Students Challenge the University's Neutral Stance on Carbon
On October 5th, 2020, Chancellor Jones signed the Illinois Climate Action Plan, a plan intending to ensure that the University reaches complete carbon neutrality by 2050. Today, students celebrated Earth Day by running widespread demonstrations protesting the University’s push towards a neutral stance on carbon.
One protester named Sarah proclaimed, “Martin Luther King once said, ‘The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.’ The University can not and should not remain neutral on carbon emissions. This policy of carbon neutrality will damn us all!”
The University has not made an official response to the protests. However, counter-protesters have noted that neutrality worked pretty well for Switzerland in WWII, so it may well work for this climate crisis.