February 13, 2015 View all news Imagine all the money that is put into oil, gas and coal industries is instead directed towards clean energy, community and social projects, arts and culture. Imagine a worldwide shift in consciousness and awareness where we all gave our heads a little shake and woke up to how ludicrous it is to destruct and control this amazing planet?The fossil fuel divestment movement, which kicked off in 2012, is all about urging banks, institutions, universities, pension funds, individuals and more, to withdraw money they have invested in fossil fuels. Financially speaking, they are risky investments if we want to prevent destruction of the planet. So far, more than 837 institutions and individuals have committed to divest, and there are lively campaigns happening all over the world.With the movement being led by students and young people, each week it seems, there are new creative, innovative and exciting events and actions taking place, alongside new promises of divestments. Just yesterday, students from University College London held an “oil orgy” (looks interesting); and last week, a big Norwegian fund removed their risky coal, oil sands, cement and gold mining investments. There have also been many “big” names speaking out on the issue, including the governor of the Bank of England, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and our very own Mary Robinson, who says:“By avoiding investment in high-carbon assets that become obsolete, and by prioritising sustainable alternatives, we build capacity and resilience, particularly for more vulnerable people – while lowering carbon emissions.”A really exciting and big moment in the movement is happening this weekend – the first Global Divestment Day. It will be the largest culmination of divestment events yet, with over 330 actions taking place between the 13th and 14th February worldwide, including three Irish events in Dublin, Letterkenny and Belfast.What’s going on in Ireland? Well, things have just kicked off. A group of us from Friends of the Earth, People’s Climate Ireland and interested individuals have got together to do a bit of research into Ireland’s fossil fuels investments, and organise an event for Global Divestment Day. This Saturday in Dublin, we will be having some fun photos at 2pm on the Sean O’Casey bridge (near the IFSC) and will proceed to walk down to College Green to the Central Bank where there’ll be music, public engagement and divestment-themed cakes!Join the event on facebook, or get in touch with Young Friends of the Earth (email here) if you are interested in joining the growing global movement. This is just the start for Ireland! Categorised in: Climate Change Energy