Keep it in the ground!
If you’re not aware of The Guardian’s campaign to urge the world’s two biggest charitable funds to move their money out of fossil fuels, then check out the website for Keep it in the ground:
You’ll find Essential Environmental‘s very own Nickey Ludkins making an appearance with her family at 0:49 in this short video urging Bill and Melinda Gates, founders of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and Jeremy Farrar and Sir William Castell, director and chair of the Wellcome Trust, to commit to divesting from the top 200 fossil fuel companies within five years and to immediately freeze any new investments in those companies. If you’re not aware of the IPCC’s findings regarding the global consequences of ignoring climate change then you’ve either been hiding under a piece of iron ore or bingeing on too many good quality television shows. Easy-ish to read fact sheets and articles on climate change studies and outcomes of climate science modelling may be found here (IPCC), here (Australia Climate Council) and here (NASA).
To paraphrase NASA: “Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that climate-warming trends over the past century are very likely due to human activities, and most of the leading scientific organizations worldwide have issued public statements endorsing this position.” Hence the movement to go fossil free and divest from investment in fossil fuel companies.
Universities, cities and institutions who have already committed to divesting from fossil fuel include:
- Stanford University, USA;
- University of Glasgow, UK;
- Oxford City Council, UK;
- Dunedin City Council, New Zealand;
- Oslo, Norway;
- City of Fremantle, Australia;
- Marrickville Council, Sydney, Australia;
- City of Moreland, Melbourne, Australia;
- Rockerfeller Brothers Fund;
- British Medical Association;
- Australian Guild of Screen Composers;
- British and Australian Quakers;
- Uniting Church in Australia;
- Church of Sweden;
- David Suzuki Foundation;
Even Prince Charles and Virgin’s Richard Branson are shunning investments in fossil fuel companies according to the Financial Times! And HSBC bank has recently written to its clients to advise them against fossil fuel investment. The divestment movement appears to be picking up some non-fossil fuel generated steam…..if you would like to learn more about Keep it in the ground, then check out The Guardian’s website: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/series/keep-it-in-the-ground
Keep it in the ground or I will hunt you down with this dalek! (Source: http://www.3news.co.nz/)