Moving on from the controversial gun control resolution passed last week, ASG issued a press release Monday announcing the release of a petition urging University officials to divest from coal companies. The petition, the proposal for which passed ASG Senate on Jan. 31, was released together with Northwestern University Responsible Endowment Coalition.
The ASG resolution behind the petition, which cites President Obama's second inauguration speech, also states that "coal mining and combustion have negative effects on human health due to the degradation of both air and water quality."
"... [T]he signatories of this resolution ... support complete financial divestment from the coal industry," the resolution reads. "Northwestern is a global leader in sustainability and can strengthen that position by committing to increased investments in clean renewable energy."
The resolution also mentions a "history of successful divestment from fossil fuel companies" including a 2005 push to remove funds from Chinese oil companies Sinopec Corp. and PetroChina Company, as well as Russian oil company Tatneft.