TAKE ACTION: Oppose UC Berkeley Deal with BP

There are three major reasons to oppose the BP-Berkeley agreement:

(1) The undemocratic process by which it is being struck. So far, this deal has been made "at the top", with most of the UC Berkeley community unaware it was taking place, and no opportunity for concerns or criticisms.A project of this scale will change the course of research on campus, and is explicitly against the recommendations given to UC Berkeley in the wake of the Novartis deal.

(2) The social and environmental consequences of this research. Biofuel research could be a great force for good. It could also directly promote social inequality and environmental degradation. The research agenda needs to explicitly consider the dimensions of social justice and ecological sustainability, which the current proposal does not.

(3) BP's control over the research agenda. In the BP-Berkeley proposal, BP will have at least as much power over the direction of the EBI as will Berkeley itself, and up to 50 BP employees working on campus will be allowed to participate in developing and teaching classes, mentoring graduate students, and K-12 outreach. Corporate research focuses on questions that promise patents and other opportunities for profit, and neglects research areas that benefit only the public.

More information about the campaign can be found at http://stopbp-berkeley.org.