This article was originally published in Sustainable Brands.
The cost of a 30-second advertisement during the Super Bowl has risen about half a million since last year, to $7 million in 2023. With consumers increasingly making purchasing decisions based on their own values and beliefs, companies might consider the impact of that $7 million on causes and issues that matter to their stakeholders.
Global power technology leader Cummins Inc. is expanding its partnership with Water.org, providing over $500,000 in grants to communities in Peru and the Philippines to help residents acquire much needed water infrastructure.
The project is part of Cummins Water Works, the company initiative to address the global water crisis by partnering with leading water experts to invest and engage in large-scale, high-impact water projects around the world.
Under PLANET 2050, Cummins environmental sustainability strategy, the company has established the goal to produce net water benefits that exceed Cummins’ annual water consumption in all regions where the company has a presence.
When Cummins Water Works was founded, the company immediately partnered with Water.org, the global non-profit organization that works to bring safe, accessible and cost-effective water and sanitation solutions to the communities that need them most.
The partnership has already resulted in providing access to sustainable water to over 400,000 people in Brazil, India and Mexico.
“The statistics surrounding the severity of the water crisis in the world are unbelievable,” says Scott Saum, Program Manager for Cummins Water Works. “We recently organized a panel discussion with Cummins leadership, Water.org and The Nature Conservancy, another of our key water partner experts, and learned some staggering evidence about water security. The discussion provided valuable insight to our employees of the situation at hand, and it is rewarding to know that our collaboration is making a difference.”
Experts estimate about 785 million people in the world today lack access to safe water. About 2 billion people lack access to a toilet. Financially, the cost of not having access to clean water and sanitation is about $260 billion per year.
Families spend millions of hours collecting water, impacting school dropout rates in addition to hygiene-related diseases.
Today in the Philippines, 57 million people, out of an overall population of 110 million, lack access to reliable, safely managed drinking water, and 43 million people lack access to safely managed sanitation services. Similarly, with Peru’s population of 32 million, 16 million lack access to safely managed drinking water, while 15 million lack access to safely managed sanitation services.
The grants from the Cummins Foundation will help communities by providing affordable financing to obtain infrastructure including plumbing, pumps, taps, toilets and water storage tanks.
Baker Hughes is recognized as an “industry mover” – among over 7,800 companies – by the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2023 and is No. 1 for customers in energy equipment and services category – “a stakeholder leader” in the industry– and in top 250 overall in the JUST Capital 2023 Rankings. In addition, EcoVadis, one of the leading sustainability ratings, rated Baker Hughes “silver” for its ESG performance, improving over last year’s “bronze” rating.
About S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2023 award
S&P Global is an international finance and analytics company that annually reviews the world’s most sustainable companies. Each company answers a comprehensive questionnaire that is subsequently analyzed alongside public environmental, social and governance (ESG) data.
Baker Hughes has been recognized as an “industry mover” in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2023. For this recognition, companies must score within the top 15% of their industry and must have achieved an improvement in their S&P Global ESG Score of at least 5% and achieved the strongest improvement in their industry. In Q4 of 2022, Baker Hughes’ S&P Global ESG score in CSA (Corporate Sustainability Assessment) was 57, up from 30 in 2021.
About JUST Capital Rankings 2023 and award
Baker Hughes has ranked in the top 250 overall JUST Capital 2023 Rankings, as well as recognized as a stakeholder leader in the industry: No. 1 company for Customers in the Energy Equipment & Services industry.
Annual JUST Capital rankings are done through polling of American public for America’s largest publicly traded companies on the issues that matter most in defining just business behaviors.
About Ecovadis rating
EcoVadis Ratings, world’s largest provider of sustainability ratings, is evidence-based and adapted to more than 200 industry categories, 175 countries and companies of all sizes. EcoVadis sustainability assessment evaluates how well a company has integrated the principles of sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) into its business and its management systems.
Baker Hughes was recently rated “silver,” placing the company’s overall score in 76th percentile as of December 2022 and significant improvement from its “bronze” rating in the previous year.
These awards demonstrate the company’s industry leadership in sustainability and help build its credibility with transparent, year-on-year progress on its sustainability strategy.
From our founding in 1973, our Founder and Executive Chairman, Fred Smith, knew the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion. In fact, during his acceptance of the National Civil Rights Museum 2022 Freedom Award, Mr. Smith acknowledged that to serve a diverse world, the company needed a diverse team with insight into cultures and communities.
It is in the spirt of this legacy we celebrate Black History Month at FedEx. FedEx has long invested in community organizations, such as those honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the many heroes of the Civil Rights Movement; advocacy organizations like the National Urban League and NAACP who work to empower African Americans, celebrate their culture and history, and promote economic empowerment through education, job training programs, and entrepreneurship; and provided support to HBCU institutions and students most recently through our $5M pledge.
At FedEx, we drive change by investing in organizations seeking long-term, systemic solutions to the challenge of creating a just society and economy that works better for everyone. By collaborating with nonprofits, we support learning, mentoring, professional development, and access to resources that help build strong connections.
We believe every individual should have the opportunity to dream big and realize what’s possible. Our goal is to give individuals the best chance at success with access to education, pathways to quality jobs, and a voice in their community’s future.
We are honored to join our team members as we celebrate and honor Black History Month. We invite you to learn more about our community support at FedExCares.com and the new Fact Sheet detailing our work within the African American community.
With all eyes on New York Fashion Week, three entrepreneurs from the SkysTheLimit.org community are building fashion brands to watch. Hailing from New York and Georgia, these designers are taking a purpose-focused approach as they create businesses that change lives.
They are:
Anthony Imafidon, based in New York, NY, is Founder of Motivated Express, a clothing brand that helps deaf people and members of the hard of hearing community to stay motivated and express their aspirations, and not let their disability hold them back from what they want to achieve.
Anthony is an entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, and fashion designer who wants to inspire others like him to step into their own power and reclaim their narrative. Anthony wants his deaf and hard-of-hearing community members to grow their confidence and take ownership of their destiny.
“Growing up with hearing loss was a difficult journey for me. Facing challenges, different barriers, having self-doubt, disappointments, and setbacks going into the hearing world. I knew that I would use that as motivation to better myself by becoming stronger and wiser. Accepting who truly I am as my identity and motivating myself who I want to become. We must keep learning about ourselves and always be looking for self-improvement in ourselves,” said Anthony.
Read more about Anthony here.
Tamika Akins, based in Hampton, GA, is Founder of Prim and Saucy Boutique, whose mission is to help moms positively enable their kids to embrace their unique style with confidence and enjoy being kids. Her focus is on creating lasting memories through imaginative play and fashionable moments. She encourages and supports creative imagination with her brand, allowing girls to feel empowered to be their authentic selves. The organization gives back to the community by donating to women’s shelters and other non-profit organizations such as Purses of Hope to advocate for women and children in need.
“I decided to take a leave of absence from my corporate job as an IT Consultant and to tap into my passion for fashion by leveraging my craftiness. I’ve always stood by the saying: When you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you do good,” said Tamika.
One of her goals is to one day partner with Girls Who Code and other STEM organizations to help close the gender gap in tech and leverage fashion to improve girls’ confidence.
Read more about Tamika here.
Teriana Jackson, based in Atlanta, GA, is Founder of She’s Stepping, a shoe brand that is all about stepping into the next role, feeling good, and being happy. She is a mother, wife, student, and business owner.
“As a woman, I juggle a lot of roles, and no matter which role I am playing, self image is always important. I ask myself daily what energy I would want the world to take from me, and I believe the answer should always be positive energy. To show love to the world I must love myself. To do that, I dress to impress and make the world my own fashion show,” said Teriana.
Read more about Teriana here.
Sky’s the Limit offers opportunities for traditionally marginalized entrepreneurs – typically those who identify as LGBTQI+, BIPOC, women, veterans, disabled people, and people from low-income backgrounds – to connect with mentors to come together to foster, grow, and shape modern and future enterprise.
For more information about how to get your company involved in mentoring, please visit skysthelimit.org/partnerships.
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About SkysThelimit.org: SkysTheLimit.org is a digital platform that connects young, historically excluded entrepreneurs with one-on-one support from experienced business advisors and mentors, entrepreneurship training, and community-voted startup grants. SkysTheLimit.org is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
To uplift and inspire kids from Coachella Valley, AEG’s LA Galaxy Foundation and Coachella Valley Unified School District teamed up to host a career day at Coachella Valley High School in Thermal, CA, led by LA Galaxy midfielder Jose “Memo” Rodriguez.
On Monday, February 13, Rodriguez and the club’s broadcaster Joe Tutino spoke with 50 migrant student athletes at the high school about the player’s upbringing, life as a professional athlete and what motivates him.
“I am so proud to be a part of an organization that has allowed me to use my platform to support and make an impact in the community,” said LA Galaxy’s Memo Rodriguez. “I hope our visit today encourages these students to continue working hard in school and it reminds them to draw on the strength of family and community to achieve their goals.”
Following the conversation, the LA Galaxy Foundation surprised students with LA Galaxy shirts and tickets to the club’s home opener at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA on February 25, 2023. In addition, Gabriel Osollo, Senior Manager, Community Relations for the LA Galaxy Foundation, presented the Coachella Valley Unified School District’s Migrant Program with a check donation in the amount of $5,000. After the presentation, students participated in a 60-minute soccer clinic led by Rodriguez.
CVUSD’s Migrant Program helps support student from migrant families succeed in school. All students in the program have parents or families that had to move in and out of the area to follow seasonal agricultural work. To learn more about the Migrant Program, please click here.
The LA Galaxy Foundation, an organization associated with the LA Galaxy, is dedicated to assisting the community in which the team lives, works, and plays. Through soccer programming that promotes inclusion for all athletes, education opportunities, and a strong spirit of volunteerism, LAGF is proud to facilitate over 150 events annually to support the local Los Angeles community. To learn more about the LA Galaxy Foundation, please click here.
“Black History Month is a time when the nation pauses to reflect on the richness of Black heritage in America and the continuation of the legacy of Black folks in our great country.”
That’s what Black History Month means to Cortney Richardson, CEO of Peer Power Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee.
One of the ways Regions Bank celebrates that legacy is through the Regions Riding Forward® Scholarship Contest, which annually awards funding for higher education to students who share winning essays detailing the legacies of Black Americans. The subjects of the essays may be known worldwide. Or they may be people who aren’t famous – but their character, commitment and impact on others serve as an inspiration to today’s students and tomorrow’s leaders.
The Riding Forward Scholarship Contest enters its 12th year in 2023 and has awarded more than $1.2 million since its inception.
“Each year we look forward to receiving these essays from students and learning how Black Americans have shaped their stories,” said Abbas Merchant, head of Corporate Marketing for Regions Bank. “These scholarships are an important way we invest in the future while honoring Black History Month.”
To celebrate the launch of this year’s Riding Forward Scholarship Contest, Regions visited with Black leaders of nonprofit, educational and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion-focused community organizations that have worked with the bank over time. These leaders include Richardson and Julius B. Anthony, founder and executive director of St. Louis Black Authors of Children’s Literature, both highlighted on Doing More Today in 2022. Richardson and Anthony are sharing contest information with their constituents and encouraging eligible students to apply. We invite you to do the same.
Q: What does Black History Month mean to you?
Richardson: It takes strength to rise from slavery to the president of our country. During Black History Month, we stop to celebrate the strength that exists within the community, particularly as a people who continue to overcome systemic economic oppression.
Anthony: In 2014, I published the poem “Heritage.” I wrote it for my students at City Academy to inspire and give them context for celebrating Black History Month.
Heritage is,
Our communal past.
Love that last.
Legacy.
Family.
Tradition.
Jubilation.
Celebration.
I have a Heritage.
Specifically, Black History Month to me is remembering and celebrating family traditions and culture. My family story begins with the love and courage of a young couple that left the Jim Crow south of Jackson, Alabama, and migrated to St. Louis, hoping and dreaming of a good life. That couple raised eight children in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood of St. Louis City, of which I was the seventh.
Q: What book would you recommend to our readers interested in learning more about Black history and Black leaders?
Richardson: My elementary librarian wrote an amazing book, “Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth.” This book highlights the hard-fought end of slavery in our country and Opal Lee’s journey in making Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday. This is a children’s book with beautiful pictures, but we can all learn from it.
Anthony: As an early childhood and elementary school person, the book I recommend is also a picture book! “Our Children Can Soar” by Michelle Cook is a beautifully illustrated storybook that takes the reader on a journey through the U.S. Civil Rights movement by highlighting important leaders and culminating with President Barack Obama. As a teacher, it is a great read aloud because it is written in rhyme and supports phonemic awareness skills with good vocabulary words for students in kindergarten through third grade.
It reads, in part:
“…Rosa sat…
So, Martin could march.
Martin marched…
So, Thurgood could rule.
Thurgood ruled…
So, Barack could run.
Barack ran…
So, our children could soar!”
Q: What gives you hope about today’s civil rights movement?
Richardson: Everyday, Peer Power works with a fearless group of young people who are unrelenting in being civil toward others, no matter their differences. These students and their bright future make me hopeful about the civil rights movement today. The movement is in their hands, and that is fine with me!
Anthony: I am hopeful about the movement in civil rights today because of what I am witnessing as a social entrepreneur in education. My venture, The Believe Projects®, are literacy labs uniquely tailored to mitigate the dismal learning and emotional development realities of St. Louis’ Black children. The labs are strategic, culturally responsive experiences to improve reading proficiency. A Believe lab experience includes 1,000 culturally representative books; visits from bestselling authors; free books for students; literacy-based technology; inspirational murals; aspirational fine art; visits from music artists; and visits to live theater. We are ensuring that all children become confident and competent readers by the end of third grade.
Ten years before today, a program like this could not have existed in schools. It would have been considered too out of the box and too radical. Unfortunately, there are still some places where our venture would still be described that way, but I believe hope is alive!
Feeling inspired yet?
The Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest is open to high school seniors and college freshmen, sophomores and juniors who are residents of (or who are currently enrolled in accredited colleges located in) the 15 states that have Regions full service branches. A total of 60 scholarships will be awarded, consisting of 30 high school and 30 college student awards.
Discover what receiving the Riding Forward Scholarship meant to additional winners.
Here are more details about the 2023 Regions Riding Forward® Scholarship Contest:
Each applicant must submit a 500-word (or less) written essay or a 3-minute (or less) video essay that addresses how a Black American individual has inspired change in the applicant’s life, and that discusses the contributions of that Black American individual.Applications must be submitted by March 31, 2023.Scholarships will include a total of 30 awards of $2,500 each for high school winners (15 scholarships for written essays and 15 scholarships for video essays) and 30 awards of $1,750 each for winners who are currently enrolled as college students (15 scholarships for written essays and 15 scholarships for video essays).An independent selection committee will judge the written essay and video essay submissions and select the winners.
For official rules, complete entry details and eligibility requirements, visit the contest website at www.regions.com/ridingforward. No purchase or banking relationship is required to enter the contest.
Fusarium oxysporum. I know, you didn’t think I’d hit you with Latin right out of the gate. No, that isn’t a spell from Harry Potter (though it should be). It’s a fungus species. More precisely, according to Wikipedia at least, it’s a genetically heterogeneous polytypic morphospecies. But since I don’t know what that means and don’t really want to find out, we will just go with a fungus species. Strains of this fungus are found in soils all over the world. They are often endophytes, meaning that they grow and live within plants. Typically, these fungi will latch onto the root structures of a plant. Sometimes that’s a helpful thing, as they have been found to offer disease protection to their plant hosts. For some strains though, these fungi are a little less helpful. Take, for instance, fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense.
Panama Disease Threatens the Viability of the World’s Most Popular Banana
This is the fungus responsible for Panama disease. Some of you may be familiar with this, but I’m guessing that this will be news for a lot of you. Panama disease is a threat to the continued viability of one of the most popular agricultural products around the world – the humble banana.
Most every banana that you find in an American or European grocery store is a Cavendish. It’s a cultivar of banana, similar to how you can have Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, about 50 billion tons of Cavendish bananas are produced every year, accounting for 47% of global banana production. For decades now, it’s been the incumbent banana crop in the Western Hemisphere.
That wasn’t always the case, however. Its predecessor was the Gros Michel cultivar, which was commonly farmed throughout Central America. In the 1950s, banana farmers noticed that the leaves of some trees would wilt by turning yellow, then brown, and then falling off. Within a few years, these trees would die. Scientists determined that it was this fungus that was invading the root structures of the trees, and the fungus was spreading like wildfire. There was no effective treatment for the disease. The best a farmer could do was to dig up and dispose of the infected trees, and then hope the fungus didn’t spread any further. All it would take, however, is a bit of dirt stuck to a boot or an animal’s paw to move the disease to other susceptible trees.
Fortunately, Cavendish bananas were naturally resistant to the fungus. In the late 1950s and 1960s, banana farmers switched to these cultivars, since they produced fruit with similar flavor and characteristics to the Gros Michel. This cultivar saved the day – saved the industry, really – and all seemed to be well. But then, in the 1990s, scientists detected a new strain of fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense in Taiwan. This strain had evolved around the Cavendish’s natural resistance, presenting a new threat to banana farmers. Once again, all they could do was hope that the fungus wouldn’t find its way to their doorstep. For a couple of decades, the disease stayed away from Central and South American banana farms. Then, in the summer of 2019, disaster struck. The fungus was found on several banana farms near Bogotá, Colombia. In the spring of 2021, it was then found in Peru. Countries throughout the Americas are on high alert, especially Ecuador, which exports about one third of the global banana crop.
So far, the next domino has yet to fall. As a result, we can still find our favorite yellow fruits commonly available in our neighborhood grocery stores. That said, it’s likely a matter of when, not if, the disease spreads broadly throughout this hemisphere. When that happens, the prices of Cavendish bananas will rise, many farmers will lose their livelihoods, and food security will be threatened in many impoverished communities. At that point, I expect we will see different cultivars of bananas in stores, which will look and taste a bit different. If I had to bet, at some point in my lifetime I will no longer be able to enjoy the type of banana I’ve eaten for my entire life.
A Look at Monoculture Versus Polyculture Farming
While scary and tragic, I haven’t really made an environmental point yet. Here it is – I think fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense is a cautionary tale for the monoculture form of agriculture that is so pervasive today. If you aren’t sure what a monoculture is, think of an Iowa farm with corn fields as far as the eye can see. Monocultures are when farmers plant one crop, and only one crop, in a field. The alternative is called polyculture farming, wherein several different crop species are planted in the same field.
There are plenty of reasons why monoculture farming is so common. In general though, it all boils down to monocultures being easier and more profitable than polycultures. When you only have one crop to worry about, you are able to treat every square inch of a field exactly the same, and you can plant the crops that are most valuable for that particular climate and soil type. That results in generally higher efficiency, higher yields, and higher profits.
The problem is that these benefits come with multiple costs. On monoculture farms, pests that would feed on the crop can have a field day (pun intended). That forces farmers to use many more chemical pesticides. Further, monocultures tend to degrade soil health over time. Whereas polycultures can cycle nutrients effectively, with some species restoring to the soil the nutrients that other species need, monocultures break this cycle. That forces farmers to apply lots of fertilizers and use more water, since the lack of topsoil means less water can be retained.
Then there is the economic risk that comes with monoculture farming, which brings us back to that pesky fungus I’ve been talking about. If a banana farm succumbs to the Panama disease, it can be wiped out entirely. This is true of any monoculture farm that faces a pest or disease for which there is no effective defense. Monoculture farms are the epitome of putting all of your eggs in one basket. And even if there is an effective defense, the very existence of monoculture farming can cause that defense to weaken over time. For instance, when farms broadly apply pesticides and herbicides, they are creating an evolutionary pressure on the targeted pests and weeds to evolve defenses to those chemicals. Much like the overprescription of antibiotics can result in bacteria that are resistant to medication, so too can monocultures breed more dangerous pests and weeds.
I’ll conclude with what Will Harris of White Oak Pastures likes to say about the issue. “Nature abhors a monoculture.” They simply don’t exist in the natural world, and for good reason. If we want a more resilient, adaptable global food system, then I’d say polyculture farming is the better way to go.
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Ecocentricity Blog: The History of Steelmaking, and Why it Has a Long Way Yet to Go
Originally published on 3M News Center
3M has unveiled its new medical adhesive that can stick to the skin for up to 28 days and is intended for use with a wide array of health monitors, sensors, and long-term medical wearables. Prior to 2022, the standard wear time for extended medical adhesives was up to 14 days. 3M now doubles that standard to help deliver a more patient-centric model of care.
Longer wear time for devices and monitors may help drive down costs, accumulate more data for better decision making, and reduce patient disruption.
“Our 3M scientists created a technology and then pushed that tech to its boundaries without compromising skin health,” said Chad Reed, director of global business for 3M Medical Materials and Technologies. “Medical wearables are a cornerstone for the future of health care, and we’re committed to unlocking its potential with our world-class materials science.”
The new adhesive, 3M™ Medical Tape 4578, also adds the feature of liner free stability, which can be stored for up to one year, giving device makers more flexibility in the design process.
3M touts more than 55 years of skin adhesion science and 3M Medical Tape 4578 adds to the extensive breadth of the company’s medical adhesive offerings.
To learn more about 3M Medical Tape 4578, visit 3M.com/MedicalTape4578. Design engineers can also visit FindMyAdhesive.com for help selecting the right adhesive for their next medical device project. Created by 3M, Find My Adhesive is an online resource that uses a series of project-specific questions to identify a list of 3M medical adhesive suggestions.
Originally published by FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in partnership with Keysight Technologies, has opened a new measurements and instrumentation lab, serving engineering education and research at the college.
“The equipment donation for the lab, through Florida A&M University, advances our research capabilities and provides a professional level experience for the students needed to be successful in the industry,” Sastry Pamidi, professor, and chair of the department said.
Keysight Technologies is a leading technology company with a long-standing alliance with FAMU and the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. The company sponsors senior design projects, mentors students, supports faculty research and provides advanced equipment for teaching. They also have representation on the industry advisory board for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Satish Dhanasekaran, president and CEO of Keysight Technologies, returned to his alma mater for the grand opening. Dhanasekaran graduated with a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the college via Florida State University (FSU) in 2000 and was recently appointed CEO of the company.
“The pace of technology innovation is accelerating making the next generation of engineers more important than ever,” Dhanasekaran said. “Keysight is engaging with leading engineering schools to prepare tomorrow’s engineers with an understanding of the fundamentals beyond just theory. It’s an honor to be here today to open this new facility.”
Dhanasekaran was the guest speaker for the event and spoke to students about possibilities and being flexible in uncertain times. When on campus in the late ‘90s, he worked in Professor Rajendra Arora’s electromagnetics lab and reflected on his time as a graduate student.
“I remember working as a graduate student for Dr. Arora and after giving him my thesis to review, he gave it back and the entire document had red lines all over it, covering each page,” Dhanasekaran said. “The whole thing had to be completely redone and I thought to myself, who is going to even use this stuff, it’s all theoretical anyway. I redid it, got it right and ten years later in my career what seemed futuristic in grad school was something people were talking about commercializing.”
He explained to the students that much of what they learn today may seem far away in the future, however application of what they learn becomes relevant over time. He also stressed the importance of fundamental skills in the industry and encouraged students to seek opportunities to do research.
“Every time you do a research project you are expanding your ability to think independently and critically,” Dhanasekaran said. “You can learn the textbooks, the math, the equations but when you apply it to a problem and solve it, well, that is the hallmark of engineering.”
“We are grateful for the support Keysight Technologies has provided to FAMU-FSU Engineering over the years,” Pamidi said. “I am excited and proud that Satish, an alumnus and president and CEO of Keysight is here for the inauguration of the new Keysight Measurements and Instrumentation Lab. The advanced training the students will get in the lab will help them succeed when they join the industry.”
