500 signatures reached
To: JMU Foundation, JMU Board of Visitors, and President Jonathan Alger
Divest JMU
We call on James Madison University to:
1. Immediately freeze any new investments in fossil fuels.
2. Divest from direct ownership and any commingled funds that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds within 5 years.
Why is this important?
The Divest JMU campaign is asking the JMU Foundation to make a commitment that they will divest from fossil fuels in order to take action on climate change. This entails the removal of investments from companies that profit from nonrenewable energy resources. JMU faculty teach us about the extremely detrimental effects of fossil fuels, yet the the University continues to fund their extraction. As a university striving to be the national model for engagement, we are morally obligated to detach ourselves from an industry that contributes to and profits from damaging our quality of life and threatening the stability of our future. It is incumbent upon all of us to use our financial power to discourage these companies from continuing with this irresponsible pursuit of profit. Our reputation as a socially responsible and engaged institution hangs on this choice.