Listmates, Please support the efforts of the divestment movement by signing the petition.
(Forgive duplicate posts.) Thank you, -Karen ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Stacey Smith <[email protected]> Date: Fri, May 24, 2013 at 12:54 PM Subject: Can Sustainable Thompkins forward this out to list serves? thanks stacey smith To: Don Barber <[email protected]> Go Fossil Free ! Divest NYS and Local Retirement Funds from Fossil Fuels ------------------------------ Dear Climate Activist, We’ve just created the petition ‘Divest NYS and Local Retirement Funds from Fossil Fuels.’ We are asking you to please add your name to the petition - today. This campaign is part of the global divestment movement. New York State invests billions of dollars in fossils fuels; thus, what this petition calls for would make an immediate, positive difference by divesting from extreme forms of energy and investing in truly sustainable energy. We are working to gather signatures and support for this large divestment effort. The more concerned New York State citizens who ask Comptroller DiNapoli for divestment, the better chance we have of succeeding. You can read more and sign the petition here: http://campaigns.gofossilfree.org/petitions/divest-nys-retirement-pension-funds-from-fossil-fuels Thank you! NYS and Local Retirement Divestment Team P.S. Can you also please take a moment to share the petition with others? It's really easy – all you need to do is forward this email or share this link on Facebook or Twitter: ------------------------------ DIVEST NYS AND LOCAL RETIREMENT FUNDS FROM FOSSIL FUELS *TO: NYS COMPTROLLER THOMAS DINAPOLI AND NYS LEGISLATURE* [image: clip_image001] Campaign created by *Stacey Smith* *Citizens of NYS call upon our Comptroller and NYS Legislature to:* *1. Immediately freeze any new investments in fossil fuels.* *2. Divest from direct ownership and any commingled funds that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds within 5 years.* *3. Make a concerted effort to fully invest in clean tech, green energy production, retrofitting and infrastructure, which helps the environment, people and the economy.* *Why is this important?* Over the past 5 years, diverse NYS citizens and stakeholders have expressed strong, informed opposition to hydro-fracking. Hydro-fracking is a form of extreme energy production which causes significant, irreversible harm. Simultaneously, citizens and stakeholders have called for rapid, full investment in and transition to truly green, renewable energy sources. We are extremely concerned about climate disruption (which is already negatively impacting NYS) and the future of all species on this fragile planet. The NYS Comptroller is responsible for administering the New York State and Local Retirement System for public employees. This System has more than one million members, retirees and beneficiaries and more than 3,000 employers; The NYS Comptroller acts as the sole trustee of the $150.6 billion (As of March 31, 2012) Common Retirement Fund - one of the largest institutional investors in the world. Furthermore, "the State Comptroller is responsible for ensuring that the taxpayers’ money is being used effectively and efficiently to promote the common good." We formally request that no tax dollars held within the Comptroller's Office promote climate disruption, environmental degradation and human suffering. We request that our tax dollars directly "promote the common good." We applaud the Comptroller for the Green Strategic Investment Program which is investing $500 million over 3 years in clean tech, green energy. We ask for complete, rapid divestment from all fossil fuels. Divesting now would immediately bring positive change. *How it will be delivered* We plan on delivering this petition in person in a meeting with the Comptroller in early fall 2013. We would like at least 2,000 signatures by that date. -- Karen Jewett Director of Operations Sustainable Tompkins 109 S. Albany St. Ithaca, NY 14850 607-216-1552 For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom Shelley, at [email protected].
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