UBC students start hunger strike to push for fossil-fuel divestment
Credit to Author: Stephanie Ip| Date: Mon, 06 Jan 2020 23:57:07 +0000
A group of University of B.C. students launched a hunger strike Monday to demand concrete action from the school on fossil-fuel divestment.
Organized by the UBC branch of Extinction Rebellion, the hunger strike’s start coincided with the start of the spring term.
Those participating including eight students from various departments of study and range in age from 19 to 23. The hunger strikers are to live on a diet of only water and vitamins and will continue as long as possible without risking hospitalization.
“UBC must make a public statement with a commitment to full divestment of its endowment from the fossil-fuel industry,” Torbjorn Reitan Fyrvik said in a statement. The 22-year-old engineering student is among the hunger strikers.
“Administrators have made an emergency declaration with a lot of nice words about science, justice, and leadership without making any actual commitments. This greenwashing is unacceptable to us.”
The hunger strikers are demanding the UBC board of governors take concrete action and make a public commitment to divest the school’s main endowment pool of $1.71 billion from fossil fuels.
The demand comes after UBC President Santa Ono declared a climate emergency last month and as the board is exploring the possibilities for fossil-fuel divestment, and the details of transferring $380 million endowed university funds to the school’s sustainable future pool, established in 2017.
A report on the possibility of a full divestment is expected back to the board on April 16.
The hunger strikers are occupying an area outside the Alumni Centre and in the lobby each day from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for as long as the strike continues.
Student hunger strikers, organized by the UBC branch of Extinction Rebellion, in the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre at UBC on Monday.
Daily events and demonstrations have also been organized as part of the hunger strike, including a theatrical group presentation on Monday, a public educational talk at 3 p.m. on Wednesday and a solidarity fasting day on Friday.
Extinction Rebellion is a U.K.-based, non-violent group that has launched chapters around the world. The group wants politicians to take urgent action on climate change and disappearing wildlife, and for governments to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2025, and are making their concerns heard through peaceful civil disobedience.
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