BALTIMORE (AP) — A group of Johns Hopkins University students is calling on the university to divest itself of fossil fuel holdings.

The Baltimore Sun says the campaign is led by public health students who have presented President Ronald J. Daniels’ office with a petition of more than 800 signatures.

They want the university to cut fossil energy stocks out of its $2.7 billion endowment, arguing that fossil fuel companies threaten the environment.

Hopkins spokesman Dennis O’Shea says the university also is interested in reducing its carbon footprint and has cut its greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent from 2008 levels. Hopkins is a private university and does not make public its investments, but O’Shea says less than 1 percent of Hopkins’ “direct holdings” in its endowment are in fossil-related stocks.

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