I agree. There are things they can do. I’ll get to them
Universities Must Do More to Address the Climate Emergency
Younger generations have been deeply impacted by the intersecting crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and systemic racism, yet their resolve to be agents of change on these issues remains steady. The commitment of young people to taking action was on full display during last week’s Earth Day events and was acknowledged by President Biden in his opening remarks at the World Leaders Summit. The energy youth have shown in putting climate change on the political agenda and global protests in support of social justice this past year remind us that this generation has a vision for a post-pandemic world that is more sustainable and equitable for everyone. Now is a pivotal moment for institutions of higher education to empower our students to lead us there.
At the University of British Columbia, a groundswell of student climate activism in recent years prompted us to join organizations around the world in declaring a global climate emergency and committing to full divestment of investments from the fossil fuel industry. As part of the declaration, a task force of students, together with faculty and staff members, consulted widely with our university community and released a report this winter with a bold vision for our climate emergency response. The recommendations in the report build on UBC’s recognized leadership on sustainability and climate action. The Times Higher Education University Impact Rating recently recognized our work in this area, with UBC consistently ranking among the top universities for taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
However, more urgent progress is now needed, and we are mobilizing our institutional education, research and innovation capacity in continuing pursuit of climate solutions.
We’ve done this in part by funding the UBC Climate Hub, a distinctive, student-led initiative that unites and empowers students to take systemic action on climate justice. The Climate Hub functions within a unit of the university, employing two full-time staff as well as other student staff members who work to coordinate the advocacy efforts of the university’s student body. The Climate Hub is not a traditional student group that operates on its own. It is embedded within the university to ensure students have the resources and agency to advance climate justice at UBC and beyond.
Yeah, let’s put the kids with no practical real world experience in charge. Hey, remember this?
Oxford official to students demanding divestment:
"I am not able to arrange any divestment at short notice. But I can arrange for the gas central heating in college to be switched off w/immediate effect. Please let me know if you support this proposal.”https://t.co/Q0MBDNCjVU
— Steve Milloy (@JunkScience) February 3, 2020
Sounds good. Turn off the heat and AC at the schools. Get rid of the fossil fueled buses. Replace them with some other “sustainable” type, and raise tuition to cover this. That’s for starters.
Moving beyond campus sustainability. While UBC has long been committed to sustainability in our teaching, research and operations, the campus community began calling for the university to take bolder action. Our climate emergency response represents a shift toward working to significantly transform the economic, social and political systems needed to address the existential threat posed by climate change.
So, Modern Socialism. As the universities rake in oodles of cash from students. Heck, think about all the over-priced books they force kids to purchase. Funny how they always want to change this stuff for Other People, eh? Never themselves.
Teach do t you think it would make more sense that rather than crashing the economy of the USA by giving up all those things that it would make more sense to have $150 worth of carbon offsets ? My fav are buying more efficient cookstoves like rocket stoves anyone want to see them ?
John-why would we need carbon offsets?
The Hirsute one wrote:
Carbon offsets don’t reduce carbon emissions! The offset buyer is simply buying a credit that someone else, the seller, earned by reducing his consumption, but the buyer isn’t reducing his CO2 emissions in the slightest.
If the goal is to reduce CO2 emissions, we should be happy that some people are doing so, but the idea that other oh-so-concerned warmunists can assuage their consciences by buying someone else’s conservation is pretty silly.
Rocket stoves are for camping. I guess it would work for a homeless tent person cast aside in LA so the millionaire leftists could throw an awards party for themselves but you wouldn’t want one in your house.
While it’s obvious that no college is going to simply cut off the central heating, colleges could retrofit all of the thermostats in buildings, including dormitories, and limit the heat to 67º F and air conditioning to 78º F. Cancel all in-person meetings off-campus, and require such to be done by videoconference. Tell professors that only e-books can be assigned as collegiate texts. Reduce meal portions in on-campus cafeterias by 5%, something few would notice but, in the aggregate, would save tons of food and cooking expenses.