Beyond Coal Speaks at UI Board of Trustees Meeting

On November 12th, representatives from Beyond Coal addressed the University of Illinois Board of Trustees with the most recent of many pleas for university investments to be diverted from coal to renewable energy. Laden with wit and relevant historical references, the organization's riveting speech was best when delivered by Beyond Coal's Director of Communications, Cary Shepherdd, but is sure to compel online readers, such as yourself, as well.

Watch the video here at 1:05 

Address to The University of Illinois Board of Trustees

Written and delivered by Cary Shepherd

            Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen of the board, I’d like to thank you for allowing me to be the 217^th mustachioed liberal college student to steal another five minutes of your lives at one of these meetings. My name is Cary Shepherd, and I am the Director of Communications for the Urbana campus registered student organization Beyond Coal. The purpose of our organization is to inform the public about the coal industry and work with our University to adopt policies that minimize our endorsement and use of coal as an energy source.

            Today I would like to talk to you about divesting our endowment funds from companies heavily involved in the coal industry. This is not the first time that our organization has spoken at one of your meetings, so I want to thank you for your patience with us and willingness to discuss this important issue. Today however, I will be addressing a new aspect of this issue. You have already heard about coal’s carcinogenic properties and its propensity to accelerate global warming in past presentations, so while we remain steadfast in our assertion that this is the most important reason we must lead the charge towards cleaner sources of energy, the focus of this brief is why coal is a financially poor investment for our endowment. However, while finance will be the focus of this presentation, it is important to note that coal is the most carbon intensive energy source, because that will play an important role in the financial analysis I am about to present.

            As you are well aware, the purpose of our university endowment is not to flip stocks inside of a quarter. Our endowment is meant to financially safeguard our University for generations to come. Nobody in our organization is saying that coal is not profitable today or that we could stop using coal immediately as an energy source. We are saying that we must look to the future and invest responsibly.

            The debate on energy is changing, and in a democracy, the debate matters. One month ago, the Pentagon, yes the Pentagon, held a press conference in which Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel released a report indicating that climate change poses an immediate threat to national security, with increased threats from terrorism, infectious disease, global poverty, and food shortages. If there was ever an indication that the current administration may be politically positioning itself to take aggressive action against climate change through regulation of carbon emissions, this is it. This is that indication.

            Now, I had to make a few brief changes to this presentation because while I was putting on the finishing touches, the New York Times broke a story that the United States and China have been in secret negotiations to sign a treaty that aggressively overhauls international standards on carbon emissions. This happened three days ago. Once again, coal is the most carbon-intensive energy source on the market today. China is currently the world’s largest user of coal, and the United States is not far behind. The coal market will not just shrink in the United States, it will shrink internationally. We are at an important moment in history. Today is the day that just because coal has been a reliable source of energy for over 100 years, we have no certainty that this will remain the case. And personally, I’d like to see our endowment outlast the coal industry.  

            Again, we acknowledge that the energy we use must be produced somehow, so logically just because regulations of coal are increasing does not mean that it will become financially unprofitable. However, this in combination with other rising energy sources does indicate that. Coal’s claim to the throne of affordable energy king is no longer certain into the future. While our organization does not endorse the increased mining of natural gas through hydraulic fracturing, it is clear to see that this industry is growing exponentially across North America. All current financial indications point towards an energy industry squeeze of coal by natural gas in the 21^st century. Furthermore, the technology to increase efficiency from nuclear and solar energy is advancing rapidly, again eating away at the segment of the energy market that coal once occupied comfortably.

            I am a history major, and one of the most important concepts I have learned at the University of Illinois is how to use comparative history to understand the causes of similar events over time. When our university was founded in 1867, one of the largest energy sources in the country was oil. This had been the case for over 100 years. But it was not oil from the ground, it was oil from whales. Over the course of the following 50 years, increased competition from new energy sources such as petroleum and the increased regulation of the whaling industry drove that industry into the ground. Today, coal is being crowded out of the market by new and more efficient energy sources, and the regulations surrounding the extraction and burning of coal can be seen tightening on a regular basis. So let me ask you, would you have advised the University to invest in whaling companies in 1867? Would you advise investment in coal today?  

The Big Picture: What Our University Stands For

Earlier this summer, our Chancellor, Phyllis Wise, made the executive decision to revoke a job offer extended to Steven Salaita by the University of Illinois, and it was only by public pressure that his appointment was advanced to the Board of Trustees for approval. Last week, the Board voted 8-1 against Salaita’s appointment. You all know the story. But the question remains, why should we care?

            The Chancellor has stated that her decision “was not influenced in any way by [Salaita’s] positions on the conflict in the Middle East nor his criticism of Israel,” and unfortunately, we find this to be true. Her decision was made based upon money. After a request under the Freedom of Information Act was filed for the Chancellor’s emails regarding the appointment of Salaita, it became public knowledge that students, and more importantly donors, were heavily petitioning the Chancellor to deny Salaita’s appointment a hearing. This is exactly what she did.

Some have made the argument that donors can say what they want, but ultimately this was done for the good of the students. This argument entirely ignores not just the Chancellor’s actions, but also the historical actions of the greater University of Illinois administration.  Last year, in an overwhelming 6-1 count, the student body voted to defund the University’s investments in coal based energy companies.  The official response? That is an unreasonable request. But when a few six-figure donors ask the Chancellor to break protocol and fire a professor over his radical political views protected under the First Amendment? No problem.

This is not the first time that the University has chosen money over ethics. The once infamous case of the quad shantytown is another prime example. In 1986, the University of Illinois had over $15 million invested in companies who profited in South Africa under the government that imposed apartheid on the native South Africans. As is happening today, the administration made numerous public comments about their commitment to ethical principles and their deep concern for the issue at hand, while doing little to back up their words. It was not until the University’s hypocrisy was publicly revealed through a brilliant student campaign that the University partially divested its holdings in those companies.

If that seems a bit too distant, let us not forget that as recently as 2009 we had a president, chancellor, and seven members of the Board of Trustees resign after it came to light that the University was admitting students with political and economic support at a distinguishably higher rate than everybody else. While the current scandal may change from year to year, the catalyst does not. Money matters here.

It is time for the University of Illinois to take responsibility for its actions. This does not rest solely on the shoulders of Chancellor Wise, but she does have blame to bear. This is on all of us. We need to be demanding more accountability, professionalism, and ethical conduct from the institution from which we are either employed or will be issued a diploma. This addiction to money needs to end. We do not need to build the largest net-zero energy building in Illinois if it means that we invest in coal companies to make it happen. We do not need to be preaching freedom of speech if we cannot practice it. We do not need to attend a public university if it practices the ethics of the most corrupt private institutions. We deserve better.

Cary Shepard

Dirty Money, Dirty Planet: A Conversation on Coal Divestment

Want to learn more about coal issues and divestment? Join UIUC Beyond Coal and UIUC Students for Environmental Concerns this Tuesday for “Dirty Money, Dirty Planet: A Conversation on Coal Divestment.”

The event will feature speakers from local environmental groups who are also striving to move communities beyond coal. One of the presenters is Sue Smith from Stand Up to Coal, a grassroots association fighting Sunrise Coal’s proposed Bulldog underground coal mine in Champaign and Vermilion counties. Sue will shine a light on the human face of coal extraction and production, showing the devastating effects resource exploitation can have on frontline communities. Traci Barkley, a water resources scientist at Prairie Rivers Network, will be a member of the panel as well. PRN is Champaign-Urbana-based non-profit organization which advocates for policies and cultural values that best protect aquatic ecosystems and waterways throughout the state of Illinois. Traci heads the organization’s coal pollution campaign, where she works to hold coal polluters accountable by strengthening pollution standards and safeguards on the environment and the public.

Following presentations from the panel, UIUC Beyond Coal will share some history of the campaign and detail what we hope to accomplish in light of the recent divestment vote. This is an exciting time for our campaign, as we have momentum and documented support of the student body. In addition to this, presenters from the campaign will cover the history of divestment and its examples of success from the past. Divestment can be a confusing topic to the untrained eye; we will be breaking down the process and its relation to the University of Illinois.

Members of the campaign and panel will field questions from the audience following the presentations.

Our University is inching away from the harmful practices of the coal industry, but to further facilitate this process we need feedback from fellow students. With the divestment movement growing each day, now is an imperative time for students to realize that they hold the power to make a difference. Join us on Tuesday, February 11^th to voice your opinion, inquire, or just listen. We would love to hear from you. The meeting will be held at 6:30 PM in Room 213 of Gregory Hall. We hope to see you there!

What's Next?

A Semester Closer to Divestment

While University of Illinois students reacclimate to frigid campus conditions and the daily grind of homework and classes, UIUC Beyond Coal has hit the ground running as a new semester dawns. Building on momentum from the previous semester’s successes, we hope to bring our University closer than ever before to divesting from the harmful practices of the coal industry.

UIUC Beyond Coal made significant strides over the course of last semester thanks to the outstanding efforts of its students activists. Campaign Co-President Peter Whitney kicked off the semester by addressing the University of Illinois Board of Trustees on the issue of coal divestment. With growing student support and clear evidence of coal’s environmental effects, the BoT’s inaction has become questionable. Campaign actions have garnered the attention of the local and even national media outlets. Our efforts have been featured in the Daily Illini multiple times, an Associate Press article, and the Huffington Post. In October, 39 students trekked to Pittsburgh, PA to further their environmental activism skills and knowledge for Powershift 2013. While we may not have won over the support of the University yet, we have certainly shown that our efforts will only continue to grow.

 The support of the student body for our campaign was showcased when students voted in favor of divesting from the coal industry during the Fall. Despite the unhurried bureaucratic nature of the petitioning process, we were able to amass over 4,200 signatures in slightly over two weeks time. As a result, students were able to vote on a coal divestment referendum on the UIUC student ballot. After weeks of preparation, canvassing, and outreach, the hard work of our campaigners had finally paid off. In a sweeping 6-1 vote, the student body declared that it was time for the university to divest from an energy source of the past.

Yet the battle to divest from coal is still far from over. UIUC Beyond Coal will strive to make this semester even more successful than the last. Already this semester, Co-President Drew O’Bryan has spoken to the Board of Trustees in Chicago during their first bimonthly meeting of the semester. Drew highlighted the BoT’s power to divest from coal as well as their continuous failure to discuss the issue. He also reiterated the resolution which we are fighting for the University to pass:

1. Forego any future direct investments in the “Filthy 15” coal companies effective immediately.
2. Establish a committee on socially responsible investment (SRI) within the Board of Trustees to monitor progress and address any future SRI issues, as is proposed in the Illinois Climate Action Plan.
3. Divest all direct and indirect holdings from the “Filthy 15” coal mining and utilities companies by the year 2017
4. Construct a plan for reinvestment of a percentage of divested funds into renewable energy utilities and/or research.

Though campaign members have spoken to the BoT multiple times already, we plan speak at every BoT meeting for the remainder of the semester. This semester will see continued pressure on the BoT through establishing relationships and coalitions with administrative committees and other stakeholders throughout University of Illinois campuses, with hopes of pushing the aforementioned resolution through the tri-campus Senate.

UIUC Beyond Coal’s next major event of the semester, “Starting the Conversation on Divestment,” will take place on Tuesday, February 11^th at 6:30 PM in Greg Hall Room 213. We will be hosting four speakers to provide their respective expert knowledge on the history and economics of divestment, science of coal, and frontline efforts to stop coal extraction. In addition to these endeavors, the campaign will be hosting many events throughout the semester, culminating in a rally at the end of the school year.

Keep an eye out for UIUC Beyond Coal in the coming months, it won’t be hard to find us.