Opinion

OPEN LETTERS TO PRESIDENT L. RAFAEL REIF:

Dear President Reif and the Executive Committee,

We, the undersigned MIT students, write to urge MIT to take bold and immediate action against the threats of climate change.

We inherit a warming world. In our lifetimes, we may see more than four degrees Celsius of global warming; our children, more than six. At this rate, by the time our children graduate from college, MIT will face the threat of up to seven feet of flooding from the next Hurricane Sandy-strength storm surge. By the time our children retire, their world could be one of forced migration on the scale of nations, of colossal species extinction, and of prospects of runaway climatic feedback cycles posing an existential threat to civilized society. This is a threat to our futures and to global and intergenerational justice. Around the world, climate change preferentially afflicts those who have contributed the least — the young, poor, and disenfranchised. And with the future on our minds, hope in our hearts, and passions on our sleeves, we MIT students face a world where the pursuit of our ambitions is jeopardized.

We represent a large cross-section of the MIT undergraduate and graduate student population. Many of us are already involved in climate, energy, and sustainability efforts across campus. We are diverse in our academic majors, personal interests, political views, religious beliefs, and cultural backgrounds, yet when it comes to climate change, we are united.

We stand shoulder-to-shoulder in calling on MIT to summon its moral courage and thought leadership so as to rise to meet this singular crisis and opportunity of our time.

MIT instills in us “the ability and passion to work wisely, creatively, and effectively for the betterment of humankind.” This means avoiding false dichotomies and instead asking “what all can we do?” On campus and around the world, let us take courageous climate actions, which can include but not be limited to:

Reinventing climate change education so that it is on the minds of all MIT graduates and on the agendas of decision makers everywhere.

Launching an MIT Manhattan Project for climate science and renewable energy research, development, and deployment.

Divesting MIT’s endowment from fossil fuel companies.

Reinvesting in campus energy efficiency, which is a high-yield, low-risk investment.

Transforming our campus into a living laboratory for sustainability, efficiency, and energy, with emissions reductions consistent with holding global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.

Engaging with our public and politicians, demanding meaningful leadership and legislation, starting with an effective price on carbon.

We applaud the initial steps your administration has taken by launching the MIT Climate Change Conversation. We understand that it was calls for climate action from MIT students, many of whom are signatories to this letter, that in large part precipitated this Conversation.

It is therefore with a sense of duty, pride, and expectation that we urge you to build quickly on this positive progress by making MIT a global climate action leader. Students and student groups can cultivate local changes, but MIT can move a nation, rewriting the course of climate change.

Please make climate change action the defining legacy of your presidency and the generational mission of this Institute.

Albert Einstein said, “Those who have the privilege to know have the duty to act.” Here at MIT, we know that climate change will bring suffering and injustice, and we know what we must do to stop it. Now it is our duty to act boldly, courageously, and without delay.

Yours appreciatively,

The undersigned students and student groups of MIT.

AID-MIT

Art of Living at MIT

Edgerton House Association

Food & Agriculture Club

Fossil Free MIT

MIT Beekeepers Club

MIT Clean Energy Prize

MIT Dept. of Urban Studies & Planning Students of Color Committee

MIT Energy For Human Development

MIT Sloan Energy Club

MIT Sustainability Club

MIT Water Club

Next Sustain

Secular Society of MIT

Sustainability Subcommittee of the Graduate Student Council

UA Committee on Sustainability

Vegan & Vegetarian Society

Westgate Executive Committee



7 Comments
1
Jacqueline almost 9 years ago

To sign the student group letter visit MITClimateLegacy.org

2
Jeff Green almost 9 years ago

http://thesolutionsproject.org/#tsp-section-map

Here is one of many paths to a better life on earth..

3
Freedom almost 9 years ago

Quote: " In our lifetimes, we may see more than four degrees Celsius of global warming "

Translation: " The highest number I could make up that wouldn't seem too outrageous is 4 degrees Celsius, so I predict 4 degrees of warming."

The people writing this article are so spineless, conformist, unintelligent and insecure that the only way they can feel good about themselves is by lying (to themselves) about political issues, working themselves into righteous rage, and then wishing destruction upon the world. This has always been the behavior of the leftist throughout history, and it is, without a doubt, the behavior of these student groups.

Remember that leftists are hypocritical, parasitical slime with the ethics of paste. You should never trust a leftist. Most of the members of these student groups are so infected with leftism they cannot be engaged in dialogue.

If you are a normal person who knows that (a) the science behind climate change is far from settled, and that (b) propaganda driven by emotions and desires for power (not facts) does not help, remember that leftists hate you and many secretly would love to see you dead. Do not put any trust in these parasites and do not let them infect you. Seek environments that are as free as possible from leftist degeneracy and fanaticism. Focus more on yourself and your family.

Look upon leftists and their institutions (EPA, MIT, The New York Times, etc.) with contempt. They're all funded by government money and want to enslave you.

Most people, including these student groups, are already slaves.

4
mitinsider almost 9 years ago

But it's settled science. 99 of climate change scientists believe in climate change. btw, 99 of astrologists believe in astrology.

5
Freedom almost 9 years ago

4- Indeed. Science is astrology for people with IQs between 110 and 125. Once you go over 130 IQ you have fewer morons and idiots who put absolute faith in what skinny, pimply faced scientists say. Colleges and society have been systematically replacing intelligent people with IQs over 130 with stupid-smart people with IQs between 110 and 125. Brave new world.

6
mitinsider almost 9 years ago

how about some common sense. rather than divest, how about we stop burning so much petroleum in the central utility plant. Are we still burning no. 2 and no. 6 fuel oil? Why?

7
Freedom almost 9 years ago

In 2008, ABC news predicted NYC would be underwater by 2015

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2015/06/12/flashback-abcs-08-prediction-nyc-under-water-climate-change-june?utm_source=facebookutm_medium=marketingutm_term=facebookutm_content=facebookutm_campaign=climate-change-june

Regulators gonna regulate.