Invest Green with College $$

To the Editors:

Oberlin College is in the business of preparing young people to become responsible, thoughtful citizens of the world. As a college that considers itself to be socially aware and responsible, it is necessary that Oberlin practice what it preaches. One way to do this would be for the College to invest part of its endowment in green business and energy.
This sort of investment would indicate that Oberlin recognizes the importance of supporting businesses and institutions that are proactively working towards a more sustainable world. Oberlin is already seen as a leader in the field of social justice and environmental awareness, evidenced by its progressive history and its use of green architecture. However, the ideals that the Oberlin College community holds dear could and should extend to its long-term investments. We, the undersigned, believe it is necessary for Oberlin’s investment practices to accurately reflect the commitments of the institution and the sentiments of its students and faculty members.
Investing in green energy does not have to mean financial sacrifice. For example, wind power is considered to be one the fastest growing energy resource industries in the world. In the near future, fossil fuels will no longer be a viable source of energy. Thus, alternative energy resources will only become more pervasive.
Private investment in the green energy business is especially important now that the United States government has officially pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol and other proposed measures to phase in renewable energy and phase out oil and coal. Forward-thinking institutions such as the University of Colorado at Boulder are beginning to realize that renewable energy sources will only become more pervasive as fossil fuels continue to lose their appeal. These schools are vanguards in a green revolution that is practical, profitable and principled.
Since Oberlin is a socially aware institution with a large endowment, it seems natural that we join others in becoming a model for private investment in renewable energy and green enterprise. Thus, we also suggest the College challenge other academic institutions that have similar commitments to environmental conservation, such as Tufts and Brown University, to do the same.
We ask the administration to take this proposition seriously. Students and faculty members interested in working with the administration on the project, please e-mail Thomas.Simchak@oberlin.edu.

–Lyrica Hammann
College sophomore
–Claire Jahns
College junior
–Cat Richert
College junior
–Thomas Simchak
College junior


December 6
February 2002

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