The UCSD Faculty Association endorses the UCSD Green New Deal’s petition to ask Chancellor Khosla to commit to campus electrification by 2030. This UCSD-specific petition, run by students, faculty, and staff, follows last year’s UC-wide Academic Senate Fossil Fuel Memorial that calls on the Regents to reduce on-campus fossil fuel combustion 60% by 2030 and 95% by 2035. Our university has still not made a commitment to retiring the main campus co-generation plant, our primary source of power that burns fracked methane and emits over 170,000 tons of CO2 annually.

Despite being a leader in climate research, UCSD is one of the largest greenhouse gas polluters in San Diego. And, by burning fracked methane, UCSD is directly contributing to environmental injustice to frontline communities across the western United States. Given the urgency of climate breakdown and the need for climate leadership, UCSD must substantially reduce on-campus emissions.

Over 1,200 members of our campus community (mostly undergraduate students thus far) have signed the petition. We ask senate faculty to add their names to the growing list. It takes just a few seconds! We thank those of you who have already signed.