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Fossil Fuel Divestment Effort Comes To Energy-Rich Colorado

DENVER (AP) — A campaign to get universities to stop investing in fossil fuels has come to energy-rich Colorado.

Students will ask the University of Colorado Board of Regents on Friday to divest from coal and petroleum companies. The board isn't expected to decide immediately.

Getting CU to shun those industries would be a prize for the "fossil-free" movement because Colorado is the nation's No. 7 energy state, producing coal, oil and gas.

The students say change is urgent because they'll have to live with the consequences of global warming. Industry representatives say divestment is a bad idea because fossil fuels are becoming cleaner and make up a big part of the state and national economy.

CU's investments total about $2.7 billion. Officials couldn't say exactly how much is in fossil fuels.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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