“Man Who Crushed Keystone” Targets Fossil Fuels in Anti-Apartheid-Style Campaign

Coal and other fossil fuels are inexpensive energy sources, but only when the related health and environmental costs go ignored. The US has dragged its feet on developing alternative forms of energy or policies that account for overall costs of fossil fuels, especially property damage associated with extreme weather. Environmental activist Bill McKibben has a reputation for leading protests on issues associated with climate change, and his next project is modeled after the fight against South African apartheid. He and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu will tour 20 campuses, urging college students to pressure major institutions to pull investments from the oil, gas and coal industries. “Fossil fuels remain one of the most profitable industries in the world, and oil companies in particular generally provide consistently high returns on investments, making them attractive choices for university endowments and pension funds,” reports Coral Davenport for the National Journal. “But McKibben thinks there’s an opportunity to make the moral case to college boards – backed by student protests – and that from there, the message will spread.” – YaleGlobal