Students set to launch hunger strike to force UBC to divest from fossil fuel
Posted January 5, 2020 7:26 pm.
Last Updated January 5, 2020 11:33 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — A small group of climate activists is going on a hunger strike until UBC commits to a full fossil fuel divestment by the end of January.
Extinction Rebellion UBC’s Liam Gannon hopes taking dramatic action will put pressure on the university to meet the group’s demands.
He says about eight or nine people will participate in the strike which will begin Monday.
“We’re using a hunger strike as a way to make the institution be able to visualize a real-life consequence of the climate crisis, which is starvation,” Gannon says.
He acknowledges the university has made some strides–like declaring a climate emergency–but the groups wants full divestment by the end of the month.
“With the severity of the climate crisis we don’t really have time for bureaucratic processes to get in the way of climate action.”
UBC has committed to funds to study how investment strategies can lower carbon emissions, and how the university can fully divest its main endowment pool from the fossil fuel industry.
Gasson says the hunger strike will continue until demands are met, or until members’ health is permanently affected.
With files from the Canadian Press
