Category Archives: Intentional Communities

Intentionality is the key for Crains Notable Businesses Championing Diversity and Inclusion.

Intentionality meaning every one of the 19 honorees made an intentional effort to promote diversity and inclusion in their workplace and in the community at large.

The 19, chosen by Crains after they successfully completed the Greater Cleveland Partnership Equity & Inclusion Organization Assessment and Crain's written evaluation, represent a cross-section of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.

The honored include professional athletics, the arts, and the business, legal and medical communities. There are representatives from the construction, manufacturing, real estate and finance sectors, and the group also has one of the areas finest private high schools.

Some of the representatives have been fostering diversity in their workplace for more than two decades. Others have been spurred by the recent nationwide focus on diversity and inclusion. All promote the hiring of women and individuals of color, and many spur conversations in the wider community that open minds and hearts to the possibilities of diversity. All lead to actions that foster an inclusive and open work environment.

Each business can be a model for others who can adapt practices and principles that best fit their individual workplace. As more join the effort, Northeast Ohio can set new standards for opening hearts and minds to the possibilities and positives of diversity and inclusion.

Additionally, Crain's is showcasing seven organizations of the many that took the GCP E&I Organization Assessment and were recognized by GCP as"Best in Class" in specific areas.

Crain's is honored to partner with GCP on this year's effort. The area chamber of commerce has collected data and reported on the status of diversity and inclusion efforts in Northeast Ohio for two decades. Employers who complete GCP's equity and inclusion assessment receive immediate feedback and suggested resources that can be useful for internal diversity and inclusion strategic planning. The assessment also provides aggregate data on the regions workforce diversity.

The deadline to complete the 2021 GCP E&I Organization Assessment is Friday, Dec. 17. Visit tinyurl.com/GCP-EI-Assessment. And look for the 2022 GCP E&I Organization Assessment on GCP's website beginning Feb. 1.

See theCrain'sNotable Businesses Championing Diversity and Inclusion here.

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Introducing Crain's 2021 Notable Businesses Championing Diversity and Inclusion - Crain's Cleveland Business

News from the noteworthyTobacco-free colleges save lives

Tobacco Free Communities| Delaware, Otsego & SchoharieNine out of 10 smokers start smoking by age 18, and 99% start by age 26. So, if we can just keep young people from starting, we can prevent a vast majority of them from becoming one of the 480,000 lives taken every year by smoking.But how do we do that?It takes intentional steps, including reducing the appeal and accessibility of tobacco products, deglamorizing tobacco use in the media, and creating a social and physical environment that discourages tobacco use. That last measure is where colleges and universities have a unique opportunity. They can provide a healthy learning and living environment for their students by creating 100% tobacco-free policies.A tobacco-free policy does not mean students cannot smoke, vape or use smoke-less tobacco. It simply limits where a person may use tobacco. The benefits are clear.

A 100% tobacco-free campus policy eliminates secondhand smoke exposure, changes the social norm around tobacco use, and helps those who want to quit. Tobacco-free policies are also good for the environment as cigarettes and e-cigarettes are not biodegradable and notably contribute to litter and toxins in the water and soil.Currently, all indoor spaces on college campuses fall under New York States Clean Indoor Air Act. No smoking or vaping of tobacco or any other product is allowed indoors. Outdoor areas are not covered under the law and its up to colleges to decide what they will limit and where. To date, more than 2,500 campuses across the country have adopted a 100% smoke-free policy that prohibits smoking on all college property. More than 2,100 of these campuses also have a tobacco-free policy that bans the use of all non-combustible forms of tobacco as well as e-cigarettes.A recent review of the 207 colleges in New York State revealed that 103 colleges (50%) have adopted 100% tobacco-free policies, 30 (15%) have smoke-free policies, and 58 (28%) have designated smoking areas. The State University of New York Chancellor and Board of Trustees have encouraged campuses to design and implement strategies to drive their campuses toward a complete tobacco-free policy. Locally, SUNY Delhi, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Cobleskill and Hartwick College have all begun to address tobacco use on their campuses and continue to look for ways to further their efforts.The support for tobacco-free campus policies is strong among students. According to a CVS health survey, 8 in 10 college students approved of policies that prohibit smoking and other tobacco use on campus. This mirrors the general attitude around breathing smoke-free air in public spaces. Local community surveys have shown that a large majority of residents in Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties favor prohibiting smoking in outdoor public places, including in parks and businesses open to the public.While we have made great progress in driving down the smoking rate, tobacco use is still the number one preventable cause of death and disease in the U.S. and in our counties. The best way to further that progress is to prevent young people, including college students, from ever starting. With that in mind, Tobacco-Free Communities/Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie (TFC-DOS) has and continues to provide free assistance and resources to colleges as they take steps to create a healthier, tobacco-free environment for their students, staff and guests.For more information, visit http://www.gotobaccofreedos.org.

Jeanie Orr, M.P.H., is program manager for TobaccoFree Communities| Delaware, Otsego & Schoharie; Barbara Doyle is a program specialist for the organization.

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News from the noteworthy: 12-09-21 - AllOTSEGO

DetailsBy Jenna KunzeDecember 08, 2021

NEW YORK In 2012, the Smithsonians National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) staff asked its historian Gabrielle Tayac a member of the Piscataway Nation born and raised in downtown Manhattanto curate its upcoming exhibit on Native New York.

Yeah, she said, recounting her response to Native News Online. A love letter to my hometown? Absolutely.

Tayac spent five years traveling to at least 15 tribal communities whose ancestral lands make up what is now called New York state. Some of those tribes, such as the Shinnecock of Long Island, remain on their ancestral land. Others, such as the original inhabitants of Manhattan, the Lenape, were pushed out to other states. From meeting with knowledge keepers in each communitywell over 100 people, Tayac estimatesshe was able to lay the framework for NMAIs new exhibit: Native New York.

The exhibit, which opened October, invites visitors to open [their] eyes to Native New York by following a wooden pathway laid out on the exhibit floor to visit 12 traditional and contemporary homelands from Long Island to Niagara Falls.

One piece of the exhibit dispels the myth of the sale of Manhattan and is part of the museums initiativecalled Native Knowledge 360 to develop educational materials that incorporate Native narratives and more accurate histories into mandated school curriculum.

NMAI educational lead on the project, Johanna Gorelick, told Native News Online that the digital lesson plans and teacher trainings are intended to fit into the social studies standards teachers in New York must already teach fourth grade students.

What we wanted to do is not tell them that the standards that they're teaching are incorrect, but really that the perspective from which the standards are written could be to be pushed a little bit, Gorelick said.

The story of the sale of Manhattan in history books today is told from the Dutch perspective: that the Lenape Indians living on the island of what they called Manhatta, meaning place for gathering wood to make bows, sold their land to the arriving Dutch settlers in the 1600s for the equivalent value of $24.

What is more likely, according to Lenape descendants included in the exhibit, is that the Lenape believed they were receiving gifts to share their land with new neighbors. As stewards of the land, they didnt believe it was theirs to sell.

We're not doubting that there was an exchange that took place in 1626, Gorelick said. What we are really questioning is whether the intentions of that exchange were the same from those two different cultures. For that, we went to Native communities and we said, what are those enduring cultural values that we can really stress in this lesson that is absent in the curriculum that is often overlooked?

Other parts of the exhibit highlight the sovereignty of sports in the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse game and the ironworkers of the Mohawk Nation who helped to build Manhattans skyscrapers. Much of the artwork of the museum was done by Native illustrators who made sure that their depictions were accurate in terms of dress, but also that the Natives and the Europeans were portrayed as the same height and without hierarchical structure.

Throughout the exhibit, theres an obvious emphasis placed on contemporary Natives of New York, which Tayac says is very much intentional.

The New York City metropolitan area (which includes Long Island and much of New Jersey) had the fifth highest population of urban American Indians and Alaska Natives in the nation, with 50,000, according to a 2013 Census Bureau estimate.

Sometimes it seems exotic, that there's an American Indian person in New York, Tayac said. But thats a Native place...it's called Manhatta. Lets get real. And having that understanding is really important. I think it's really important for Native kids who live in New York City...to be seen. It shouldn't be so strange that you live in an urban space... at all. That's not foreign. It's all there.

Tayac said that her hope for the exhibitwhich was met from Native viewers with a feeling of collective accomplishment of being seenis for visitors to never see the land they walk on the same again. To understand that everywhere that they go is his native land, and to work...to support to support policies, laws, [and] understandings that would assist tribes in their purpose, she said.

For Tayac, the Native New York exhibit is the tip of the iceberg.

There's the exhibit that you seewithin 6000 square feet, maybe 100 words here, 75 words and objects of photos, wonderful graphics, media installations, she said. But what really is key to this work... is creating and sustaining relationships to have to support communities restoring knowledge, and then also deciding what can be shared outside.

The National Museum of the American Indian In New York is located at One Bowling Green in lower Manhattan. It is free and open to the public from 10am-5pm Monday through Friday and all visitors 12 and above are required to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

It's still 2021. Before you go ...

This month, were asking our readers to help us raise $20,000 to fund our Indigenous-led newsroom. If youre a regular reader of Native News Online, you know that we bring a Native perspective to the news and report important stories that the mainstream media often overlooks. While our news is free for everyone to read, it is not free to produce. Thats why were asking you to make a donation this month to help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount big or small gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.

About The Author

Staff Writer

Jenna Kunze is a reporter for Native News Online and Tribal Business News. Her bylines have appeared in The Arctic Sounder, High Country News, Indian Country Today, Smithsonian Magazine and Anchorage Daily News. In 2020, she was one of 16 U.S. journalists selected by the Pulitzer Center to report on the effects of climate change in the Alaskan Arctic region. Prior to that, she served as lead reporter at the Chilkat Valley News in Haines, Alaska. Kunze is based in New York.

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Native New York: Dispelling the Myth of the Sale of Manhattan & More - nativenewsonline.net

LAWRENCE The University of Kansas Libraries and The Commons will presentthe Engaged Leaders Speaker Series, a virtual lecture program on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, featuring author Andrew Hoffman. In his keynote address, which is open to all KU faculty, staff and students, Hoffman will discuss the research around his book, The Engaged Scholar: Expanding the Impact of Academic Research in Todays World.

Hoffman is the Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan. He has researched the use of organizational behavior models and theories in order to understand the cultural and institutional aspects of environmental issues for organizations.

He is a very generous scholar who is interested in showing his research and his passion to academia and in communities, said Sarah Goodwin Thiel, KU Libraries associate librarian. I think he extends the idea of generous thinking and has a lot of ideas of how academia can become more relevant and more engaged with their communities.

In his book, Hoffman applies existing literature and personal experience to show the problem of academic insularity and argues for the exposure of a publicly and politically engaged scholar. The book aims to make public engagement more acceptable and legitimate for scholars and to be more inclusive of different ways someone can participate in the role of academic scholar in todays world.

Hoffmans work could resonate on many levels among individuals seeking ways to partner meaningfully with community members, among administrators who are developing frameworks for acknowledging community-engaged research and among students who are seeking to pursue studies so that they can put that learning to work in communities where they do and will live, said Emily Ryan, director of The Commons.

Co-presented by KU Libraries and The Commons, the Engaged Leaders Speaker Series brings the voices of leading engagement scholars to KU to lead intentional conversations that emphasize open, equitable, divergent and critical thinking posed to guide the future university. Both KU Libraries and The Commons are among places on campus that connect university activity with broader audiences and perspectives. Last year, through their collaboration, Kathleen Fitzpatrick, author of Generous Thinking: A Radical Approach to Saving the University, was the featured speaker.

With an established annual event that centers on Engaged Learning, we can ensure that KU continues to invite leading scholars across the country into the local discussions on engaged research, and continues to support faculty and student efforts to enter into partnerships with community members toward achieving common goals, Ryan said.

The event takes place from 10:20-11 a.m. via Zoom. Those who are interested in attending mayregister for the event online. The event also ties in with the second annual Center for Service Learning Summit on Community-Engaged Learning and Scholarshipon Jan. 13.

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KU Libraries, The Commons to host presentation by author Andrew Hoffman on Jan. 13 | The University of Kansas - KU Today

Less than 10% of Black participants were included in clinical trials between 2015 and 2019.

WASHINGTON D.C., DC COVID-19 uncovered weaknesses in our health system, like disparities among communities of color. Now doctors are hoping the pandemic can help bring change to the industry of medical science. The issue of diversity in clinical trials has long been a focus for our nation, but how far have we come? Were taking a deep dive into the issue of diversity in clinical trials.

We've failed in the sense of being inclusive, said Dr. Mighty, COVID has really exposed a great disparity nationwide and it's going to be up to us as professionals and policymakers to not let that go away

The lack of diversity in medical research is well-documented and first addressed by the nation in 1993. Thats when Congress passed the NIH Revitalization Act, mandating the National Institutes of Health include more women and minorities in its research.

In 2015, a peer-reviewed paper published through NCBI, a division of NIH, acknowledged a promise yet to be fulfilled. According to the research, more than 2 decades after the bill less than 2% of more than 10,000 cancer clinical trials included enough minority participants

According to this FDA analysis of clinical trials between 2015 and 2019 the racial data broke down this way:

It is disappointing to see that over decades, we've seen this disparity, said Jennifer Jones-McMeans. I'm not discouraged, because there are many of us who are in positions that we can actually help pivot the change. Patients need to be seen by physicians, nurses, researchers that look like them sound like them, give them that access. The only way to do that is to invest in the training of the next generation.

Among Abbotts investments is $1 million in scholarships for Howard University medical students to pursue clinical trial work.

People of color, African American, Latino, Native American, they are disproportionately impacted by diseases, explained Jones-McMeans. In order for us to test the safety and efficacy, we must include the patients that are burdened by the disease.

Dr. Mighty said there is a long-standing history of clinical trials that created distrust in some communities of color including the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis trials, but he says its up to medical professionals to change that.

It's going to take a while to build trust, said Dr. Mighty. You got to stay with it. You got to be persistent. You have to be intentional that yeah, we want you in the trial because ultimately, it will benefit you and everyone who looks like you.

The rest is here:

'We failed in being inclusive' | How experts are hoping to reverse lack of diversity in medical research - WUSA9.com

Published 3 hours ago

Submitted by Walmart

Many of us have witnessed inequitable outcomes for people of color in the criminal justice system. The long-term, cumulative impact that criminal justice disparities have on communities of color can have lasting, damaging effects. When individuals enter the system, there are significant obstacles for them to return to society after they have paid their debt. Obtaining an education or trade skills to secure gainful employment is often one of the biggest challenges. At Walmart, we believe access to education is a pathway to opportunity and should be open to everyone.

Thats why Walmart and NAACP are proud to announce theEmpowering a Better Tomorrow scholarship powered by Walmartto assist in the creation of pathways for those returning citizens who want to further their education as they re-enter society. The scholarship will provide 20 recipients with a $5,000 award, for a total of $100,000 in scholarships paid.

This is the first time a public company and the NAACP have teamed up to offer a scholarship of this kind, with the award sponsored by Walmart. The scholarship will be available to the formerly incarcerated or those who have recently been convicted and who have completed their sentence. Returning citizens who are awarded the scholarship will have exhibited qualities of leadership, commitment to change and a desire to give back to their community.

This scholarship initiative is just one way Walmart is investing in and advocating for transformational programs and policies. Our aspiration is to reduce bias, incarceration and recidivism by using our scale, influence and access to stakeholders to drive long-lasting racial equity in the criminal justice system.

There are tall barriers to creating new pathways for formerly-incarcerated citizens. With few support services available, coupled with lingering bias that many hold against them, its not surprising that citizens have a difficult time returning to society. Many face challenges in obtaining housing, employment and other critical social services, which can result in significant financial struggles.

What exacerbates these struggles is that many returning citizens leave the system without the skills or education to obtain stable, gainful employment. While learning a new trade or obtaining a college degree are strong enablers to success, the cost can often be out of reach.

Intentional and strong support is needed for returning citizens and communities to thrive. A lack of support systems for formerly incarcerated individuals has contributed to long-term unemployment and recidivism. According to theAmerican Civil Liberties Union and the Prison Policy Initiative, 75% of re-entrants are unemployed one year after being released. Further, 75% of re-entrants are back behind bars within five years, according to theDeloitte Center for Government Insights.

According to a report published byThe Prison Policy Initiative, the disparities are starkest for Black Americans, who make up 40% of the U.S. incarcerated population, yet represent only 13% of U.S. residents. Additionally, research fromThe Sentencing Projectsuggests that Black Americans are incarcerated at roughly five times the rate of white Americans.

Changing these outcomes will not just benefit returning citizens, but society as a whole. In doing so, we also seek to make a positive impact in support of returning citizens, their families and the communities we serve.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,535 stores under 72 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2016 revenue of $482.1 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.2 million associates worldwide.

Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity.

Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

More from Walmart

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Walmart and NAACP Join Forces To Create Educational Pathways - CSRwire.com

Philanthropy in Communities of Color

Illustration byLuisa Jung

In 2021, Black buying power is estimated at about $1.5 trillion which makes them the focal point for researchers, marketers, advertisers, and other campaigns designed to influence black spending patterns. This year alone, Thanksgiving Day saw about $5.1 billion in sales and Black Friday saw $9.6 billion, both of which saw The Black community play a very significant role. With such a sizable revenue base for corporations, one might ask, where would Americas economy be without the essential support from the Black community and other communities of color alike? This discourse should and must urge senior executives leaders to advocate in developing an intentional long term strategy now. Working in partnership with NGOs and local and federal leaders, corporations must be intentionally and create a long term strategy to steward more resources to disadvantaged communities of color. This is essential not because this is good PR or as type of corporate philanthropy, but because this drives the bottom line and creates an ecosystem of best business practices for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and the overall economy.

As a corollary, introducing financial literacy, and mentorship programs to underprivileged communities also serves to inculcate, inspire, and promote more economic prosperity and awareness. Financial literacy coupled with knowledge on racial equity investing- an investment strategy that seeks to advance racial equity while generating financial returns has a powerful catalytic potential to promote more entrepreneurship, business ownership, and ultimately helps to revitalize socioeconomically marginalized communities. Historical data has shown that if administered properly, the impact of these resources produce a multiplier effect and allow for more access to credit, create more inter-generational wealth, but more importantly, create a resilient ecosystem for small businesses to flourish in and support each other.

The Current State of the Socioeconomic Divide Using a Racial Lens

According to the Institute for Policy Studies,while households of color are projected to reach majority status by 2043, if the racial wealth divide is left unaddressed, median Black household wealth is on a path to hit zero by 2053 and median Latino household wealth is projected to hit zero twenty years later. In sharpcontrast, median White household wealth would climb to $137,000 by 2053. It is critically important to note that when corporations make pledges and dont follow through this destroys trust and credibility and there needs to be more accountability. In the wake of the unprecedented protests that took place following the death of George Floyd Americas 50 biggest publiccompanies and their foundations collectively committed at least $49.5 billion since May of 2020 to addressing racial inequality. However, a Washington Post analysis found, more than 90 percent of that amount $45.2 billion is allocated as loans or investments they could stand to profit from, more than half in the form of mortgages. Even more egregious is the fact that, while $4.2 billion of the total pledged is in the form of grants, of that, companies reported just a small fraction about $70 million wentto organizations focused specifically on criminal justicereform, the cause that sent millions into the streetsprotesting Floyds murderby a Minneapolis police officer.

FINRA Investor Education Foundation

A report of American financial literacy from Visual Capitalist

To properly educate and provide mentorship to communities, companies must establish a plan for which types of courses will be administered and which organizations would be best to lead them. There are various organizations such as Operation Hope, Money Think, The NFCC, and many more non-profit organizations that work every day to provide a better understanding of financial literacy to underprivileged communities. In addition, taking financial literacy to the next level includes investing in and supporting businesses of color. RythmCouture provides expertise in music licensing and musical solutions all multi-media platforms. As a Black owned business Co-Owners Kyle Hunter and Robert Ronci would love to reach a wider audience and with more support, financial literacy and mentorship from corporations, they could more effectively scale their current business model.

Financial Literacy courses coupled with racial equity investing and mentorship sustained over a long-term time horizon would greatly reduce debt and greatly increase the capacity of middle income families to save and accumulate wealth. Studies have shown that on average, households earning $5070K save only $1,000 per year. However, those earning $70 90K save almost 10 times more. Those earning $100150K save 20 times more. Only a sustainable long term strategy would ultimately begin to correct the inequitable wealth gap within underprivileged communities.

OECD3

Source: Reducing Income Inequality, While Boosting Economic Growth: Can it Be Done? OECD, 2012.

Not only would this spur greater entrepreneurial innovation within communities of color, but it would also create more conscious citizens that would have a better understanding of creating racial equity as well as ownership and thus be better economic stewards of their resources. Even though the U.S. is the worlds largest economy, the Standard & Poors Global Financial Literacy Survey ranks America No. 14 when measuring the number of adults in the country who are financially literate. In comparison: the U.S. adult financial literacy level, at 57%, is only slightly higher than that of Botswana, whose economy is 1,127 percent smaller. The report, estimated that only 4% of children from low-income families will break the cycle of poverty and break into the upper-middle class. Education and awareness are the best ways to combat the cycle of poverty along with assistance from fellow citizens. To improve this statistic, financial literacy is essential and needs to be administered through partnerships. Tafari Norton, a Sophomore at The Fox School of Business at Temple University note that, I was able to change my whole outlook on the economy once I became more financially literate, which also allowed me to improve my spending habits and overall lifestyle. Some analysts have argued that only 33% of the U.S.s overall population is financially literate leaving 67% of citizens without literacy. Imagine if as a nation we are able to change that, and fully realize the positive externalitiesthis would have on our economy as a whole.

Corporations and private equity firms alike should invest and support new initiatives such as Blacklinkedin which in less that a few months has over 2,000 members and created a powerful platform to better promote Black and Brown businesses. This type of connectivity is greatly needed now more than ever.

Picture4_ Students

Two students bonding over the knowledge they are being presented

To create more equity we need to develop consistent partnerships with corporations providing financial literacy, entrepreneurial know howand dispel the notion that only those who have significant wealth can benefit from financial literacy. McKinsey estimates that The right business ecosystems can mitigate or negate the effects of structural obstacles to business building for Black business owners- and add $290 billion in business equity.

By doubling down on better access to credit and leveraging power dynamics at institutions, communities of color, will see a significant redistribution of wealth over time. In addition, the financial well-being of citizens overall will also enable the US to better compete with other countries especially China who are making far more investment in financial literacy than the US. The thinking here is better access to the mentorship and resources for financial advancement will galvanize US citizens to garner better business practices which can lead to further advances in fin tech, AI (Artificial Information), which will enable us to compete on a better playing field with citizens around the world. Organizations and corporations alike must recognize that we need to get to a place where the word reparations is used synonymously with investments, support and financial literacy in underprivileged communities of color in order toredefine and reimagine an inequitable economic system, something that cannot be done without purpose, resources, and intentionality.

Special thanks to Tafari Norton whos editorial and research skills contributed greatly to this article.

About Earl Carr

Earl Carr is the Chief Global Strategist at Pivotal Advisors based in New York City. His responsibilities include working closely with the firms CEO and President to manage the Global Research Team and to develop and execute the firms global thought leadership, and cross-border business development mandate.

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The Urgent Imperative For Corporations To Promote Financial Literacy In Communities Of Color - Forbes

Achieving Americas net-zero energy future and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change requires a rapid transition away from fossil fuels toward clean energy. But a significant source of state funding for important programsincluding schools, public health, and infrastructurerelies on continued oil and natural gas extraction from federal lands. Simply put, direct payments from the federal government to states are higher when more oil and natural gas is extracted from public lands and waters, creating a perverse incentive to drill more. These payments are at odds with public policy objectives: The federal oil and gas program creates political opposition to climate policy and undermines efforts to build a more equitable economy that works for all Americans.

Dependence on oil and gas to fund state budgets means the country cant simply end production on public lands. Doing so would devastate communities whose economies and public revenues are tied to fossil fuel extraction. Short-term appropriations to transition budgets away from their reliance on fossil fuels are also not enough. Rather, the country needs structural and institutional transformation to invest in rural prosperity.

Dependence on oil and gas revenue can be resolved by replacing direct payments from fossil fuel extraction with a model that retains and builds public wealth in oil and gas communities over time. Saving and reinvesting fossil fuel revenue advances the energy transition by decoupling state budgets from annual extraction and realigning public revenue with climate, workforce, and rural development goals. Oil and natural gas will remain part of the energy mix for a decade or longer, but reform is needed now to allow time for transition strategies to take hold.

The federal fossil fuel programwhich gives 50 percent of the revenue raised from drilling on public lands to the stateshas led to dependence on continued oil and gas production. This means that states rely heavily on the fossil fuels industry to fund essential services, including education, public health, and infrastructure. As a resultand without a plan to break the linksunsetting fossil fuel production on public lands would have acute budget impacts.

This revenue dependence is intentional. For years, oil and gas industry lobbyists have supported federal and state policies that tie their activities directly to services, tax cuts, and immediate spending politicians and the public want. For example, Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA), former chair of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, stated in a committee hearing on the FAIR Act (an effort to open offshore areas to oil and gas leasing):

I believe it is crucial to recognize that revenue sharing will increase American energy production by creating new incentives for opening new offshore areas for drilling.

In Utah, state property tax rules prohibit local governments from retaining revenue from new renewable energy projects. Oil and gas, on the other hand, continues to send money directly into local coffers from taxes and royalties, rewarding politicians and taxpayers for supporting oil and gas development while disincentivizing clean energy. The oil and gas industry enjoys political support when state and local governments rely on continued drilling and extraction to pay for ongoing services. Meanwhile, politicians enjoy the popular act of cutting taxes enabled by revenues from the oil and gas industry. This system is broken, locks communities into fossil fuel dependence, and needs reform.

States will have difficulty transitioning budgets to a new economy because, once taxes have been lowered or eliminated in favor of narrow industry taxation, it is difficultand sometimes impossible due to state constitutional limitsto rebuild a diversified tax structure. For example, new jobs in tourism, technology, or health care dont pay the bills in Wyoming because the states tax structure is so narrowly focused on fossil fuels. Other economic sectors in Wyomingsuch as recreation, high tech, or health caredont pay enough in taxes to support schools, highways, police, or social services.

Together, dependence on fossil fuel revenue and limits on raising taxes represent significant political and economic barriers to a just transition away from fossil fuels toward clean energy. The oil and gas industry understands the power of encouraging dependence on their activities to protect the status quo. Congress must help the climate and just transition communities meet this challenge by embracing solutions to realign public revenue with climate and rural development goals.

A key place to begin is ending federal revenue sharing that distributes half of onshore oil and gas revenue$2 billion on averagedirectly into state budgets each year. This system exacerbates dependence on fossil fuels and directly undermines efforts to achieve climate goals.

Congress must first end direct oil and gas revenue sharing payments and then replace them with a permanent solution: A new model that includes an endowment to capture and save fossil fuel revenue. New institutionssuch as a national development corporationcan provide the autonomy, long-term view, and capacity to enable rural and resource dependent communities to lead local transition and development strategies. States must act, too, to remove barriers to raising revenue from renewable energy, conservation, and recreation economies. CAP will explore these policiesand how they build strong and resilient communitiesin detail in a companion report.

Breaking the immediate link between fossil fuel extraction and essential services and replacing it with a new wealth-building approach that reinvests one-time fossil fuel revenue in permanent assets is essential to ensure a just transition for states, communities, and workers reliant on fossil fuels. State and local governments benefit when public wealth is captured and reinvested directly into the areas where that wealth is produced and when those communities are empowered to build a brighter future. And, importantly, decoupling community needs from fossil fuel revenue will pave the way for advancing climate and conservation goals.

Mark Haggerty is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress engaged in research and policy analysis related to climate, conservation, and rural prosperity. Nicole Gentile is the senior director for Public Lands at the Center.

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State Budgets Tied to Fossil Fuels Are Slowing the Energy Transition and Leaving Workers and Communities Behind - Center For American Progress

Buffs, you did it! Were almost at the end of the semester and its time to enjoy a well-deserved break.

I am so appreciative of the students who showed up for their fellow Buffs this semester. Were all a part of the Buff family, and Im grateful for those who supported and leaned on each other during challenging times. Thank you for looking out for each other. Thank you for continuing to wear face masks this semester. Thank you to the students in CU Student Government, Program Council, Cultural Events Board, Distinguished Speakers Board, CU GOLD, HealthBuffs peer educators, resident advisors, Residence Hall Association, Journey Leaders, Neighborhood Ambassadors, ASAP tutors, student employees, recognized Greek organizationsand recognized student organizations who planned events and helped fellow Buffs out this semester. Each of you have contributed powerfully to the belonging and engagement of students at CU Boulder.

As we continue navigating uncertain times for the near future, I encourage you to keep showing up for your communities in this way. With the start of winter break later this week, here are three things I encourage you to do over the next few weeks.

Winter break is the time to slow down and rest or focus on other areas. Use this time to do things that you enjoy, and that you maybe dont have time for during the semester. Maybe thats doing craft projects, getting outside for skiing or snowboarding, catching up on TV shows or reading for fun. Or take the opportunity to work some extra hours at your part-time job, or work on a passion project outside of your academics. Whatever you choose to do, I encourage you to be intentional with your time and make the most of your break.

After youve had a week or two to recover from finals, take some time to reflect on this semester. What went well, and what did you find challenging? Are there lessons you can learn from those experiences?

Think about those times when you were stressed. What was the cause of your stress? Was there anything that helped you make it through? As youre reflecting, try to think of some things you could do over winter break to help your future self out when things become stressful. Maybe thats making a new playlist of some favorite songs to listen to, or getting a new planner and making a schedule for yourself. Perhaps its setting up a weekly phone call with a family member or friend to check in throughout the spring semester. There are many ways to help manage stress, and what might work for some doesnt always work for others. Try a few things out over winter break to see what works for you.

When reflecting on the past few months, it can be easy to focus on the areas for improvement. Remember to also reflect on all that you accomplished this semester.

Maybe you received high scores on a paper you found difficult to write. Or perhaps you stepped outside of your comfort zone and tried something new. Maybe you expanded your social circle, or had a breakthrough with someone you werent getting along with. All of these efforts are reasons to be proud of yourself, and I encourage you to take pride in your accomplishments this semesterno matter how small they may seem.

And to our senior Buffs who are graduating this semestercongratulations! These past few years have not always been easy, but you have worked hard and made it through. Youve shown resilience and persevered through difficult times. I am proud of you and you should be extremely proud of yourselves. Congratulations again on your academic achievement, and I wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Buffs, I hope you have a great winter break, and Ill see you in the new year.

JB BanksDean of Students and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

See the article here:

The dean's list of advice: 3 things to do over winter break - CU Boulder Today

Theres no need to be ashy. This directive from Chicago-based Hanahana Beauty comes as a perfect reminder as colder months approach and protecting our skin from the citys bristling wind becomes a high priority.

The conscious skincare and wellness brand has come a long way since its founder Abena Boamah-Acheampong began making the brands signature shea butter in her three-bedroom apartment in 2017. At the time, she was both a teacher and enrolled in grad school, and still adjusting to Chicagos brutal winters.

I started making it because I was stressed and I didnt really think about it as a business endeavor. I was living in Chicago [for the first time] and those first winters were wild, says Boamah-Acheampong, who grew up in Columbus, Ohio. I was like, Wow, I need to create something that makes me feel good in my skin. I wanted to create a moment to take care of my skin and be intentional.

But the Ghanian American founder had not always had a favorable relationship with shea butter.

Anytime anyone was coming from Ghana, my parents would have them bring shea butter. Anytime my dad went to visit, he would bring shea butter over. It was raw and we were slathering it all over our bodies, she explains. My mom would melt it with cloves and add some type of sud and honestly, I didnt like it. I didnt like the texture of it. I didnt like all the work that you had to do.

As an adult, Boamah-Acheampong sees the beauty in shea and the wonders it does to protect the skin. Hanahana Beauty prides itself on being a transparent, clean beauty brand that does not use harmful products. The company sources its raw shea directly from the Katariga (Suglo) cooperative in Tamale, Ghana. The social impact arm of the company, which they refer to as the Hanahana Circle of Care, pays two times the asking price for their shea butter per kilo. Hanahana also provides biannual health-care days for the Katariga community, in addition to health-care education and hepatitis B vaccinations for Ghanians in the area.

The beauty industry talks a lot about fairness, but often takes advantage of its workers and unethically obtains ingredients used in cosmetics. Hanahana Beauty set a standard for itself to care for its customers while also caring for the communities that make the products possible.

Within the clean beauty and natural beauty industry, its been really whitewashed. It makes it seem like its not really accessible to us as Black people, like its something new and different. With Hanahana Im trying to reconnect it back, says the founder. We introduced skincare that is aesthetically pleasing, that feels good, that does exactly what it says. For Black people, generally you can feel connected, because not only is it a Black owner, but you see yourself represented in the products, you see the language, and you understand it. You feel like its for you.

Today, Hanahana Beauty has grown to have a full team that works on its lines of exfoliators, lip balms, and other body and facial products. With single products ranging from $12 to $32, Boamah-Acheampong is clear that her company has a ways to go in becoming even more accessible. As she puts it, sustainability itself is just expensive. Still, the company reaches communities in other ways through local events in Chicago and throughout the country.

Everytime I see people (everyone in general, but especially Black people) enjoying and taking care of their health through Hanahana, it brings so much joy for me; seeing them being intentional around their self-care through just skin because I think its something that we try to brush over a lot. People say this all the time and its true, our skin is our biggest organ, she says.

In October, Hanahana Beauty held pop-ups in Chicago featuring conversations, yoga classes, facials, and more to connect with its community in person, as its primarily an online business.

Next year, Boamah-Acheampong plans to launch Hanahana Beauty in retail stores for the first time and she sees no signs of stopping the brands product and communal growth, always taking notes of what Hanahanas customers want next.

I want people to have the whole shower experience with Hanahana. Cleansers are something that Im really interested in. I hope one dayI dont know whenbut sunscreen. I feel like if I ever did sunscreen it would have to be the most top-tier because I already have my favorite sunscreens, she says. Daily use products is how I want us to grow with our product development. How can Hanahana be a household name when it comes to your skincare products?

Read the original post:

Something that makes me feel good in my skin - Chicago Reader