Harvard University has purchased thousands of acres of California vineyards worth an estimated $305 million. The vineyards' prime access to groundwater makes them increasingly valuable during a drought. The investment has fueled concerns that Harvard is using its $39 billion endowment to hoard water rights amid rising global temperatures. In May, environmentalist Kat Taylor resigned from Harvard's board of overseers, citing ethical concerns about "water holdings that threaten the human right to water." Harvard University has purchased thousands of acres of vineyards in the last six years, but it may not be solely interested in producing wine.