On Wednesday, Nov. 28, Professor Anne Lacsamana’s Global Feminisms class hosted a Divestment Day campaign. Our class was interested in applying pressure on the administration in order to halt new investments in the fossil fuel industry, as well as to divest from all fossil fuel companies. Although there has been a similar divestment campaign in previous years known as Hamilton Divests, our class is aiming to bring this issue back up again.
With the recent introduction of a new president of the College and Chief Investment Officer, we believe it is the perfect time to let the administration know that we do not support where Hamilton College’s endowment is invested. As part of our efforts, our class had a table in the Kirner-Johnson Auditorium where we explained to students where Hamilton College’s funds were invested and asked them to sign a petition to divest from fossil fuel investments.
According to the most recent data from June 30, 2016, Hamilton College has almost $36,000,000 invested in the fossil fuel industry — directly funding companies that contribute to climate change. This year, we witnessed the natural disasters and destruction brought on by climate change, including major hurricanes and floods around the world. By investing in the fossil fuel industry, Hamilton College profits from climate change, which means that we are directly contributing to the devastation climate change has caused.
The effects of these natural disasters are long-lasting and have gendered implications. Due to gendered social constructions and divisions of labor, as well as unequal access to resources, women are disproportionately affected and vulnerable to climate change. Women are most likely to fetch water, wood, and food for their households — putting in the time and energy to procure materials for heating, cooking, and cleaning. As climate change’s destruction takes place, many of these women struggle to find the resources they need. In places like South Africa, women end up taking on an extra workload and contributing to their household income through a part-time job in order to make up for the resources they cannot find, according to a 2014 study.
Divestment is possible, as evidenced by Syracuse University and Columbia University’s successful campaigns. In 2015, Syracuse divested their $1.18 billion endowment from fossil fuels after a two-year campaign. This year, Columbia announced divestment from thermal coal producers in order to bring awareness to climate change and encourage others to make similar decisions.
Although it is an arduous process, we believe it is of the utmost importance for Hamilton College to divest from fossil fuel investments for the benefit of the environment and women around the world. The College aims to have its students effect positive change in the world, and the first step towards realizing this goal is to help women whose lives have been irrevocably impacted by climate change.
