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WMU Students Launch Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign

Sehvilla Mann
/
WMUK

A group of Western Michigan University students and faculty say the university ought to drop its investments in oil and other fossil fuels. That’s because of the role they say those fuels play in furthering climate change.

Members of the group, WMU Divest, held a rally for the campaign today at noon. The setting: a parking ramp near a cluster of solar panels on Western's campus.

About 25 people listened as several speakers, including political science professor and congressional candidate Paul Clements, called on Western’s community not to ignore the dangers of global warming. Attendees also heard from two Kalamazoo College students who are part of a divestment campaign there.

WMU Professor of Social Work Don Cooney says WMU Divest hopes to gather at least 1,000 signatures against fossil fuel investment to present to WMU president John Dunn. He says the group also hopes to discuss the campaign with Dunn sometime in the next few weeks.

Sehvilla Mann joined WMUK’s news team in 2014 as a reporter on the local government and education beats. She covered those topics and more in eight years of reporting for the Station, before becoming news director in 2022.
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