Ohio State students held several protests last year urging the university to divest from fossil fuels. John Scholl thinks Ohio State should listen to students and follow the path paved by other universities. Photo illustration credit: Lily Hynes
This piece is the perspective of John Scholl, a third-year in history at Ohio State and a lifelong resident of Ohio.
In September 2023, New York University committed to divesting from fossil fuels after pressure from its student body. It joined a long list of institutions that have made this same pledge to combat contributing to global climate change, eliminating investments in companies dealing in fossil fuels and avoiding any future investments.
Over 100 schools in the U.S. have committed to divestment in some fashion, including the University of Michigan. Ohio State, however, has not.
In fact, Ohio State is linked to big oil company Marathon Petroleum. The university accepted funding from the company in 2022, and Gary R. Heminger, former CEO of Marathon, currently serves on the board of trustees.
As an Ohio State student, I believe the school needs to take steps toward divesting and cutting ties with the fossil fuel industry, especially with the calls to do so from its own student body.
In 2017, Ohio State’s Undergraduate Student Government adopted a resolution calling for divestment from notable fossil fuel businesses, including the top 200 companies. The university did not adopt demands in the resolution, and instead said, “A shift toward making investment decisions for non-economic reasons would be a broad departure from our current investment strategy.”
On the contrary, in September 2020 the university approved the creation of a new natural gas power plant. A complete transition to renewable energy might have been difficult and time-consuming, and outsourcing might not have been possible considering only 4% of electricity in Ohio was supplied from renewable sources in 2022.
The plant is said to cut carbon emissions by up to 30% by providing more energy-efficient electricity. This measure, however, “doesn’t include the energy required to extract the natural gas — which is chiefly done through hydraulic fracking.”
While natural gas produces significantly less carbon dioxide than coal, hydraulic fracking can seriously degrade the environment. The extraction process can be harmful to the health of those living near fracking sites and can pollute the water and air.
Despite its vow to cut emissions, approval of the fossil-fueled power plant was met with student resistance. In September 2021, students gathered on campus to protest the construction of the plant.
Students protested again on campus in October of 2022, with calls for the university to divest from fossil fuels. Ohio State responded by shrugging off the responsibility, stating the school “outsources investments to external capital managers.”
Most recently, in November 2022, USG passed another resolution calling for the university to divest from fossil fuels. Once again, the university took no action.
Transitioning to renewable energy is important as the output of carbon dioxide changes the climate, and reducing output is vital as a changing climate has severe global repercussions.
As temperatures rise with greater levels of carbon dioxide, natural disasters increase in frequency and severity. Significantly more people will be negatively affected by worsening floods, droughts and storms worldwide.
Understandably, divestment is not an easy transition for the university to make. The university’s Office of Business and Finance responded to the 2017 student resolution by stating, “divesting in fossil fuels as requested by the student body would ‘reduce the resources available for priorities such as student scholarships and faculty positions.’”
At the very least, the university should foster a productive collaboration with the student body on determining how the transition away from fossil fuels can best be made while doing the least harm.
Ohio State needs to demonstrate its commitment to the student body and protecting the environment as a whole. The school needs to follow the lead of other universities already committed to combating climate change. Divestment does not need to happen suddenly or all at once, but shutting the door on the student body time and time again shows a lack of regard for the concerns of the students that the university provides for.
For those concerned over Ohio State’s lack of divestment, please stay active and stay attentive to what action the university is taking — or not taking — in regards to combating climate change. Consider joining the student government or sustainability organizations on campus and continue to pressure the university for positive change.
