Following on the success of the Climate CoLab Finals, our ClimateX initiative is off and running! We have held two brainstorming sessions, dubbed IdeaMaker Labs, to bring MITACAL members, current students, and other supporters together to shape the direction of ClimateX.
The first Lab, on May 11th, was an open discussion about the broad goals and approach of ClimateX. One theme that emerged was a desire to incorporate applied activities such as citizen science into the curriculum. To learn more, check out the slides and notes from the gathering.
The second Lab, on June 9th, featured a presentation from Mitch Anthony and Paul Dryfoos about New Climate Media, an initiative to use storytelling, arts and entertainment, and clear descriptions of pathways to climate activism to guide readers toward meaningful climate citizenship. To learn more, check out their slides and the meeting notes. Stay tuned for announcements of more events to craft ClimateX in the coming months!
Join the Alumni Energy, Environment & Sustainability network!
We are reviving the MIT Alumni Association's Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (EES) group (check out their Energy Toolkit). We hope to leverage this network to engage more alumni in the climate action conversation - so sign up today, and then invite your fellow alum friends! (note: the link below requires signing in to the Infinite Connection).
Motivated by financial risks, Yale's Chief Investment Officer urged its investment managers to eliminate $10 million of endowment funds from coal and tar sands holdings. Students of Fossil Free Yale, highlighting the moral imperatives of climate change, continue to push for full divestment.
Four students from Divest Harvard were arrested during a sit-in outside the Boston Federal Reserve while protesting the university's decision to continue investing in fossil fuel companies. Nina Lytton and Warren Atkinson of MITACAL attended the students' court hearings in solidarity.
Facing threats of suspension and arrest, students occupied buildings, elevators, and a president's office to demand fossil fuel divestment. Following the occupation, the NYU Senate voted in favor of divestment, however their recommendation was rejected by the Board of Trustees on June 16th. After a week-long occupation of the Low Library, Columbia students agreed to enter negotiations with their administration. The struggle continues!
VP for Research Maria Zuber announced the Forum in the Faculty Newsletter, saying, "How we respond to climate change will depend upon our view of the risks it poses. While science informs that view, it is ultimately a question of values." We will share further developments on the forum as they emerge!
The initiative, led by the IMF and World Bank, aims to galvanize global support for a price on carbon to incentivize climate mitigation. Together with Yale, MIT is leading university support for the program. Hats off!
The city's pension fund began divesting a few years ago and announced they had finally eliminated all fossil fuel holdings. D.C. city council member Charles Allen described the move as morally, ethically, and financially right. Germany's capital Berlin joined ours by voting to fully divest on June 23rd.
A month after 15 Amherst students were arrested at a sit-in for divestment, the Board of Trustees voted to begin fully divesting the endowment from fossil fuels. University President Marty Meehan even boasted about the decision in a recent video.
The university determined that it does not currently hold any coal or tar sands stocks, directly or indirectly, and amended its policies to blacklist any future investments. Campaigners praised the announcement, but vowed to continue pushing for full fossil fuel divestment.
