Those who attended the meeting shared their passions for global warming, environmental sustainability and biodiversity.
Reinvest IU seeks to persuade the IU Foundation to divest from fossil fuel companies and reinvest in more sustainable forms of energy.
“This is so much bigger than us,” said Ross Martinie Eiler, co-coordinator of Reinvest IU. “There’s a national movement of people concerned about climate change. We’re taking a global issue and trying to make an impact locally.”
Rachel Pak, a sophomore who attended the meeting, said she was eager to make IU more environmentally friendly.
“I wanted to make a concerted effort at becoming more involved this year, and I can’t think of a better cause than helping transform IU into a more green and sustainable campus,” she said.
Pak said she had faith in IU and that it isn’t too late for it to rectify its wrong.
“I hope one day in the future IU divests from fossil fuels and mitigates the damage already done,” Pak said. “With multiple campuses, IU can have a more significant impact compared to the normal public university.”
Reinvest IU has taken over the divestment campaign after the Graduate and Professional Student Government launched a divestment campaign in 2013, urging the IU Foundation to divest from fossil fuel companies. In December 2014, the IU Foundation rejected the proposal from GPSG and opted not to divest.
Part of the IU Foundation’s argument was divesting from fossil fuels would be making a political statement, Eiler said.
“Those guys are intentionally dishonest or intellectually lazy because, if it’s a political act to pull money out of an investment, then it was a political act to make that investment in the first place,” he said. “After last year’s impasse with the IU Foundation, Reinvest IU is now calling on the foundation to divest within five years, said Michael Caldie, Reinvest IU communications director.
“This is not a short-term campaign,” Caldie said. “We hope to start this year and continue to build momentum in the years to come.”
In addition to refocusing its campaign toward the IU Foundation, the group will also be focusing on influencing IU’s administration, Caldie said.
“We’re working to pressure IU administration because they have a lot of influence with the foundation,” Caldie said. “We’ve talked a little bit with the Board of Trustees, and we’re just trying to find some allies in our cause with them.”
Reinvest IU is working on a petition the organization plans to present to IU President Michael McRobbie later this month.
“We need to keep maintaining our presence on campus and show him that students care about this,” Caldie said.
