Divestment Distracts from ‘Critical Actions’ on Climate, U.S. College President Contends

Fossil fuel divestment is a distraction from the “critical actions” that are needed to drastically reduce carbon pollution, Pomona College President David Oxtoby argues in a September 15 commentary. “Many of those involved in the divestment movement say quite candidly that they do not expect divestment…to have an effect on the policies of the companies involved, but that this is one way of getting attention for the issue,” he writes. “Symbolic actions have their place. But at colleges and universities, our first goal is to educate students to be skeptical about simple claims and to weigh competing values. Then we encourage them to build on their values to make a difference in the world.” On climate change, that will be best accomplished “by helping to build a coalition and elect public officials for whom climate change is a compelling and urgent issue.”