I grew up in New York City, and when I was 6 years old I watched the World Trade Center go up in flames from my apartment window.
I’m now watching my entire world catch fire due to climate change, which is disproportionately affecting my generation and threatening our future on this planet. But unlike in 2001, I now feel that I have power – the collective power of the movement to stop climate change.
During my time at Mount Holyoke College, I have worked with other students in the Climate Justice Coalition (CJC). Mount Holyoke’s investments in the fossil fuel industry jeopardize the future that the college is preparing us for, so we (and 400 other college campaigns) are urging the college to divest its endowment of fossil fuels.
The following is a history of our campaign in numbers. It is a snapshot of the struggles, hopes and determination of young climate activists across the world.
Years active: 4
Hours of work: 500+
Number of MHC students who voted yes to divest (in 2014 referendum): 1,049
Percent of the faculty who support divestment: 92
Number of partnerships (with groups like the Seven Sisters Coalition for Fossil Fuel Divestment): 9
Number of articles in on- and off-campus media about CJC: 5+
Number of large protests attended: 6 (including Forward on Climate and the People’s Climate March)
Number of meetings with administrators and trustees: 7
Number of MHC trustees working for the fossil fuel industry: (at least) 1
Years in a row CJC has been denied access to the May meeting of the Board of Trustees: 2
If you want to learn more about our campaign to divest Mount Holyoke’s endowment of fossil fuels, check out our Facebook page or email us at mhclimatejustice@gmail.com.
Julia Worcester
South Hadley