Tthe competition between Harvard and Yale has been a staple in the schools’ football games for a long time, but for the first time, more than 150 Yale and Harvard students stormed the field during half-time to protest, urging their schools to participate in fossil fuel divestment. Holding up signs that read, “Nobody wins. Yale and Harvard are complicit in climate change,” the crowd of students grew, and the school heard their demands.

Schools Far From The Fossil Fuel Divestment Narrative

Although both Harvard and Yale have explicitly expressed their desires for creating a better future, the two schools are currently under heavy criticism. With chants of, “Disclose, divest, and reinvest,” students pleaded the schools to reconsider their investments in fossil fuel companies.

In particular, Harvard and Yale are among the many schools in America that continue to invest money in fossil fuel companies.

Yale’s $78 Million Investment In Antero Resources

Yale alone has invested $78 million to Antero Resources, a natural gas producer. Most students and faculty from Yale have become activists in protesting this investment. Moreover, activists have created petitions and outcries against the schools.

Antero Resources has been infamous for its fracking practices. Fracking is known to deposit harmful chemicals into the water supply and accelerate climate change.

Last month, more than 1,000 students and faculty signed a petition to convince the school to divest from Antero Resources. This petition was among the many attempts to convince Yale to stop investing in fossil fuel companies. The school, however, is adamant in continuing its expenditures.

Harvard Students Push For Fossil Fuel Divestment

One of Harvard’s goals is to “Improve the world today and for future generations.” Moreover, the school prides itself on its climate policy. From deploying drones over the Amazon to creating cheaper ways to capture carbon dioxide, the school clearly is pushing for climate activism.

Over the past six months, students and faculty have signed petitions to convince Harvard to reverse its position. Alumni like Al Gore and Stephen Heintz have also pushed to convince Harvard to divest.

Still, the world-renown school invests about $39 million into an assortment of different fossil fuel companies. Consequently, Harvard’s Board of Overseers, Kathryn A. Taylor, resigned in protest of Harvard’s investments in May of 2018.

Taylor warned that the investments were accelerating towards climate disaster and called it, “Unconscionable.”

Responses To The Protest

Videos of the protest are circulating all over the internet. With many mixed feelings, the message that the protestors wanted to send is being heard. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have applauded the protesters for bringing attention to this existential threat.

Harvard and Yale have gone through heavy criticism for their continuous support for fossil fuel companies. Perhaps this protest will initiate a dialogue between activists and the schools.

Lasting for almost an hour, the Harvard-Yale game ended. Yale managed to beat Harvard 50-43. Meanwhile, police arrested 42 protestors.