Dear President Brown and the Boston University Board of Trustees,

As a graduate of Boston University, I know firsthand the high quality of education provided to students. I appreciate not only the education I received, but also the values that BU instilled in me—a critical perspective on the world and a focus on social justice. I am also proud that the college has become a leader in sustainability and taken further steps toward addressing the adverse effects of climate change by establishing the Climate Action Plan.

Considering the leadership role of the university, I find it contradictory that BU invests its endowment—and therefore my donations—in the fossil fuel industry. The extraction and consumption of fossil fuels harms the environment, public health, and exacerbates the already negative consequences of climate change. Though we all feel these impacts, they disproportionately affect developing countries, poor communities, and communities of color who overall contribute less to the consumption of fossil fuels.

Unfortunately, efforts to transition away from fossil fuels have been hindered by the industry’s money, political connections, and tacit acceptance from institutions like ours. This is where Boston University can and has played a role by publicly avoiding investments in coal and tar sands. A mass divestment movement can both harm these corporations’ bottom lines, and delegitimize them in the court of public opinion, aiding local communities' efforts to reclaim their land, health, and economies.

However Boston University’s continual investment in other forms of fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas legitimizes the fossil fuel industry, the destruction that it has perpetuated , and the injustice it has fostered toward poor communities. BU cannot commit to sustainability and a Climate Action Plan while still investing its endowment in the exact industry that necessitates climate change mitigation and adaptation mechanisms.

Given this injustice and the urgency of acting on climate change, I pledge to withhold all monetary donations to BU, starting in September 2017, until the university publicly commits, within a transparent and measurable framework, to the complete ACSRI recommendation of full divestment of all direct investments in fossil fuel companies that continue to explore for new reserves.

 
Sincerely yours,