hint hint *cough* fossil fuels). It’s time to show up and tell them what you want. Anyone is a part of the University of Pittsburgh community and is welcome to come!
*THIS IS A HUGE DEAL LET’S TURN OUT*
#NoPetroPA 