GUEST ROOM | Our Students Are Paying for a ‘Fat and Happy’ Budget

In response to The Sun’s Oct. 29 article, “Cornell Bleeds Red Ink in Latest Financial Report with Operating Losses of $104 Million,” as an alum, parent and long-time volunteer for the University I was not surprised by the bad news. While student tuition and alumni contributions continue to rise, once again University expenses outpaced revenues. In the world of finance, most businesses and not-for-profits lose money by either not generating enough revenue or they pile on too much administrative overhead. Many iconic brands like Eastman Kodak, Lehman Brothers and Enron filed for bankruptcy or closed because executives rewarded themselves with fat salaries and happily ran to the bank while taking their eye off the true meaning of their business.

EDITORIAL: Time to Divest From Fossil Fuels

The moral case for Cornell divesting from fossil fuels has long been clear. Simply put, the University should not hold equity in resource extraction firms that have sent the planet hurtling toward climate ruin. An overwhelming body of science tells us the fallout of human-caused climate change will come in the form of severe developing-world food insecurity, more frequent extreme weather events and worse economic growth. Projections indicate death, disease, dislocation and malnutrition will sharply rise, especially for the global poor. The cost in human misery will be enormous.

GUEST ROOM | A Green Endowment

Economics and climate awareness have always been heralded as enemies in the media, with “right-wing, power-hungry” economists battling with “left-wing, hippie” environmentalists. But what if there was a way for them to join forces to achieve a common goal? On Oct. 4, the Senior Leaders Climate Action Group released a report outlining different pathways to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035, furthering its commitment to the Climate Action Plan released in 2009. Members of SLCAG presented the report before the Student Assembly yesterday, and will take questions from the entire community at a forum on Oct.