Event - Net Impact Conference 2018

This year's edition of the Net Impact conference will take place on October 25-27, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. NI18 will address the trends and challenges head on as we move toward creative and innovative solutions.  As part of their effort to make a positive impact on the world NI18 is mobilizing a new generation of leaders to use their skills and careers to drive transformational change in the workplace and the world.

At this event you can connect with students, recent graduates, and professionals; exchange ideas with like-minded changemakers; collaborate with others thinking about big ideas and lean from innovative impact leaders.

Top Reasons to Attend

Network with innovative impact leaders.
Immerse yourself in inspirational ideas.
Explore cutting-edge trends & what’s next.
Learn what your peers are doing.

Keynote Speakers

• Douglas M. Baker Jr. Chairman and CEO Ecolab
• Jean Case CEO // Chairman Case Foundation // National Geographic Society
• Gina McCarthy Director C-CHANGE: Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Chan School of Public Health
• Paul Dillinger VP, Levi's Product Innovation Levi Strauss & Co.
• Alessandra Soler Executive Director ACLU of Arizona
• Andrew Yang Founder // Presidential Candidate Venture for America // Candidate for US President
• Adam Foss Executive Director Prosecutor Impact
• Harley K. Dubois Founding Board Member and Chief Transition Officer Burning Man Project
• Stephen Ritz Founder & Chief Eternal Optimist Green Bronx Machine International
• Kavita Shukla Founder and CEO The FRESHGLOW Co
• Antony Bugg-Levine Chief Executive Officer Nonprofit Finance Fund
• TRU Colors Founder & Company Members TRU Colors Brewing Co.

To register click here.

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Event - Security and Sustainability Forum: Sustainable Infrastructure and Resilience

Sustainable Infrastructure & Resilience is a three-part webinar series exploring science-based decision-making for local government, finance and business.

Actionable Science Solutions for Local Resilience October 10, 2018, 1:15pm - 2:45pm ET. Lauren Keeler, Assistant Research Professor in ASU's School for the Future of Innovation in Society, moderates this conversation with Grant Davis from Sonoma County Water Agency and Cecilio Ortiz Garcia from the University of Puerto Rico.  Click here to register.

Markets & Finance Mechanisms to Advance Resilience: November 7, 2018, 1:15pm - 2:45pm ET. Erica Goldman Science Policy Director NCSE will moderate. Click here to register.


The Science of Resilience in Decision-Making: December 5, 2018, 1:15pm - 2:45pm ET.Click here to register.

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Women are Powering Solar in the Developing World: Five Success Stories

Women are a central part of projects that are making a difference in the developing world. Women have distinguished themselves as sustainability leaders on the world stage, but there are other unsung heroines who are quietly engaged on the front lines of the clean energy revolution. These women are not only earning a fair wage they are challenging restrictive and dysfunctional gender stereotypes.

Women are part of the extraordinary growth of solar energy and they are riding a wave of innovative financing. Solar enterprises are spawning progressive business models. From home solar projects in rural Bangladesh to staffing power stations in Morocco, women are playing a central role. They are providing distributed solar devices and clean cook-stoves in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. They are also getting much needed training to be clean energy technicians and managers in places like Ghana.

Here are five examples of women who are working on solar projects in the developing world. These five projects are referenced in the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate report. The Commission is comprised of 28 former heads of state. In 2013 several governments commissioned the report and it was recently delivered to the U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.

1. A government led financing program is helping women bring home solar electricity to rural Bangladesh. This results based program provides subsidies for those who require assistance. The training and employment of women is the pillar of its business model.

2. The 580 MW Ouarzazate Solar Power Station (OSPA) aka the Noor Solar complex in Morocco has developed targeted training programs for women. The $9 billion project will not only produce solar power it will store it in molten salt, making it the largest plant of its kind. Commercial operation is scheduled to start in 2019. Through a partnership with Faculte Poly-disciplinaire d’Ouarzazate, they are training women and providing leadership opportunities.

3. Solar Sister is one of the most successful projects in Africa. The social enterprise is led by women and it benefits people in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. Their mission is to eradicate poverty through the sale and delivery of clean energy services. The program trains, and guides women to build networks and sell solar devices and clean cook-stoves. So far more than 2,500 entrepreneurs have provided services to 350,000 people.

4. In Ghana, the Lady Volta Vocational Centre for Electricity and Solar Power, trains women to work as technicians and managers in clean energy. It started as a collaboration of non-profit organizations but it is now partnered with Schneider Electric. The program has enabled dozens of women to become certified by the government to work in various clean energy trades. A new course helps women to pass the Ghana Energy Commission exam thereby making them eligible for management positions.

5. Grameen Shakti is the most long-lived project in the group, this Bangladeshi social impact non-profit trains and employs women to provide cleaner energy technologies including home solar and stoves. Affordable financing options make these technologies accessible to the average person. Women do it all including promotion, construction, installation and maintenance. Even the training sessions are run by female engineers. So far more than 3,000 women have been trained as renewable energy technicians at one of 16 Grameen Technology Centres (GTC),

Whether supported by government, public companies or private investors, these solar projects demonstrate that there are multiple benefits associated with empowering women in the developing world.

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Empowering Women may be the Key to Paul Polman's Success

Paul Polman is a sustainability titan who has been at the helm of Unilever for almost a decade. Polman has made the economic argument and the business case for ecological responsibility and social justice.  He believes that businesses must contribute to the betterment of society. Polman has been an advocate of gender equality and his achievements at Unilever are at least in part due to the fact that he has surrounded himself with capable women.

Polman is widely regarded as a leading figure in sustainability. He has earned a number of accolades including the Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Medal for outstanding service to the environment and the UN's Champion for Global Change Award.

Polman knows that capitalism must evolve and he leads by example. Polman has repeatedly stated that responsible business practices are compatible with economic growth. He believes business leaders can be a critical part of efforts to solve some of the world's most difficult problems. This includes both environmental degradation and climate change.

In a Fortune magazine feature titled "Unilever CEO Paul Polman’s Plan to Save the World," the Fortune 500 CEO said: "The real purpose of business has always been to come up with solutions that are relevant to society, to make society better." Polman is a longtime advocate of carbon pricing schemes to reduce corporate emissions. He has championed sustainable development and he has stressed the importance of investments from both the public and the private sector. He has also sounded the alarm about issues like over-consumption of resources and wealth inequality.

On June 25th 2015, Polman was one of the people who contributed to a publication called NEXT Sustainable Business. In addition to Polman this collaborative venture by the United Nations Global Compact and DNV GL included several sustainability leaders. It calls on companies to integrate 10 Principles into corporate values, strategies, policies and procedures.

Polman is not afraid to stand up for important values.  He applauded Kenneth Frazier, chairman and CEO of Merck Pharmaceutical when the latter quit the president's American Manufacturing Council. After the Merck CEO blasted Trump for his equivocation on the Neo-Nazi's that marched in Charlottesville, Polman praised Frazier's, "strong leadership to stand up for the moral values that made this country what it is".

Polman also criticized Trump for withdrawing from the Paris agreement and he suggested the move may have accelerated climate action. As reported by Energy Manager Today, Polman said that Trump has, "done us a favor." He went on to explain that, "we're moving faster now than we otherwise might have been."

Part of Polman's tremendous success at Unilever can be ascribed to the team of women that he works with.

"Women’s leadership cannot be a 'nice-to-have' for business. Companies that continue to have male-dominated leadership will miss out on business opportunities unlocked by gender-balanced teams," Polman said. He lamented the fact that women are not better represented in senior corporate leadership and he boasted about the team of highly capable women he works with. "We at Unilever understand the importance of gender-balanced leadership and investments across our value chains. Women’s leadership makes good business sense,"  he said.

Women hold senior leadership positions at Unilever. This includes Vice President of Sustainability Karen Hamilton and CSO Gail Klintworth, both have been an integral part of Unilever's success.

Related
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Christiana Figueres: Climate Leader and Champion of Mulitilateralism

There have been many capable women who have contributed to the growth of sustainability,  however no one has been a more important figure in recent history than the former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Christina Figueres. 

Figueres tenure at the UNFCCC saw her achieve great things.  She was instrumental in negotiations that led to the signing of the historic Paris Climate agreement. She took over her post at the UNFCC in 2010 after the disappointing failure of COP15 in Copenhagen. Five years later she oversaw the signing of the historic accord at COP21 in which 195 countries agreed to limit global warming.

Figueres realizes that legislation is the key, "because it is the linchpin between action on the ground and the international agreement".

The scope of this achievement is unprecedented. Figueres succeeded in bringing together a wide range of stakeholders. This included both national and subnational governments as well as corporations and financial institutions. To have government and private enterprise come together with activists, NGOs and faith groups was quite an accomplishment.

"[We] have the responsibility to set the ethical foundation of our global society. We have done this with slavery and with apartheid. It is time to do it with climate change," Figueres said in 2015.

Over the last three and a half decades she has demonstrated herself to be the world's foremost authority on multilateral negotiations.  At a result of her stellar accomplishments she has been credited with developing a new brand of collaborative diplomacy.

To Figueres credit she did not shy away from criticizing Trump when he withdrew from the Paris agreement less than 2 years later . Figueres called the move "vacuous political melodrama". She also tweeted "Thank you Trump. You have provoked an unparalleled wave of support for Paris and determined resolve on climate action. Deeply grateful."

After Trump's announced his decision she told Channel4 news, "760 and counting corporations have asked the Trump presidency to not withdraw from the Paris agreement, to stay in the agreement, to stay the course of decarbonisation...Plus all of the states, plus 130 cities that are completely convinced of the benefit to their economy of doing climate action.'

Referring to the Trump administration Figueres said that even if they eliminate support for renewables and double-down on fossil fuels, such a strategy that is doomed to compromise global competitiveness and ultimately fail. Pointing to the private sector and municipal politics she said "leadership on climate change is proving to be remarkably resilient, "

Figueres has also been quick to recognize corporate responsibility as she did in 2013 when she tweeted: "Furniture giant #IKEA capitalizing on #cleanenergy revolution, selling DIY #solar panel kits".

As explained in a joint statement by Figueres and Ceres' Mindy Lubber:"The actions needed are legion, but so too are the rewards for investors and companies who make the shift early and embed the transition rapidly."

Figueres recognizes that innovation is an essential component of the required efforts needed to address the environmental and climate crisis we are facing.  Consistent with this conviction she was a member of the Sustania Award Committee that recognizes sustainability innovation. At the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2015 Figueres said, "There is no solution for climate without business, but equally there is no business continuity without a solution to climate." At the 2016 edition of the WEF Figueres said: "There is no sector that is not interested in the impacts of climate – no sector that has not woken up to the fact we have a transformational moment." At the 2017 edition of WEF Figueres maintained her optimism pointing to the falling costs of renewables disrupting fossil fuels and the growth of battery storage capacity transforming the world transportation sector.

"We are seeing more and more the realization that investment in fossil fuel is actually a high risk, is getting more and more risky,"  Figueres said in 2014.

In her role at the UNFCCC she supported efforts to remove subsidies for fossil fuels. In 2016 she said, "The IMF provides five trillion reasons for acting on fossil fuel subsidies. Protecting the poor and the vulnerable is crucial to the phasing down of these subsidies, but the multiple economic, social and environmental benefits are long and legion."

When she received the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Communiqué from John Key, the Prime Minister of New Zealand Figueres said, "These subsidies contribute to the inefficient use of fossil fuels, undermine the development of energy efficient technologies, act as a drag on clean, green energy deployment and in many developing countries do little to assist the poorest of the poor in the first place...low oil prices are a good opportunity to really get going on this issue."

Prior to her role at the UNFCCC Figueres served as Director of Renewable Energy in the America's (REIA) and she also founded the non-profit Center for Sustainable Development of the Americas (CSDA).

Figueres is currently working to advance climate action and safeguard the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She is currently Vice-Chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, ClimateWorks Board Member, World Bank Climate Leader and Mission2020 Convenor.

The goal of Mission 2020 is to keep us on track in the race to tackle climate change before the window of opportunity closes. On April 10th, 2017, Figueres led a group of climate and business experts who said the year 2020 is a game-changing opportunity to turn the tide on the devastating impacts of carbon emissions.

This is a smart women who knows what is at stake which is why she tirelessly advocates for urgent climate action. Figueres called the heatwaves, droughts and fires in 2016, "reminders that we cannot afford to do anything except to accelerate the solution agenda - we absolutely have no other option but to accelerate."

Figueres believes that the overwhelming logic of climate action transcends politics. "Averting climate change is not part of the partisan debate. We are all united in wanting to live in a safe, stable environment and to provide our families with good jobs that will serve the economy of tomorrow." she said.  As she said in 2015,  "Investing at scale in clean, efficient power offers one of the clearest no-regret choices ever presented to human progress."

Despite her sanguine forecasts, she also offers a dire warning. She says that failing to meet the targets laid out in the Paris accord could unleash, "natural feedback loops from which we may not recover".

Related
Women are the Key to a More Sustainable Future
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100 Inspirational Female Environmentalists

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Event - Conference Sustainable Infrastructure & Resilience

NCSE 2019 Annual Conference Sustainable Infrastructure & Resilience will take place on January 7-10, 2019 at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, DC.

The National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) works with scientists, educators, policymakers, business leaders, and officials at all levels of government to inform environmental policy and decision-making with the use of science. NCSE programs are designed to foster leadership and education around timely and pressing issues at the intersection of science, policy, education, and decision-making. The programs also advance interdisciplinary education and develop international cooperation and engagement.

No part of the planet is untouched by the impact of the more than seven billion human inhabitants. Collectively, we face pressing challenges such as extreme weather from climate change, growing urbanization, and resource scarcity. These challenges make cities and ecosystems more vulnerable; triggering an urgent call to develop a sustainable, healthy, and just world. At the 2019 Annual Conference, attendees will look at the opportunities and challenges for sustainability at the convergence of built, natural, social, and cyber infrastructure. Attendees will also explore examples of community resilience and discuss how to apply best practices in their community. More about the theme.

Important Dates

October 12 - End of Early-bird Registration Discount
November 15 - End of Advance Registration Discount
December 14 - Last day to book hotel at a discounted rate

Click here to register.

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Event - The 21st Century Company Conference

The 21st Century Company Conference will take place on November 7,  2018 in New York, NY. This event is billed as "A Holistic View of the 21st Century Company", it is brought to you by a strategic partnership between Skytop Strategies, a leading conference and media company, and Fortune Empire a global private network dedicated to matching investors with capital seekers.

The 21st Century Company program will focus on the role of the public company from a global perspective. It will cover important topics that converge governance, social responsibility, ESG, and other trends that affect the role that multinational companies play as agents of impact.

More than 150 corporate executives from governance, risk, sustainability, innovation, strategy, and corporate responsibility are expected to attend. This year’s agenda includes a great breadth and depth of discussion including a look at how innovation has changed the global company, the integration of business purpose and social purpose, shareholder expectations for companies to responsibly create value, the history of corporate governance, how the activist investor is leveraging change to bring public companies into the 21st century, ESG and the investor view on long-term company performance, the 21st century company’s new role as global citizen, investor and driver of shared outcomes, and a look at Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Speakers/Session Leaders

Speakers come from notable organizations such as Nasdaq, Barington Capital, Breakthrough Results, Causecast, and Rockefeller Capital Management. Skytop Strategies session leaders are chosen from the highest caliber companies, foundations and funds for the express purpose of diversifying thought and creating balanced panels with all-encompassing viewpoints.

• Hank Boerner, Chairman Governance & Accountability Institute Member of the Advisory Board Skytop Strategies New York, NY
• Michael A. Echols,  Chief Executive Officer Kennedy Space Center, International Association of Certified ISAOs, and Max Cybersecurity LLC. Former Director, Cyber Joint Program Management Office Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C.
• Amy Jaffe, David M. Rubenstein, Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment, Council on Foreign Relations and Co-Chair, Women in Energy Initiative Center for Global Energy Policy, Columbia University Houston, TX
• Evan Harvey, Global Head of Sustainability Nasdaq Washington, D.C.
• Cathy Hansell,  President Breakthrough Results Sarasota, FL
• Jared Landaw, Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel Barington Capital Group New York, NY
• Charlotte Laurent-Ottomane, Executive Director Thirty Percent Coalition Boca Raton, FL
• Gianna McCarthy, Director, Corporate Governance New York State Common Retirement Fund New York, NY
• The Honorable Cameron Munter, Chief Executive Officer The EastWest Institute and the Former United States Ambassador to Pakistan New York, NY
• Laura Plato, President and Chief Operating Officer Causecast Reno, NV
• ​Imogen Rose-Smith, Investment Fellow, Office of the President University of California New York, NY
• W. Graeme Roustan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Roustan Capital Ontario, CA
• Hope S. Taitz, Chief Executive Officer ELY Capital New York, NY
• Joe Verrengia, Director, Corporate Social Responsibility Arrow Electronics, Inc. Denver, CO
• Christopher Walker, Director, North America World Business Council for Sustainable Development New York, NY
• Karen Wawrzaszek, Managing Director, Wealth Advisory Rockefeller Capital Management Washington, D.C.
• David Yeh, Managing Partner Capitol Hill Former Senior Advisor The White House Washington, D.C.

Chris Skroupa, CEO and Founder of Skytop Strategies, said, “this unique event will lead attendees to discover new approaches to exploiting the internal and external drivers that will reset stakeholder expectations, shareholder engagements, and the successful creation of long-term value. They will come away with practical ways to apply innovative techniques to manage risk and create opportunity in shaping the 21st Century Company.” He added, “Fortune Empire lends their knowledge and expertise in capital markets and will help attract the companies that will benefit most from this engaging event.”

This program also receives support from FTI Consulting, Arrow Electronics, and Causecast. For more information and to register: The 21st Century Company Conference

ENGAGE with governance, risk, sustainability, innovation, strategy, and corporate responsibility executives to identify tomorrow’s change agents and how to profit from their power to drive company value

DISCOVER unique approaches to exploiting the internal and external drivers that will reset stakeholder expectations, shareholder engagements, and the successful creation of long-term value

APPLY innovative techniques to manage risk and create opportunity in shaping The 21st Century Company

About Skytop Strategies

As the corporate landscape evolves around global, social, environmental and economic change, Skytop Strategies works to facilitate discussion around business strategy with C-suite leaders, institutional investors, boards of directors, authoritative NGO/government agencies and other stakeholders. Skytop Strategies convenes corporate professionals through live conferences designed to empower success and longevity within their respective industries and around the global marketplace. We provide a platform for market-moving dialogue by connecting decision makers through actionable exchange, revolutionizing the way 21st century companies create value. Our programs form an arena for experienced executives to navigate large-scale concepts and implement sustainable, ethical and productive practices. Topics covered include shareholder engagement and activism, ESG and sustainability, governance and risk, gender equality, cyber security and corporate social responsibilities. Skytop Strategies also produces high-quality content in partnership with Forbes.com, to expand the dialog and support the concepts.

About Fortune Empire

Fortune Empire is an exclusive global community of elite investors and capital seekers. Fortune Empire leverages highly advanced technology to facilitate investment opportunities from all industries to their global community of capital providers. They strive to bring in efficiency and transparency in private capital markets throughout the world. They help Fortune 1000 companies looking for strategic acquisitions, find exclusive investment opportunities and their capital market needs. Capital providers utilize the Fortune Empire platform to find relevant investment opportunities as well as finding well-aligned co-investors and service providers, while capital seekers look to find the right investors or buyers and consultants for their businesses and projects globally.

To see the agenda click here

To register click here.

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Trump is Bad at Business and Bad for Business

Trump has a track record of failed ventures and the tax cuts cannot hide the fact that this president has shown himself to be bad for business. Part of the reason people voted for Trump is because he described himself as a great business leader. A review of his business dealings and his almost two years in office dispel this myth.

Tax cuts and radical deregulation may have contributed to an economic uptick and low unemployment, but this does not bode well for the future. Spiraling deficits and the failure to invest in the future has put the country on a perilous track.  The federal government has slashed support for science and innovation, and failed to invest in infrastructure and the green economy. Trump's presidency has been marked by trade wars and an insane energy agenda that includes radical inefficiency.
The tax cuts alone are going to help create a trillion dollar federal deficit this fiscal year. Trump's failure to act on climate change could cost the country trillions of dollars every year due to  rising sea levels, wildfires, droughts, heat waves, crop failures, pollution and health care.

The consensus from many business leaders is that Trump has demonstrated himself to be profoundly  unqualified.as both a business man and as the commander-and-chief.   As reported by CNN, the business elite have always seen Trump as an "amusing caricature...more showhorse than workhorse" For real business titans Trump is a "carnival barker...85% reality TV star, 15% businessman".


Corporate CEOs have mocked Trump's rejection of climate action but they cannot ignore the chilling effect he has had on sustainability. Last year Tesla's Elon Musk said that that Trump is bad for business. "Every now and then you hire the wrong CEO," Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said about Trump who he referred to as a "bad boss".

In September of this year the CEO of Morgan Chase Jamie Dimon questioned Trump's intelligence and his business acumen. As reported by CNN this is a, "reflective of the view held by lots of titans of industry and other very wealthy business people". Dimon said he is both smarter than the commander-and-chief and a better businessman. Dinon pointed out that he earned his money unlike Trump who got a "gift from daddy". 

Trump may not have earned his fortune but he has earned his reputation. Confabulation and outright deceit define Trump's failed business strategy and his approach to the presidency. Trump lies about everything and his business is certainly no exception. To start with he never got an MBA from Wharton University. Trump likes to claim that he is a winner but he has amassed a track record of failures.

Trump's claim that he is a capable businessman is disproved by the wreckage of his long line of failed ventures. The list includes, TrumpMortgage, TrumpFinancial, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, Trump Shuttle, Trump Vodka, Trump Steaks, Trump Taj, Trump Castle, Trump Plaza, Trump Dubai, Trump Toronto and Trump Hollywood. 

A Judge ruled that Trump University was an outright scam and awarded a class action settlement to the hapless souls who were flimflammed.

He has failed so many times that no American bank will finance his ventures (cue Russian oligarchs). His purported links to financing from Russian oligarchs has likely not escaped Mueller's investigation and it may prove to be one of the factors that lead to his downfall.

At best Trump can be described as a brand builder. While this may lend itself to professional wrestling gigs or reality TV shows,  it is not the right stuff for a business leader, nor does it prepare him to be the President of the United States.

It is with good reason that corporations and business leaders are openly criticizing Trump. They have a vested interest in opposing him and being silent may not be an option. Those who are silent run the risk of paying a the price down the road.  

Corporations that openly support this president could  be making a big mistake that will haunt them. The CEOs of Fiat Chrysler, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo, FedEx, and Mastercard  may all rue the day in August they had dinner with Trump. Openly supporting this president could exact a reputational toll. Even being silent could expose a firm to reputational risk. Trump may occupy the Oval Office but once the Mueller team releases its findings he could soon find himself in a jumpsuit that matches his hair.

Some think that Trump is deliberately trying to dismantle government, destroy alliances and subvert democracy. Others think the current state of affairs is a byproduct of his bumbling incompetence. Either way, America will have to pay the price for the Trump presidency and the longer he stays in power the more expensive it will be.

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Climate Change Education is on the Front Lines of the Battle for Truth

Climate change education is ground zero in the battle between scientific truth and the lies told by politicians and industry.  The forces conspiring to prevent children from having access to the facts are being countered by concerned parents, teachers and scientists. A Yale study indicates that the vast majority of Americans want schools to teach their children about climate science. According to research from the Yale Forum on Climate Change Communication, three quarters of Americans want to see climate change taught in schools. More than two thirds of those polled said they would welcome a national education program on climate change. The study also suggested that there are significant gaps in what many North Americans’ know about climate change. However, the poll shows that people want to know more.

Americans trust in science has been waning for years and it has been further eroded by the Trump administration. Efforts to undermine science are particularly prevalent in our schools. Republicans have removed climate science from some school curricula and a fossil fuel funded conservative organization known as the Heartland Institute is behind disinformation campaigns that include factually inaccurate pseudo-scientific text books. The efforts to undermine science have confused many Americans and buoyed climate denial. 

Industry plays a major role fomenting climate confusion. The most notable deceit comes from the fossil fuel industry which has used its considerable financial clout to confuse the public about humanities role in climate change. Republicans are the leading purveyors of climate disinformation. The lies they tell serve a political or corporate agenda, sometimes the two coalesce as with the GOP and the fossil fuel industry. These lies are all the more vile when they target our children.

Students have very little access to climate information and their teachers are not well versed in basic climate science. According to a 2016 study students only get a total of between one and two hours of climate education. Less than half of science teachers know that 97 percent of climate scientists agree the the earth is warming due to human activity. Almost one third of teachers are telling their students that the science is not settled, more than 30 percent teach that global warming is a natural phenomenon and ten percent are saying that humans have no impact on climate change.

A number of science textbooks used to teach kids in public schools are do not contain factual information about climate change.  According to a review of 16 leading undergraduate science textbooks published between 2013 and 2015 only 4 percent of the content dealt with climate change, global warming and renewable energy.  Only 2 percent of biology textbooks referenced climate change and physics textbooks were even worse containing less than 0.5 percent  climate information.

Campaigns to subvert the facts further undermine this already limited and tenuous grasp on the climate reality. Republicans have been at war with the facts long before Donald Trump took control of the party. His anti-science stance has merely capitalized on an existing trend.

As reviewed in a Scientific American article, these efforts have been very effective at eroding trust in science and academia. In 2006, 41 percent of respondents in a nationwide poll expressed "a lot of confidence" in higher education. In 2014, only 14 percent of those surveyed showed "a great deal of confidence" in academia. Another poll showed that between 2009 and 2015 there was a 50 percent increase in the number of people who believe science has, "made life more difficult". Another survey revealed that last year only 35 percent of respondents have "a lot" of trust in scientists and the number of people who do not trust science "at all" increased by over 50 percent between 2013 and 2017.

In what can only be described as a patently irrational cultural phenomenon a growing number of people claim their personal opinions hold equal weight to the opinions of experts. 

In some places lawmakers are embedding climate denial in school curricula and depriving students of the right to a fact based education. In both 2016 and 2017 Idaho lawmakers rejected school science standards that referenced the anthropogenic origins of climate change. House Assistant Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, a Democrat, criticized the committee’s decision to remove climate information from the curriculum.

"Not only do we owe it to our children to teach them 21st Century science, but we owe it to the farmers, foresters and citizens of Idaho to take this issue seriously and not bury our heads in the sand," Thinkprogress quotes Rubel as saying.

As reported by the Boise Weekly, the K-12 science standards were discussed at a contentious February 2018 public hearing at the Idaho Statehouse. At this hearing Idaho House Education Committee Chairwoman Rep. Julie VanOrden (R-Pingree) chastised anyone who dared to use the phrase "climate change" during public testimony.

The Republican majority of the committee voted 12-4 to omit a section of the proposed standards that referenced the impact of fossil fuels on the environment. However this was overturned two weeks later when an Idaho Senate Committee overrode the House, approving the new standards with climate change references left intact. Four GOP senators joined two Democrats to vote 6-2 to push through the science standards.

A similar change of course occurred in Wyoming which initially banned schools from teaching the facts about climate change, only to subsequently repeal the motion.

Many states are teaching the facts by adopting what is called Next Generation Science Standards. More than 40 states have shown interest in the standards, and as of November 2017, 19 states, along with the District of Columbia (D.C.), have adopted the standards: This includes Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Jersey,

Providing our children with facts about climate change is a critical preparation. This is an important part of their preparedness to effectively participate in the economy and society at large.

According to a 2018 poll more Americans than ever think that there is evidence that the planet is warming, and a record high level also believe human activity is at least partially responsible.
The annual survey was conduced by the University of Michigan and Muhlenberg College's annual survey. It found that 73 percent of Americans think there is "solid evidence" of climate change, while 60 percent of the population now think that human beings have an influence on how the climate is changing.

Given Republican efforts to confuse the public about climate change, it should come as no surprise that while 90 percent of Democrats say climate change is occurring, only 50 percent of Republicans say the same.

* This article was updated on September 20, 2018


Related
Portland School Boards Protect Fact-Based Climate Education (Video)
Republicans Censor Climate Information in Schools
Heartland's Climate Denial Campaign Targets Public Schools 
The Right Wants to Crush Climate Science in Our Schools
Kids are Being Denied a Science-Based Climate Education
Climate Science Bill of Rights and a Fact-Based Education
Keep Climate Denial Out of Our Schools

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Stay tuned for more green school information and resources. From August until the end of October, the Green Market Oracle will feature weekly posts as part of the 2018 edition of the Green School Series which includes links to almost 400 articles covering everything you need to know about sustainable academics, student eco-initiatives, green school buildings, and college rankings as well as a wide range of related information and resources.

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Sustainability Leaders' Spartacus Moment

Pundits warn that corporate leaders undermine their brand reputations by commenting on the conduct of Donald Trump. Despite these warnings some of the world's most successful corporations are opposing the commander and chief and rebuffing the leadership in Washington.

With the nation teetering on the cusp of a constitutional crisis, CEOs have a vested interest in countering the malfeasance in Washington. This is not just a PR stunt, nor is this solely a matter of conscience. Some are motivated by genuine concern about the well-being of the republic.

Waves of resignations from the CEOs of America's leading corporations forced Trump to disband his business councils. Business leaders have opposed Trump on a wide range of issues ranging from climate change to racism. Many do not share the administration's extreme and often irrational views on a number of key policy fronts including energy, efficiency and trade.

Corporations like Ford, Microsoft, and Coca-Cola,have all issued statements and internal memos condemning the commander-and-chief. Danielle Fugere, the president of As You Sow, was quoted by the New York Times as saying, "In many cases, I think businesses disagree with the administration."

Sustainability

As explained in a GMO article, "Business leaders cannot afford to be myopic, they must look beyond spurious political cycles to the trends that will endure." Sustainability is such an enduring trend and it is a bulwark against both corruption and the rising tide of populist authoritarianism that is sweeping the world. It may also be the best way to constructively counter Trump.

Trump's incessant lies and petty preoccupations add to the constellation of facts that expose the nightmare that is this presidency. Companies are pushing back by unleashing a wave of goodness.

Key parts of corporate America have uncharacteristically waded into a wide range of important issues including everything from gun safety to climate change. They have rejected Trump's climate denial and advocated for sustainability.

Risks

Corporate America has yet to come to the realization that they can either speak out or be complicit through their silence. Either way there are risks.

According to a recent Morning Consult poll mentioning Trump is a double edged sword. While more consumers reported liking brands to say negative things about this president, the results suggest that comments either way will alienate some people. This led the pollsters to conclude that brands should not mention Trump at all.

However, leadership sometimes demands that we look beyond the prevailing wisdom. A poll is a snapshot of a moment in time, it says nothing about the future. We should consider how being silent will be perceived once Mueller releases his report. Playing it safe by staying silent may look enticing now but it may prove to be a failed strategy down the road.

Consumers value a company with abiding values. A poll by Weber Shandwick found that almost 76 percent of consumers want a brand to speak out when their values are either violated or threatened.

There are also other factors business leaders must consider. You cannot discount the value of standing against a regime that is undermining the country, nor should we belittle the advantage of being on the right side of history.

Those who stand up to the president and support the values imbued in the Constitution may find themselves on the receiving end of a windfall of reputational benefit. Those who don't should not expect to be treated kindly by consumers.

Trump is far more than just an impediment to sustainability, the instability his administration augurs represents a serious risk factor that must be countered.

Climate

We have seen a tremendous upsurge in the number of corporations that are engaged in climate action. Many of these same companies have CEOs that are openly challenging Trump. There are compelling reasons why corporate American is embracing science-based climate action and resisting the false narratives coming from the White House.

Intel spokeswoman, Katie Lewallen, said "Regardless of regulatory changes, we intend to continue our commitment to environmental stewardship, including working to fulfill the climate change pledge we made in 2015."

Chief executives want Trump to harmonize his policies with economic reality. Four such individuals are well known Trump advisers: General Electric's Jeffrey R. Immelt, Tesla's Elon Musk, BlackRock's Laurence D. Fink and Campbell’s Denise Morrison.

Immelt was quoted as saying, "We believe climate change is real and the science is well accepted" and Fink has pledged to press companies to address the effects of climate change on their businesses. Walmart said its environmental commitments were "embedded in our business" and PepsiCo said the company believes that, "combating climate change is critical to the future of our company, customers, consumers and our world."

This is not new and dates back to this administration's first days in office. Many corporations warned Trump to stick with the Paris Climate agreement and they rebuked him when he withdrew.

Bob Iger, CEO of Disney and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX spoke out against Trump's egress from the deal. Nike and Google were also among the companies that criticized Trump's decision. More than two dozen major businesses took out full-page ads opposing the move.

Puerto Rico

Trump has contributed to climate change induced extreme weather through his dysfunctional policies. He has also shown his callous disregard for the people in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Irma and Maria.

While Trump handed out paper towels after the island was ravaged by hurricanes many companies including Duracell, Sonnen, SunRun and Vivint Solar stepped in to provide the humanitarian relief and electricity. Tesla went to work installing sun powered energy systems to hospitals in the territory and San Juan airport. Musk not only supplied free batteries he personally donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support relief efforts. He even postponed the reveal of Tesla's electric semi truck to focus on assisting Puerto Rico.

Trump's anemic efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and restore power to the island were a dismal failure. He engaged an untested and inexperienced company by the name of Whitefish in an ultimately doomed bid to bring energy to the territory. Many Puerto Ricans had to wait more than 6 months to get their power back.

Trump's efforts to provide basic necessities like food, water and shelter were a failure that cost thousands of lives. In the face of the facts Trump claimed that his administration did a good job in the territory. He added insult to injury when he tried to discredit the veracity of the almost 3,000 Puerto Ricans who lost their lives due to the hurricane. This is Trump's modus operandi, we have seen it with climate change and countless other issues, whenever he encounters facts he does not like he disparages the truth tellers and he lies.

Racism

CEOs condemned Trump for calling the Nazis marching in Charlottesville "fine people".

"There is no room for equivocation here: the evil on display by these perpetrators of hate should be condemned and has no place in a country that draws its strength from our diversity and humanity," said Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase & Co. CEO.

Dimon was among those who said Trump's councils should be disbanded. As did the CEOs of Campbell Soup Company, 3M, Under Armour, Intel, Merck and Disney.

Nike recently hired Colin Kapernick as a direct rebuke of Trump's mischaracterization and thinly veiled racist rants against black athletes.

A number of CEOs stood up to speak out against Trump's travel ban and disdain for immigration. Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook publicly condemned the ban. Cards Against Humanity launched projects dedicated to challenging Trump including a campaign to buy a part of the land at the US/ Mexico to protest the border wall.

Monuments

Companies were quick to come forward and oppose the federal government's land grab. Led by Patagonia, companies like REI and North Face have all resisted the Trump administration when they announced that they were taking large parts of the Bears Ears national monument. Patagonia launched a campaign with the tag line, "The President Stole Your Land". They have also launched legal challenges with the aim of defending these lands from mining, logging and oil extraction.

NRA

Trump and Republican legislators are protecting the NRA to pander to their base and secure blood-money. However, student led movements are exposing the profound moral failings of the GOP's support for the NRA. This has emboldened some American corporations to stand up and oppose the NRA. This is something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

The corporate response to the NRA is part of a wider trend. Companies are increasingly using their power to take a stand against blatant injustices. Despite their historical reticence to participate in contentious debates corporations across America and around the world are increasingly feeling compelled to support social and environmental justice .

The corporate world is also opposing Trump for practical reasons. Unlike the commander-and-chief many of these leaders can read trends and anticipate opportunities. Many understand that the government in Washington is moving the nation backwards. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to stand up and be counted. Throughout history there have been moments that call for integrity and vision, this is one of them. The fact that Trump has taken up residence on the wrong side of history gives corporate sustainability leaders little choice. There is too much at stake to remain silent.

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Corporate Actions that Combat Trump's Climate Ignorance
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Which Side is Your Business On?
Businesses Support Sustainability and Oppose Trump
Business Leaders Advocate for Sustainability and Refute Trump
Corporate America Rejects Trump's Climate Ignorance

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Event - ELEMCON Call for Proposals

The 4th Annual Environmental Leader & Energy Manager Conference (ELEMCON) will take place on May 13 - 15, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. ELEMCON offers real-life case studies that help you and your business with the ever-increasing interaction among energy, sustainability, and environmental professionals solving complex corporate challenges.

The majority of participants comprise environmental, energy and sustainability executives from Fortune 500 companies, universities, and government agencies. They learn how large organizations are meeting the challenges today of complying with environmental regulations, reaching enterprise-wide sustainability goals, and reaching energy management targets.

ELEMCON is an opportunity for environmental and energy managers, directors, VPs and C-suite executives to convene and identify ways to improve efficiencies, increase the performance of all facets of their EHS, sustainability, compliance and energy initiatives, save cost, and reduce or negate their impact on the environment. As corporate and environmental issues become more complex, ELEMCON assembles case studies that facilitate new ways to solve problems and teach best practices from actual implementers who have seen it, analyzed it, done it, and reaped the benefits of their initiatives. The aim is to identify the initiatives, processes, and tools needed to rise above these various challenges and provide attendees with actionable takeaways to implement at their own organizations.

Call for proposals

ELEMCON is seeking speaker and session proposals in an array of topic areas and session styles with a focus on best practices, thought-leadership and peer-learning. BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION Sponsoring ELEMCON will put you directly in front of high-level decision makers and environmental, sustainability, and energy executives from the private and public sectors.

Timelines (calls for proposals)

Monday, September 10th, 2018 – Call for proposals issued
Friday, October 19th, 2018 – Deadline for proposal submissions
Friday, January 4th, 2019 – Selection decisions announced
Wednesday, February 13th, 2019 – ELEMCON 2019 program announced

Click here for more information about the proposals. If you have questions about these proposals contact Sierra Winegarner, Program Manager, sierra@elemconference.com

Learn more about sponsorship levels, or confirm your participation by contacting Savannah at savannah@elemconference.com or 503.226.2377.

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10 Women at the Forefront of Environmentalism and Sustainability

Women are leading a social movement that is demanding accountability. The #MeToo movement and the historic Women's March are defining features of a rapidly changing landscape. We are seeing a growing number women speaking truth to power.  More women than ever have taken to the streets to make their voices heard and an unprecedented number of women are vying for political leadership. This benefits both social and environmental justice. Women are the greener sex and as explained in a GMO article empowering women has been shown to be conducive to sustainability.

There have been hundreds of women who have led environmental efforts around the world. Here are some of the women that are championing the environment and leading sustainability.

Brave souls like Berta Cáceres paid for their social and environmental advocacy with their lives. In the Americas we are seeing leadership in the far north from Sheila Watt-Cloutier who is the world's leading voice on Arctic climate impacts and human rights. In South America Marina Silva is a prominent advocate for the protection of the Amazon.  In Africa Wangari Matthai founded the Green Belt Movement that has led to more than 13 million trees being planted in Africa.

A couple of women helped to pioneer  sustainability. Women like Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland and Hunter Lovins are well known thought leaders who have helped define better approaches to development and business. Brundtland is widely regarded as the mother of sustainable development and Lovins has been at the forefront of the sustainability movement for more than three decades. As the President and Founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions Lovins has been a powerful advocate for renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Smart leaders know that women offer immense value. Sustainability guru Pol Polman works with some very capable women at Unilever. While Polman gets a lot of  well deserved credit for his sustainability leadership, Unilever's Vice President of Sustainability Karen Hamilton and CSO Gail Klintworth have been an integral part of the company's success.  Nike inc. is another high profile brand that is also benefiting women's leadership. Nike's Sustainable Business leadership comes from Vice President Hannah Jones and Senior Director Agata Ramallo Garcia.

The women in leadership roles demonstrates that they are eminently qualified and in many respect superior to their male counterparts. Despite the capable efforts of these women, gender bias remains. Men still dominate the senior echelons of CSR and sustainability, even though the evidence indicates that having an executive team that includes women offers better performance.

There are a number of impediments to women's leadership that are antithetical to sustainability. If we are serious about sustainability, we must also be serious about gender equality. Supporting women and helping them to achieve prominent positions is a powerful step towards a better world.

Related
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The 21 Most Powerful Women in Sustainability (gb&d magazine)
Female Climate Justice Leaders and Environmental Champions (350.org)
Video - Women on the Margins: The Shriver Report and Implications for Sustainability
Impediments to Women in the Workforce Inhibit Environmental Action

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Heartland Institute Targets Kids with Climate Disinformation

Children are being targeted by climate disinformation campaigns from the Heartland Institute. This fossil fuel funded group is at the forefront of efforts to confuse the public and thanks to the deep pockets of the dirty energy industry they have a lot of money to play with (the organization's budget was $5.3 million in 2015).

The Heartland Institute has been disseminating propaganda on behalf of the fossil fuel industry for decades. In 1998 the institute began targeting students with climate disinformation. Over the last couple of decades they have encouraged teachers to teach alternate facts and ignore the body of evidence supporting anthropogenic climate change. 

Most recently the Heartland Institute is distributing a book and a DVD to public school teachers that claims that climate change is a natural phenomenon and not due to human activities. The misleading book is titled "Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming". It is being sent to all 200,000 K-12 public school teachers in the US. The foreword was written by Marita Noon, executive director of Citizens’ Alliance for Responsible Energy which is another fossil fuel front group.

The slick book is meant to look like a science text book. It makes the disingenuous claim that the science on climate change is not settled. The fact is the science is settled and there is a strong body of evidence that has forged a consensus of scientific support for anthropogenic climate change. The book also claims that even if climate change is real it will be beneficial in many places around the world.

The book was challenged by National Center for Science Education (NCSE), who stated "It’s not science, but it’s dressed up to look like science," NCSE executive director Ann Reid told Frontline. "It’s clearly intended to confuse teachers."

Many teachers have pushed back against the book. Lori Baker, a sixth-grade science teacher at North Putnam Middle School in Roachdale, Indiana told Frontline: "I read quite a bit of the book, actually, and it was extremely frustrating. It’s an attempt to sound science literate, but there’s very little actual data."

However, some educators are embracing the disinformation and teaching it to their students as though it were fact. Some teachers even asked the Heartland Institute to send speakers to come to their classrooms and address students directly.

The Heartland campaign dovetails with the climate denial that is rampant in the Trump administration starting with Trump himself and running down through many of the president's top appointees including Education Secretary Betsy Devos.

Trump is well known for his deceit and his climate denial so it is not surprising that he asked people with similar views to lead government agencies. Heartland Institute ally Myron Ebell was tasked by Trump to oversee the transition at the EPA that ultimately tapped climate denying fossil fuel advocate Scott Pruitt to head the agency. Pruitt was an essential part of Trump's insane energy agenda. Before resigning Pruitt decimated the EPA and like his boss he repeatedly lied to advance an agenda that included killing the Clean Power plan.

Like the Trump administration and many Republicans, organizations like the Heartland Institute use disinformation to divide Americans and polarize opinion. They muddy the waters and confuse Americans so that their outlandishly false claims seem credible. This is a reprehensible but it is particularly odious when they use the education system to deceive children.

Related
Portland School Boards Protect Fact-Based Climate Education (Video)
Republicans Censor Climate Information in Schools
Heartland's Climate Denial Campaign Targets Public Schools 
The Right Wants to Crush Climate Science in Our Schools
Kids are Being Denied a Science-Based Climate Education
Climate Science Bill of Rights and a Fact-Based Education
Keep Climate Denial Out of Our Schools

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Stay tuned for more green school information and resources. From August until the end of October, the Green Market Oracle will feature weekly posts as part of the 2018 edition of the Green School Series which includes links to almost 400 articles covering everything you need to know about sustainable academics, student Eco-initiatives, green school buildings, and college rankings as well as a wide range of related information and resources.

Read More»

Remembering the Environmental and Health Impacts of 9/11

This is an updated version of an article that was originally published by The Green Market Oracle in 2012. It covers the environmental impacts and the related toll on health stemming from the terrorist attacks that brought down the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

In addition to the horrific death toll from 9/11, the devastating environmental impact continues to harm human health more than a decade and a half later. The felling of the twin towers in Manhattan killed 2973 people. First responders charged with cleaning up the carnage, along with others who spent time on or near the 9/11 site continue to suffer from serious health effects.  According to the latest reports around 20 percent of the more than 400,000 people who were exposed to toxic contaminants are suffering from a range of health problems including chronic cough, asthma, sinus congestion and more than 50 cancers. Others are suffering from stress-related disorders, and depression.

The health effects were not limited to Manhattan, toxic environmental exposures were also reported at the "Fresh Kills" landfill in Staten Island where trade center debris was moved, and at the city morgue.

When the Twin Towers were were brought down they not only killed people and destroyed property, they created an environmental nightmare. The toxic soup that remained included dust laced with asbestos, glass fibers, pulverized cement and other substances. According to air pollution expert and University of California Davis Professor Emeritus Thomas Cahill, the dust from the collapsed towers was "wildly toxic".

The thousands of tons of toxic debris resulting from the collapse of the Twin Towers consisted of more than 2,500 contaminants. This includes 50% non-fibrous material and construction debris; 40% glass and other fibers; 9.2% cellulose; and 0.8% of the extremely toxic carcinogen asbestos, as well as detectable amounts of lead, and mercury. There were also unprecedented levels of dioxin and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the fires which burned for three months. Many of the dispersed substances (asbestos, crystalline silica, lead, cadmium, PAHs) are carcinogenic. Other substances present are known to trigger kidney, heart, liver and nervous system deterioration.

In 2006, David Worby, an attorney representing more than 5,000 sick plaintiffs suing those who supervised the cleanup, said 21 of his clients had already died of September 11-related diseases since mid-2004. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," Worby said. "Many, many more people are going to die from the aftermath of the toxicity."

In 2012 CNN reported that many of those who became sick due to exposure to the 9/11 were having trouble keeping up with the costs of their illnesses.

One such individual is New York City Police Detective Ernie Vallebuona who spent six months at the site. Three years later, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He underwent extensive treatment and while he is currently in remission, he had to spend his retirement savings to pay for medical bills not covered by insurance.

“People are terribly sick. People can’t support their families. People are having trouble getting by,” said Noah Kushlefsky, an attorney who represents Vallebuona and 3,800 other first responders. “I have clients who have been evicted from homes. I have clients who can’t pay their rent, their phones have been shut off, and these people are in desperate need of some assistance so that they can live their lives,” he said.

An April 2006 autopsy report of a retired New York City detective James Zadroga, drew a clear connection to 9/11. "It is felt with a reasonable degree of medical certainty that the cause of death in this case was directly related to the 9/11 incident," stated the report from the medical examiner's office in Ocean County, N.J. This was the first official link made by a medical expert between the hazardous air at ground zero after the trade center collapse and the death of someone who worked in the rescue effort. 

In January 2011, President Barack Obama signed the Zadroga Act which launched the World Trade Center Health Program.  This program provides money for medical care and $2.775 billion dollars to compensate people for issues related to their illnesses. Cancer was initially rejected for coverage under the Act, however, on Monday, September 10, 2012, federal health authorities outlined 58 types of cancer that now will be covered. The program was renewed in 2015 and it will be in place until 2090.

As of June 2017, Business Insider reported that almost 80,000 people (residents and responders) are registered through the program. The program's enrollment has steadily been rising since it opened, with a few hundred more responders and survivors joining each month.

Although it is hard to prove, researchers are working on establishing a scientific link between exposure to 9/11 debris and a wide variety of ailments.

Related
Sustainable Design in the New World Trade Center Buildings

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