WHERE WE’VE BEEN: A brief history of Fossil Free and CSSC.
In 2010, a small group of students from Swarthmore College visited communities devastated by Mountaintop Removal Coal mining in Appalachia. Recognizing systematic injustice perpetrated by the coal industry, and systemic inaction at the state and federal level, Swarthmore students decided to get organized and confront their board of trustees about the institution’s investment holdings in the “Sordid Sixteen” coal companies responsible for destroying Appalachian communities.
In 2011, the campaign’s inspiration reached the West Coast, with CSSC kick-starting the California campaign to get its higher education institutions to divestment from the “filthy 15” coal companies. After publishing a preliminary report on reducing coal investment holdings in California’s higher education institutions, CSSC leadership continued to work closely with coalition partners to develop a comprehensive statewide and national campaign strategy.
By 2012, the work of students from Vermont to California inspired leading environmental author and 350.org founder Bill Mckibben to write a piece in Rolling Stone that instantly went viral entitled “Global Warmings Terrifying New Math.” The 350 team and its partners around the country soon organized the “Do The Math” tour, where McKibben and many organizers traveled to 200 cities across the nation to spread the word about fossil fuel divestment as a means to advance political action on the climate crisis.
2013 saw the incredible launch of Fossil Free campaigns across the state of California, forming a coordinated coalition between UC campuses, increasing communication between CSU campuses, and new campaigns popping up every month. In October 2013, CSSC sent a delegation of approximately 230 student to Pittsburgh to participate in Energy Action Coalitions bi-annual Powershift conference.
Youth rally for Climate Justice in Pittsburgh, PA after Powershift 2013.
Photo Credit: Ophir Bruck
2014 has been the beginning of the tipping point. Campuses such as SFSU and Stanford have divested from coal (and tar sands, in the case of SFSU), and Pitzer College and De Anza and Foothill Community Colleges committed to full divestment. In April 2014, CSSC co-hosted the second annual national fossil fuel divestment convergence with the Divestment Student Network at San Francisco State University, bringing almost 300 youth together from across the nation to share skills and build power within the national divestment movement. In the lead up to the national conference, and just afterward, California institutions made headlines on the issue of climate-related divestment, with several higher education institutions and municipalities voting to commit in 2014. 2014 is also the year of coalition building; new coalitions have started to spring up between Fossil Free and Students Against Fracking, labor union groups, frontline communities, and many others. CSSC has been instrumental in forming coalitions with organizations like 350 and developing strong student-led campaigns across the UC, CSU, CCC and private university systems. More than 400 higher education institutions, 103 cities and states and several religious and independent institutions reportedly joined the Fossil Free campaign.
Students from across California participate in a direct action and testify before the UC regents at their May meeting in Sacramento about the importance of divesting from fossil fuels and investing in a sustainable future. Photo Credit: Mauricio Castillo, 2013
Accomplishments
The Fossil Free Campaign has had the honor of working with leaders and organizations within the UC, California State University and California Community College systems, as well as with its coalition partners (350.org, REC, AYS) and has made significant progress in developing the initiative at campuses across the state.
- Teach-in events at UCSB, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and CSU Los Angeles
- Associated Students at 8 of the 9 UC campuses pass resolutions in support of institutional and systemwide divestment (UCLA, UCB, UCSB, UCSD, UCSC, UCD, UCI, UCR); UC Berkeley student government resolution also mandates the Associated Students divest any of their $3-4 million in endowment holdings from fossil fuels.
- San Francisco State University, Stanford University, Pitzer College, and De Anza and Foothill Colleges divest
- UC Berkeley undergraduate students pass a referendum in support of systemwide divestment by 73%
- UCSB Academic (Faculty) Senate passed resolution in support of institutional and systemwide divestment
- Fossil Free UC engagement with UC Office of the President, Regents on a task force, and formed an official partnership with UC Student Association
- Students from UC Berkeley, SFSU and USF testified before San Francisco City Board of Supervisors on fossil fuel divestment, aiding in the Board’s unanimous decision to vote in favor of divesting San Francisco Employee Retirement System from more than $583 million from fossil fuel companies
- UC and CSU students have been interviewed about their work on fossil free and featured in a variety of national and international media sources including the Los Angeles Times, The Chronicle of Higher Education, National Public Radio, Buzzfeed.com, Peakwater.org and many local and regional outlets
- Fossil Free UC successfully launched the Donors for Divestment campaign, where donors can place their financial contributions to the UC in a separate fund that will only be released to the university upon its decision to divest from fossil fuels!
- Formation of an Official Task Force commissioned by the UC Regents to investigate UC Investments in Sustainability, including holdings in the fossil fuel industry. The task force, with representation from two students, will vote on fossil fuel divestment in September, 2014.