The reality we face today is this: climate change is happening and man-made emissions are playing a huge part in the rising temperatures and moving weather patterns. Just since 1970, global emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes have increased the carbon dioxide output over 90 percent. At the rate we are going, water levels are increasing, temperatures are increasing, and more ecosystems are in danger of collapsing. The atmospheric carbon content is over 400 parts per million and increasing. Many institutions across the United States have started divesting from fossil fuels to show that they do not support their methods and to show that they are leaders in moving towards a more renewable and sustainable future.

Divestment is simply this: un-investing your money in something unethical or morally ambiguous. Fossil fuel divestment would entail removing stocks, bonds, and other investments in the fossil fuel industry. This would often remove endowments from that industry, but it would also free up budget space to then invest in a more renewable energy sector, or simply keep the money going elsewhere. The idea behind this is that more institutions that divest from fossil fuel companies, the stronger message they send about how harmful the fossil fuel industry is, but more importantly illuminate the fact that people want to see change.

Colleges and universities across the states have been a huge impact in creating divestment campaigns. Georgetown University became a leader in divesting from fossil fuels. A student group called GU Fossil Free initiated the university's move to divest from all direct investments in the coal industry. Although this is not the whole of the fossil fuel industry, it is a step in the right direction. GU Fossil Free continues to be involved with the campus investments board to try to go even further and divest from oil and gas companies. Churches, companies, and universities across the globe including the University of Glasgow, the British Medial Association, the city of Cambridge MA, and the University of Massachusetts Association have either partially or completely divested from certain fossil fuels.

As a result of their divestment, Georgetown University pledged to be a leader in long-term sustainability, following the Jesuit ideals that the college upholds. The school's endowment is meant to follow the institution's mission, funding academic and research programs, professorships and lectureships, student aid, facilities, library support, athletics and more. Though they may have lost a little bit of money by divesting, it has shown to be negligible so far. They have invested in other places and continue to uphold their mission.

Divestment is tricky in many ways because of the processes by which colleges and universities invest their money. The College of the Holy Cross, for example, hires investments people to invest the college's endowment in different places. Fossil fuel industries have a good return, and the college sees it as necessary. One could argue that a single institution's divestment will not change the fossil fuel company from being as powerful as it is. Supporting the fossil fuel industry is easy, and divesting would require huge re-evaluations of where the money is going, and how to even ensure that our investors stay away from fossil fuels.

However, divesting from fossil fuels is the morally responsible thing to do in a day where climate change is one of the biggest problems we face, and running out of resources is an ever-more present concept. The first thing that divesting would do is set a positive example. If one university or institution makes it known that they will not support the fossil fuel industry, more will follow. It makes a statement and follows a set of moral ethics that universities are trying to teach to the next generation. Divesting also will not hurt endowments. In any given year, investment earnings could change, and the difference when cutting out fossil fuels is not a great enough impact to warrant staying invested. Over time, with investments in industries like wind and solar, those companies are increasing their power, and thus would increase earnings for schools that divest from fossil fuels and invest that money elsewhere, in industries that will be more dominant in the future.

It's really all about morals. Sophomore student, Marie Therese Kane says, "divestment would signal Holy Cross' refusal to profit from activities irreconcilable with its Jesuit identity, promoting its mission in practice. Holy Cross' mission statement asks, "What are our obligations to one another? What is our special responsibility to the world's poor and powerless?" These are questions reflected in our Catholic social teaching. As such, we can't pick and choose which aspects of campus life we apply Jesuit spirituality or mission to." Colleges like Holy Cross are morally obligated to uphold the mission, and investing in immoral industries is not consistent with what we want to uphold. The college has stated that it will not invest in any company that will supply abortions, so why can't it decide not to invest in dirty fossil fuels?

As a Jesuit institution, our argument for investing in fossil fuels should not be about the money. We must be leaders in changing the environmental culture that is ever-present in the United States. Not only should we look more closely at divesting, but we should encourage other institutions to do the same. Maybe divestment is not the response right now for the college, however, it should not be taken off the table. We cannot support industries that are the leading cause of climate change when the United States only makes up 5 percent of the world's population but is contributing to 25 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions. The students, faculty, and administration of the college need to ask themselves this: If not this, then how? If not now, then when?