I'd just like to point out that if we properly funded our state colleges, it would reduce the overall financial risk these institutions face and make the decision to divest that much easier.
I was at a faculty and staff event on SU's sustainability efforts last week. The president said SU does not directly invest in any fossil fuel companies and that divesting from the university's mutual funds is more complicated even if it is a very small percentage involving fossil fuel companies. The student speaker made compelling case for divestment that was received well.
To quote your own article.... "The evidence from South Africa suggests that divestment, while ***ineffective in a financial sense***, can have an impact by shaping public discourse."
Useless. I don't know why you've been parroting so much crap about divestment lately, Stranger.
Setting snark aside, you can look to the history of disinvestment in South Africa that ended apartheid to see, in large part, how this will evolve.
First off, the knee-jerk response is always (cue whiny voice) "It's tooo harrrrrd! So, so complicated! Mutual funds don't only invest in fossil fuels [apartheid], they also invest in lots of other things that everybody agrees are good!"
Put the pressure on the mutual funds and other mixed investments, and they will take care of their own little corner of the market.
The Koch-suckers at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) will be actively trying to sabotage fossil-fuel divestment, just as they attempted for anti-apartheid divestment. Forewarned is forearmed.
Drop the last word from the battle cry "Dump the Fossil Fuels," and there go the Catholic clergy.
Useless. I don't know why you've been parroting so much crap about divestment lately, Stranger.
First off, the knee-jerk response is always (cue whiny voice) "It's tooo harrrrrd! So, so complicated! Mutual funds don't only invest in fossil fuels [apartheid], they also invest in lots of other things that everybody agrees are good!"
Put the pressure on the mutual funds and other mixed investments, and they will take care of their own little corner of the market.
The Koch-suckers at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) will be actively trying to sabotage fossil-fuel divestment, just as they attempted for anti-apartheid divestment. Forewarned is forearmed.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/sh…
http://www.thenation.com/blog/177509/ale…
Your homework: read @7.