Petition to ask Michigan Technological University to divest all funds from the fossil fuel industry

Michigan Technological University has positioned itself as a leader in the innovations of the 21st century. We believe that one of the most important of these innovations will be the transition to a global zero-emission economy. Therefore, we ask that Michigan Tech :

(1) 𝗜𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 their investment portfolio,

(2) 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝘁 new investments into the fossil fuel industry,

(3) 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱-𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 from any current fossil fuel investments, and consider the reinvestment of these funds to be an opportunity to support environmental and social justice, and

(4) 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 with the student body, faculty, staff, and community members.

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Keweenaw Youth for Climate Action

We all deserve a healthy planet with clean, breathable air, drinkable water, and thriving, biodiverse ecosystems. Climate change poses a serious crisis to the well-being of our planet, and this crisis must be solved by ceasing to consume fossil fuels.

Locally, climate change is already impacting, or is projected to impact:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:

Lake Superior is one of the fastest warming lakes in the world. Climate change affects (or is expected to affect) the lake in various ways, including reducing ice cover and increasing susceptibility to invasive species and algal blooms.

𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:

Sugar maples are projected to lose most of their habitat, endangering traditions of making maple syrup and sugar.

Oil pipelines in the local area (Line 5 and Line 3) threaten Ottawa and Chippewa wild rice fields, forests, waters and Indigenous Treaty agreements.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆:

The “Father’s Day flood” of June 17, 2018, cost Houghton around $30 million in infrastructure damages. Extreme weather events such as this storm are predicted to increase in frequency.

Fluctuating water levels across the Great Lakes wreak havoc on business, beaches, and homes.

𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

Many beloved winter sports and recreational activities, such as skiing, snowshoeing, sled-dog racing, and MTU-specific events such as the Winter Carnival snow sculpture competition and broomball, are threatened by a warming climate.

𝗪𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.

675 of 750 signature goal

Last updated on Feb 16, 2020

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