Hopefully by now, you've heard of the 'Divest DePauw' campaign. In case you haven't, their mission is to reinforce our campus' commitment to environmental sustainability by freezing investments in the fossil fuel industry from our $500 million endowment and reinvesting in socially responsible companies.
A small group of dedicated students have been working tirelessly to raise awareness and garner support for this incredibly important cause. Some of the students met with a very supportive President Casey on Friday, held a rally on Saturday that brought in experts including 350.org founder Bill McKibben and organized a faculty forum last night with interdepartmental support.
One concept that McKibben shared with students was the idea of "intellectual consistency," which means that our actions must be extensions of the principles we espouse. At the faculty forum, professor of philosophy Jen Everett expanded on this idea as it relates to DePauw by reminding us that, "Institutions are moral actors, with political rights, personhood under the law, and moral obligations."
Our university's obligation is to educate. That is our mission and our top priority. But at DePauw, we pride ourselves on the liberal arts experience and the creation of a whole, conscious, responsible person, not just a test-taking diploma-holder.
For us, this means that what happens outside the classroom is just as important as the notes we take and the lectures we hear. If DePauw has taught me anything, it's that every action, every word and every choice matters.
Each time we open our wallets, we cast a vote. And this concept extends to the institutions of which we're a part, as well. When DePauw invests in corporations that harm the environment, we're liable for those repercussions too.
As an individual, you may recycle, use CFC light bulbs and walk instead of drive. But please don't forget that you're also, as Professor Everett put it, part of a collective. We can't let the all-too-familiar apathy overpower our shared responsibility to leave a healthy planet for our children.
Being a senior, I'm old enough to remember a time when the dining halls still sold plastic water bottles. As the movement to eliminate them grew, it was met with resistance from those worried about potential consequences: the dining halls might see a loss, finding drinkable water might become inconvenient - there were plenty of naysayers. But three years later, those fears were assuaged and we're better off without creating unnecessary waste. Though this doesn't mirror divestment exactly, the concept is the same, and the key to any real change is public support from an important demographic: the students.
Climate change is real. It's not a hoax, it's not a conspiracy, it's not a scary story that hippies tell around campfires. It's happening, and we see the effects of it every single day. Minorities and low-income communities disproportionately live through the horrors of this global crisis, and the least we can do is ensure that we, as individuals and as a collective, aren't contributing to harmful practices.
We made the choice to come to DePauw, and now is the time to make the choice to show DePauw that we care about clean energy and climate change. Just in time for Earth Week, be sure to show your support for Divest DePauw, and join in the conversation.
- Bremer is a senior from Clarendon Hills, Ill. majoring in communication.