Friday, January 31, 2020

Students demanded divestment from fossil fuels, a professor offered to turn off the gas heating

Professor Andrew Parker of St John's College at Oxford University is my new favorite person.

The Times of London reports that a group of students wrote to Professor Parker to discuss demands being made by student protesters about fossil fuel divestment.

Two students at St John's College wrote to Andrew Parker, the principal bursar, this week requesting a meeting to discuss the protesters' demands, which are that the college "Declares a climate emergency and immediately divests from fossil fuels".

"But I can arrange for the gas central heating in college to be switched off with immediate effect. Please let me know if you support this proposal."

Fergus Green, the organiser of the wider protest, who is studying for a master's degree in physics and philosophy at Balliol College, said: "This is an inappropriate and flippant response by the bursar to what we were hoping would be a mature discussion. It's January and it would be borderline dangerous to switch off the central heating."

There are significant costs to real people associated with eliminating fossil fuels.

So a fair response to people demanding an end to the use of fossil fuels is the one the professor put to these protesters: You first.

https://hotair.com/archives/john-s-2/2020/01/31/students-demanded-disinvestment-fossil-fuels-professor-offered-turn-off-heat/

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