Undoing a Wise and Courageous Decision

Do what we say, not what we do.

How ironic that the PAW article “Princeton Reverses Course on Fossil Fuel Divestment” appears directly across the page from “Speakers Urge Students to Pursue Purpose Over Prestige” (July/August issue). It seems that Princeton is comfortable talking about purpose more than acting on it. 

Princo President Vince Touhey’s June 1 letter announcing the reversal suggests that “Princeton in the nation’s service and the service of humanity” is true as long it doesn’t slow endowment growth — or be perceived as affecting the endowment since, as Brad Swanson ’76 points out, “An endowment as large as Princeton’s can achieve market-level, or better, results even without oil company stocks … .”

At Baccalaureate, Craig Robinson ’83 warned graduates that pursuing prestige and profit as a career can distract from one’s deepest commitments. Talking about careers misaligned with one’s values, Robinson said, “The paycheck may look good. The title may impress people at Reunions. But if you wake up every day disconnected from your purpose, eventually success starts to feel surprisingly empty.” 

In the early 2020s, Princeton thought carefully about climate change and wisely and courageously decided to use its intellectual and financial leadership to steer the world toward a sustainable future. It did so in the service of the nation and humanity. Climate change has not gone away; it upon us with terrifying intensity. With Touhey’s announcement, suddenly Princeton’s deepest commitments feel surprisingly empty. 

Editor’s note: The writer is a professor emeritus of global environmental politics at American University.