Council Urges Responsible Investment

Last night's Undergraduate Council meeting saw an ideological debate unfold between the council's conservative and liberal contingents over a bill designed to encourage Harvard to invest its money in environmentally friendly countries.

The bill, which eventually passed, was co-sponsored by council members Todd E. Plants '01 and Stephen N. Smith '02, among others, and called on Harvard to use its influence as a "large shareholder" in the BP-Amoco Corporation to vote for resolutions encouraging renewable energy use and discouraging new oil exploration at an April 19 shareholders' meeting.

After a number of vote re-counts, the bill passed by the narrowest of margins--21 to 20.

However, a majority of the 20 votes counted effectively against the bill were abstentions.

Among those abstaining was council representative John F. Bash, who said he could not vote for or against the bill without hearing arguments in favor of oil expansion.

Representative John P. Marshall spoke out against the bill, saying that it was beyond the scope of the council.

"We have to focus on things that affect students' lives--that's where we have power and impact," Marshall said. "This bill is meaningless. I'd be surprised if the Corporation even took notice."

Council members who voted for the bill said they feel it is the council's responsibility to recommend University policy, though it cannot directly affect it.

Plants said he was pleased the bill passed and said he saw the council's role as an expansive one.

"To me, the UC can do it all," Plants said. "There's no reason why some can't work on athletic issues and why others can't work on social issues. The two need not be mutually exclusive."

Last night's only other bill, which passed overwhelmingly, allocated $1,566 to buy tickets for first-years to attend an upcoming Red Sox game.

--Staff writer Alex B. Ginsberg can be reached at ginsberg@fas.harvard.edu.