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Letter to Chancellor May from Fossil Free UCD

The following was emailed to Chancellor May on December 11, 2024.

Dear Chancellor May: 

We write with appreciation for the actions campus staff are taking to reduce UC Davis’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and to ask you to ensure that UCD sets strong goals for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions reductions in response to UCOP’s call for campus targets for all UCs to be submitted by 1/1/2025 (for background see here).

Specifically, we would like UCD to officially establish targets of 75% reductions in Scope 1 and 2 emissions below the 2019 baseline by 2030, 81% by 2035, and 95% by 2040, which are the feasible potential reductions identified by our own Fossil Fuel-Free Pathway Plan (FFFPP).

We view the strong intermediate 2030 target from our campus FFFPP as particularly important, given the urgency of the climate crisis. Communicating around near-term goals that are meaningful for our undergraduate students will show them our commitment to leading on the climate crisis. 

We would also like to encourage campus to accelerate the process for tracking and reducing Scope 3 emissions (those generated off-campus, for example by travel and commuting). The state is requiring public and private companies to submit annual reports of such emissions by 2030 (a date which may be moved up to 2027), and strong near-term Scope 3 reductions will be needed to set us on a track toward UCOP’s goal to “reduce total emissions (scope 1, 2, and 3) at least 90% by 2045 without relying on carbon offsets.” We would like to be a part of campus discussions around Scope 3 targets and processes.

Finally, we would like to let you know that a group of us has formally asked the Academic Senate to consider a detailed proposal for a Climate Crisis General Educational (GE) Requirement so that all UCD undergraduates will graduate with some background in climate science, action, and justice concepts. This one-course requirement would probably be allowed to overlap with other GEs so as not to increase time-to-graduation. We are happy to provide further details, and hope we can count on your support to make UCD a climate education leader. UC San Diego adopted such a requirement last year, starting for the class entering Fall 2024.

Thank you for your continued leadership around the climate crisis.

Sincerely, 

Cort Anastasio, Professor, Land, Air & Water Resources
Catherine Brinkley, Associate Professor, Human Ecology
Christopher Cappa, Professor and Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Beth Ferguson, Associate Professor, Design
Tessa Hill, Professor, Professor, Earth & Planetary Sciences
Anna Haven Kiers, Associate Professor, Human Ecology
William R. Horwath, Distinguished Professor and Chair, Land, Air and Water Resourceas
Mark Huising, Professor, Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior
Tobias Menely, Professor and Chair, English
Elizabeth Miller, Professor, English
Roberta Millstein, Professor Emerit, Philosophy
Erwan Monier, Associate Professor, Land, Air & Water Resources
Sam Nichols, Professor and Chair, Music
Stephen M. Wheeler, Professor Emeritus, Human Ecology
(alphabetical order)

On behalf of Fossil-Free UC Davis

 

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Comments

3 responses to “Letter to Chancellor May from Fossil Free UCD”

  1. Alan Lorax

    The fossil free uc davis starts in the hole—. as have to make up for increased driving of students and faculty encouraged by widening of I-80. This is required by EIR. There is a ucdavus rep on yoloTD board who approved eir and the mitigation plan that counts increase in Unitrans &?m Yolobus and microtransit ridership as carbon offset- not a reduction in UCD carbon footprint..

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  2. South of Davis

    I would hope that the people asking UCD to made “75% reductions in Scope 1 and 2 emissions below the 2019 baseline” would have tried to reduce their own emissions by 75% (so they would have learned how expensive is is to have a home and cars running on mostly solar power).
    P.S. I’m wondering what people with a “background in climate science, action, and justice concepts.” think about first generation students that live at home and commute from South Sac or Elk Grove since they can’t afford the rent in Davis.

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  3. Ron O

    P.S. I’m wondering what people with a “background in climate science, action, and justice concepts.” think about first generation students that live at home and commute from South Sac or Elk Grove since they can’t afford the rent in Davis.
    Or perhaps more accurately – don’t WANT to pay rent – anywhere (as long as they can live at home – especially when they’re still students).
    For that matter, young people are increasingly staying with their parents even after starting their careers. Many of them are saving up for downpayments to buy a house.

    Reply

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