Students start Day 2 of hunger strike in protest of McMaster University's gas-powered generators

FiveMcMaster University students are on a hunger strike to show their opposition to the university's decision to installfour natural gas-powered generators on Cootes Drive.

The students, whobegan their hunger strike on Monday, are calling for McMaster to stopthe natural gas-powered generators, and for the university todivestfrom the fossil fuel industry.

Theyvow they will continue until their demands are met and by Tuesday morning said they were feeling a bit of nausea andlight-headedness but were keeping their spirits up.

"We've basically exhausted the kind of non-violent, non-intervention area approaches we can take without getting in the way of traffic," saidNavin Garg, one of the students with theMcMasterDivestment Projectwho are striking.

"A hunger strike is pretty much the strongest thing we can do."

The fiveare abstaining from eating food or leaving their spot atthe McMaster University Student Centre atrium, except for showering, changing clothes and drinking water.

According to Garg, there were six students when the strike beganMonday, but one had to bow out due to a pre-existing health condition.

Representatives from Environment Hamilton, Hamilton 350and the Ontario Clean Air Alliancespoke in support of the group at a rally Monday,which hadabout 50 people in attendance.

According to McMaster, the generators, which are still under construction,are expected to run for 100 hours a year, producing around700 tonnes of carbon annually.

"In essence, this displaces 700 tonnes of CO2e from the province as the province would be operating natural gas generators during peak periods," a 2021McMaster report said.

But theMcMasterDivestment Project points out thatin the 13 years before the project pays itself off, it willproduceat least8,900 tonnes of carbon.

'We wish the students hadn't chosen this path': McMaster

McMaster public relations manager Wade Hemsworth previously told CBC Hamiltonthe generatorswill reduce demand on Ontario's electricity grid at peak times and help the school save money in the long run.

In an email on Monday, he told CBC Hamilton that university leaders, including the president, met with students several times last week to urge them to reconsider a protest that puts their lives at risk.

"We wish the students hadn't chosen this path but, now that they have, we want to ensure they are as safe as possible," Hemsworth said.

"McMaster's health and wellness staff is providing access to physical and mental health services, and regular checks will be done by our Emergency First Response Team to ensure the students' well-being throughout the strike."

McMaster said last week that fossil fuel companiesmadeup 2.7 per cent of McMaster's investment portfolio, down from 4.5 per cent in 2018.

It also saidit hascommitted to a net-zero carbon campus.The installation of two new electric boilers willreduce carbon emissions on campus by 23 per cent, he added.

Protesters prepared for months

According to one of the hunger strikers, Maria Paula Puerto, the strike has been in the works for over two months. She said the group planned the strike as a last resortand consulted nutritionists and doctors to better prepare their bodies.

"Right now, we're trying to preserve as much energy as we can," she said. "We really hope McMaster listens to us and we reach a sitting point where we can actually talk to each other before 48 hours."

Mac Divest spokespersonCordelia McConnell told CBC Hamiltonthe "protest is incredibly important."

"I could not even tell you what a labour of love this protest has been, love for our planet, for a brighter world and love for a better future.

"We've done action upon action and been told countlessly 'We hear you, we hear you' and it's become evident to us that they're not listening."