To the Editor:
We all know that a Brown education is an investment in our futures. We study hard and pay steep tuition costs to create opportunities down the road. However, our university is failing to invest in our futures in a vital way. So far, the administration has declined to issue a public statement divesting Brown's endowment from the 15 worst coal mining and burning companies. As young people, we should be furious about this. What is at stake is the future security of our economy, our infrastructure, our health and our quality of life.
Anyone who saw Bill McKibben's talk Nov. 26 will tell you that things aren't looking too good for our planet, or for us. We are already well above the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that scientists consider safe, and adding more every year. If we don't get serious about cutting emissions, we can expect to see catastrophic global change within our lifetimes. Brown, as a prominent intellectual institution, should be a leader in finding solutions to this urgent problem. It should not be complicit in continuing to alter the composition of Earth's atmosphere.
We need to tell Brown that we want a livable planet to grow up on. A Brown education can give us a bright future, but only if we have a safe planet on which to live. We should all make it a priority to pressure Brown to divest from coal now.
Hannah Poor '13
