Stories from Tina Casey
Energy
Limitless Supply of Seawater to Help Accelerate the Transition to Green Hydrogen
Much of the activity in the green hydrogen field is centered around electrolysis systems that jolt hydrogen gas from water with an electrical current, sourced from renewables like wind or solar. Most current electrolysis technologies require purified water, but innovations involving seawater open up new possibilities.
June 26, 2023
Voices for Change
Brands Taking Stands
The Public is Behind U.S. Corporations That Stand Up for Abortion Rights, Survey Finds
A growing body of polling indicates that the average American consumer is solidly in favor of abortion rights. That provides business leaders with a supportive environment in which to advocate for the ability of women, girls and other pregnancy-capable people to manage their pregnancies under the guidance of medical science, not extremism.
June 21, 2023
Voices for Change
Brands Taking Stands
A Corporate Strategy for Supporting LGBTQ Rights in the Age of Boycotts
Brands that focus on core values that support all stakeholders — corporate, customer and employee — will be less vulnerable to reputational damage from boycotts and more likely to continue thriving in an increasingly diverse society.
June 14, 2023
Energy
How Wave Energy Can Help Transform America’s Ports
U.S. shipping ports are stubborn epicenters of greenhouse gas pollution, but that's about to change as new electrification technologies like wave energy converters come online. So, what is wave energy, and how can it cleanly power U.S. ports?
June 13, 2023
Brands Taking Stands
Child Labor in the USA: What Employers Need to Know
Earning money with an after-school or summer job is a critical rite of passage for many children in the U.S., but illegal child labor in dangerous jobs is on the rise — and many states are loosening restrictions around employing kids under 18. Before hiring a child, businesses should take a close look at both the ethical and legal landscapes.
June 7, 2023
Justice + Equality
Brands Taking Stands
Repressive State Policies Present New Risks: How Business Can Address Them
Attracting and retaining top talent has become more challenging as U.S. states enact new laws that restrict civil liberties such as LGBTQ rights and abortion access. But business leaders have an opportunity to connect with young voters and restore compatibility between public sentiment and public policy.
May 31, 2023
Environment
Brands Taking Stands
The Inflation Reduction Act Sparks a Clean Energy Revival for Rural Businesses
From the hydropower dams of the Great Depression to the present day, clean energy has been a running theme in federal efforts to support rural economic development. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's new $11 billion investment takes it to the next level by scaling up zero- and low-carbon technologies.
May 24, 2023
Environment
Brands Taking Stands
Beyond Trees: Using Blue-Green Algae for Natural Carbon Capture and Sequestration
Forestation is an important climate action strategy, but more sophisticated — and potentially more efficient — nature-based alternatives are emerging. One of them involves an environmental two-for-one: capturing carbon by preventing destructive blue-green algae blooms.
May 17, 2023
Brands Taking Stands
Green Bonds are Ready For a Comeback
Assets in global sustainable and green bonds reached $516 billion at the end of 2022, an elevenfold increase over the past decade, according to a recent analysis from Morningstar. Like the broader bond market, they saw loss of inflows last year, but some analysts say they're ready for a comeback.
May 10, 2023
Voices for Change
Brands Taking Stands
400 Drug Company CEOs Stand Up for Mifepristone
Last month, a federal judge overturned the Food and Drug Administration's authority to approve the drug mifepristone for abortions. The reaction from the pharmaceutical and biotech industries was forceful and united, but the sector has much more work to do.
May 3, 2023
Corporate Responsibility
Brands Taking Stands
With Public Opinion on Their Side, Corporations Begin to Fight for ESG
The state-level movement against environmental, social and governance principles in businesses is beginning to run out of steam. Business leaders are pushing back, and a new study from Rokk Solutions indicates that voters on both sides of the political divide are siding with them.
April 26, 2023
Corporate Responsibility
Brands Taking Stands
New Federal Climate Laws Are Bringing U.S. Manufacturing Back
The Joe Biden administration fought tooth and nail to pass new laws that transform the carbon-heavy U.S. economy into a climate action hero. The results are beginning to show.
April 19, 2023
Voices for Change
Brands Taking Stands
How Brands Can Support Transgender Rights in the Age of Influencer Marketing
With thousands of influencers to choose from, brands can build on longstanding engagement efforts and connect with groups that might otherwise fly under their radar. Last week’s right-wing firestorm over Bud Light and the transgender TikTok star, actor and activist Dylan Mulvaney is a case in point.
April 12, 2023
Corporate Responsibility
Brands Taking Stands
New SEC Climate Rule Faces Pushback, But Climate Reporting is Here to Stay
Some have criticized the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for moving to mandate climate risk disclosures. Meanwhile, many companies already disclose their climate risk, and investors say they want more of this information, not less.
April 5, 2023
Technology
Flexible Desalination: A Renewable Energy Twist on the Energy-Water Nexus
Businesses can help to alleviate the looming world water crisis by supporting work on new desalination technologies that leverage renewable energy, with broader implications for grid reliability and stability as well.
April 3, 2023
Technology
Ford Picks Tennessee for T3, the Electric Truck of the Future
Ford is back with plans to manufacture a mysterious new electric truck, known only by the name T3, and bring 6,000 new green jobs to the red state of Tennessee.
March 30, 2023
Justice + Equality
Brands Taking Stands
A New Corporate Push for LGBTQ+ Rights, Starting in Florida
The Walt Disney Co. plans to host a major LGBTQ+ rights conference in central Florida this September, and dozens of high-profile U.S. brands are expected to attend — from Apple and Amazon to Uber and Walmart.
March 29, 2023
Corporate Responsibility
Lowe's Drills Deeper Into Workforce Training
Lowe’s Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the leading hardware, building trades and home goods retailer Lowe's, just launched a new initiative that takes on workforce training with focus on community connections, and it could make all the difference.
March 16, 2023
Voices for Change
Brands Taking Stands
Pharmacy Fallout Over Medication Abortion Continues
Anti-abortion politicians in the U.S. are targeting the legal status of mifepristone, causing confusion and public relations headaches for pharmacy companies. In situations like these, taking an informed and definitive stance — and communicating it quickly and clearly — is critical.
March 15, 2023
Energy
U.S. Postal Service Kicks Fleet Electrification Into Higher Gear
The U.S. Postal Service has overhauled its modernization plan, making room for more electrification as it replaces its current fleet.
March 14, 2023
Voices for Change
Brands Taking Stands
Walgreens Claps Back at Medication Abortion Foes, But Not Really
The legal status of mifepristone is under attack by anti-abortion factions affiliated with religious extremism. Walgreens and other pharmacies will be forced to take a stand on their own principles until the legal clouds part – if they ever do.
March 8, 2023
Technology
Your Tax Dollars at Work: 3 New Clean Power Resources to Watch
Vast new clean power resources are yet to be tapped, and the U.S. Department of Energy is leveraging its financial muscle to lift new, sustainable energy systems from the design table to commercial production.
March 7, 2023
Voices for Change
Brands Taking Stands
One Year Later, One Way for Businesses to Help End Russia’s War in Ukraine
U.S. businesses provided a significant measure of support for government sanctions as they voluntarily withdrew from Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. But there's more that brands can do to take action today and push to end the war.
February 28, 2023
Justice + Equality
Brands Taking Stands
Red Flag for DEI: Transgender Repression is Insurrection in Disguise
Business leaders who profess to take diversity and inclusion principles seriously need to recognize the real threats facing American democracy today — and rising transgender repression is the latest reason why.
February 22, 2023
Corporate Responsibility
Tesla Missed the ESG Moment, and Twitter Could Bury It
Elon Musk has long cultivated a reputation as the planet-saving, visionary CEO of Tesla, but his personal behavior over recent years — particularly since purchasing Twitter — could put the electric carmaker at risk.
February 21, 2023
Technology
The EV Battery of the Future is Already Here, and It’s Made in the USA
Ford plans to build a new $3.5 billion electric vehicle battery factory in Michigan, dedicated exclusively to manufacturing a cutting-edge battery cathode based on a lithium-iron-phosphate formula. So, what are LFP batteries, and why does Ford's move matter?
February 17, 2023
Brands Taking Stands
Top U.S. Businesses Love Clean Power
Executives are making a fact-based, bottom-line case for clean power: Despite economic shakeups, long-term clean power purchase agreements increased by 18 percent last year, as CFOs looked to leverage renewables to mitigate risk.
February 15, 2023
Voices for Change
Brands Taking Stands
CVS Took on Big Tobacco Nine Years Ago: Is Big Religion Next?
CVS has taken some steps to accommodate religious beliefs in the past, but now the company has been pushed into a corner and it may just come out swinging.
February 8, 2023
Energy
How U.S. Businesses Helped Halt the Pebble Mine Project — And What's Next for Alaska's Bristol Bay
Activism from environmentalists and native tribes — buoyed by U.S. businesses and investors — paid off last month when the U.S. EPA issued a Final Determination on the embattled Pebble Mine project. So what's next for Alaska's Bristol Bay, and the businesses that supported it?
February 7, 2023
Environment
Brands Taking Stands
GM, Ford Seek to Scale Up Virtual Power Plants
Despite the red-hot rhetoric about the evils of “woke capitalism," leading U.S. businesses continue to promote clean power. The latest effort involves GM, Ford and other leading stakeholders in an effort to grow the market for virtual power plants.
February 1, 2023
Energy
If Renewable Energy Can Make It in New York, It Can Make It Anywhere
This new project could decarbonize a fifth of New York City's power grid. It shows just how quickly urban areas can turn the corner on renewable energy and further disproves the anti-ESG movement.
January 31, 2023
Finance
Brands Taking Stands
Municipal Green Bonds: The Next ESG Battleground
The municipal green bond market could help ensure economic health and resiliency in the era of climate change. But city taxpayers are set to miss out as red-state policymakers continue to wage war against ESG (environment, social and governance) investing.
January 25, 2023
Finance
U.S. Energy Dept. Revives the Loan Programs Office, a Tesla-Scale Decarbonization Tool
The Loan Programs Office is a small but influential government financial resource that counts an early loan to Tesla Motors among its success stories. After doing little under Trump, the office now has a nearly $400 billion loan authority to invest in clean tech companies.
January 24, 2023
Energy
West Virginia Invests in Iron-Air Battery to Lead the Clean Energy Revolution
If all goes according to plan, the state’s new venture with the iron-air battery startup Form Energy will help accelerate the pace of clean energy investment across the U.S.
January 23, 2023
Corporate Responsibility
Brands Taking Stands
The Real Facts About 'Anti-Woke' Legislation
Legislators in some U.S. states have been rushing to protect fossil energy stakeholders with new laws under the guise of safeguarding worker pensions. However, these new “anti-woke” actions are already on track to backfire, according to new predictions.
January 18, 2023
Brands Taking Stands
The Brazil Factor: Another Red Flag for Corporate Social Responsibility
The violence in the capital of Brazil over the weekend should be a reminder to U.S. companies that threats to democracy are still clear and present.
January 11, 2023
Energy
See-Through Solar Windows Turn Ordinary Buildings into Climate Heroes
These solar windows allow glass to filter daylight into buildings, while also harvesting energy from the sun and converting it to electricity.
January 10, 2023
Brands Taking Stands
How BlackRock and Ukraine are Ending the Anti-ESG Movement
Ukraine has enlisted BlackRock to help steer its reconstruction plans, a decision that could become a huge step forward for the ESG movement.
January 4, 2023
Energy
5 Signs the Agrivoltaics Revolution Has Only Just Begun
Agrivoltaics, an emerging field that allies solar energy and agricultural stakeholders, is poised to be a business model to be reckoned with.
January 3, 2023
Energy
Next Steps for the Bioeconomy: 5 Sustainable and Unusual Materials to Watch in 2023
As the bioeconomy of the future begins to take shape, researchers using new tools to deploy a wider range of renewable materials that replace petrochemicals derived from fossil fuels. From dandelions to squid protein, here are five to follow in 2023.
December 21, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Follow the Demographics: Why ESG Investing Wins
ESG investing is still a solid long-term bet, as today's workforce is turning away from industries that put their health, safety, the planet at risk.
December 14, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Be Careful What You Wish For: ESG Investigations in Congress Will Backfire
GOP members of Congress can make good on their promise to hold public hearings on ESG, but public sentiment suggest such a move could backfire in 2024.
December 7, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
It’s Official: Anti-ESG Office Holders Join Forces with Religious Extremism
Though business leaders have the data on their side, the forces fomenting backlash against ESG won't back down; they can be categorized into three groups.
November 30, 2022
Finance
New Rule Supports Corporate Responsibility, but Anti-ESG Fever is Still Rising
Investors who support the ESG movement scored a win last week when the federal government issued a new rule loosening sustainable investing restrictions.
November 29, 2022
Energy
Companies That Love Renewable Energy Have the Power to Stand Against the Fossil Fuel Lobby
The global reach of the fossil energy industry was very much in evidence at COP27 in Egypt last week. But business leaders can push back against fossil fuel lobbyists and their obstruction by forming new alliances that support their needs for renewable energy.
November 21, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
When Boycotts Work: Advertisers Flee Twitter
Brands are pushing back against Twitter that can only end in one of two ways: Either its new owner changes his behavior, or the platform goes down.
November 16, 2022
Energy
U.S. Stakeholders Make Their Moves as Global Green Hydrogen Race Takes Shape
There's a renewed appreciation for the benefits of green hydrogen, which generates more opportunities for energy storage, transportation and usage.
November 14, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Doing Better to Meet the Needs of Women Veterans in Business
Companies that already advocate for veterans can learn from other organizations' work on this front as women veterans seek new opportunities in business.
November 9, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
It's Time Corporations Expose the ‘Voter Mirage’ After Election Day 2022
CEOs have a chance to stop the lies about elections cold, and reaffirm that every vote counts equally in U.S. elections — starting with the "voter mirage" canard.
November 2, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
The U.S. ESG Movement May Need to Reboot After the Midterm Elections
Even as the impact of climate change takes hold, standards for ESG reporting and transparency are still in flux — and partisan state policies are creating new roadblocks.
October 26, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
MAGA Movement Tests the Limits of ESG
Many companies continue to support the MAGA movement, even though it's embraced an anti-business platform that threatens the very core of ESG principles.
October 19, 2022
Energy
Who Believes In ESG? The U.S. Department of Defense, That’s Who
A new 42-MW solar project in Hawai‘i illustrates how the armed forces are deploying ESG principles for the U.S. national defense.
October 18, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Levi Strauss Shows How to Lasso the Big Lie
Fact-based corporate get-out-the-vote efforts like those of Levi Strauss can cut through the midterms noise, and they are needed now more than ever before.
October 12, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
How Anti-Science Set the Stage for Dobbs and the End of DEI
In the wake of Dobbs, fact-free thinking now ripples into the very bedrock principles of DEI efforts; companies had better take notice of what's in store.
October 5, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
The ESG Movement Has the Numbers, But ‘Commitment to America’ Might Have the Voters
Among the new “Commitment to America” campaign platform's goals is to intimidate companies so that they pare down their ESG and DEI programs.
September 28, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
With Inflation Reduction Act in Hand, Renewable Energy Wins Job Creation Battle
Fossil energy advocates have long used the carrot of job creation — and the stick of job loss — to make their case. But the landscape is changing as the Inflation Reduction Act is set to create more than half a million new jobs in clean energy industries.
September 21, 2022
Energy
New USDA Program Connects Farmers with Financial Benefits of Carbon Sequestration in Soil
More farmers are beginning to adopt regenerative farming practices that focus on building soil health, and now the U.S. Department of Agriculture has come up with a new program to help accelerate the movement.
September 19, 2022
Energy
Electric Vehicles Are Good, but Industrial Decarbonization is Even Better
For all the publicity surrounding electric vehicles, they're just one piece of the decarbonization puzzle. Reducing industrial emissions is a more daunting task, and the Joe Biden administration has just announced a new investment plan to tackle the challenge.
September 16, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Why is Texas Still Picking on BlackRock Over Fossil Energy?
Texas has become the epicenter of the U.S. energy transition. Yet policymakers have singled out BlackRock for its commitment to clean power. So, what gives?
September 14, 2022
Energy
New Study Makes the Case for Fleet Electrification at the U.S. Postal Service
Auto giant Ford has supported a new study that underscores the benefits of 100 percent fleet electrification for the U.S. Postal Service.
September 13, 2022
Energy
U.S. Aims to Lead Global Green Hydrogen Economy
The U.S. Department of Energy is looking to clean up the hydrogen supply chain, and green hydrogen from renewable resources clearly has the edge.
September 2, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
The NBA Needs to Go Further on GOTV for the Midterm Elections
The NBA has raised the profile of the U.S. midterm elections, and its pivot on Election Day could be a game-changer in terms of voter turnout.
August 24, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
The New Abortion Ban Is Not Indiana’s Only Problem
A restrictive abortion ban enacted earlier this month in Indiana will make it harder for the Hoosier State's companies to recruit and retain talent.
August 17, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
The Abortion Ban Brain Drain Is a Feature, Not a Bug
The abortion ban in Indiana shows why corporate fight, not flight, is the most effective pathway back to full human, civil and reproductive rights.
August 10, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Corporate HR Needs to Prepare As More Abortion Bans are Coming
Abortion bans have set off a time bomb in the human resources departments of corporations all across the U.S., and it is ready to explode.
August 3, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
The Russia Sanctions Are Working — Now U.S. Companies Have Work to Do at Home
Economic sanctions against Russia are working, and new research describes how business leaders have played a key role in making them work.
August 3, 2022
Voices for Change
Activism Works: The Climate Bill is Back, For Now
Corporate activism has made a difference on the new climate bill; young staffers who will be affected by climate change also made their voices heard.
August 1, 2022
Community Development
Employers’ Vigilance Needed as COVID-19 Surges, Again
Public health experts worry that COVID-19 will surge again, and employers should start taking steps now to protect their employees, customers and clients.
August 1, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Who Is Corporate America’s Next Josh Hawley? One Drugstore Chain is a Top Contender
Josh Hawley is now a meme after last week's January 6th hearings, but some of corporate America's leading brands aren't behind in this race.
July 27, 2022
Corporate Responsibility
Companies Supporting Build Back Better Can Still Kick Climate Action into High Gear
Despite the recent news from Capitol Hill, companies that are in support of Build Back Better still have opportunities to make their voices heard.
July 22, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
After Dobbs, Pregnant People Suffer While Corporate America Parties On
It is only a matter of time before corporations begin to feel the heat after the recent Dobbs decision, especially when their own employees suffer.
July 20, 2022
Energy
Solar and Energy Storage Companies Make the Case for Clean Power
The solar and energy storage industries are trying to convince Congress to bolster jobs in clean energy through the federal budget reconciliation process.
July 14, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Business Leaders Have One Last Chance to Get Abortion Access Right
Some companies have scored PR points by offering travel benefits for employees seeking an abortion, but such an option is not a long-term solution.
July 13, 2022
Sustainable Living
How Employers Can Lead the Electric Vehicles Cheerleading Team
Employers can do their part to help encourage employees, clients and customers to buy one of the many new electric vehicles now on the market.
July 12, 2022
Energy
Startup Takes the Guesswork Out of Fleet Electrification
Refueling, repairing and maintaining a fleet of gas or diesel vehicles is a huge cost for companies, but this startup has a fleet electrification solution.
July 12, 2022
Energy
Clean Power Plan or Not, U.S. Air Force Supports New Carbon Recycling Technology
Despite the EPA having its regulatory authority dialed back, other branches of the government, including the Air Force, are pursuing a low-carbon economy.
July 7, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Tech Firms Are Up to Their Necks in the Abortion Rights Tar Pit
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned 50 years of precedent on abortion rights, it handed a potential gold mine to data mining firms seeking new business.
July 6, 2022
Energy
West Virginia v. EPA or Not, the Climate Action Horses Have Left the Barn
Despite the 6-3 SCOTUS ruling, which kneecapped the regulatory authority of the EPA, fossil fuel interests may want to keep any celebratory bubbly on ice.
July 1, 2022
Corporate Responsibility
Be Careful What You Wish For: Top U.S. Corporations Reap What Political Donations Sowed
In terms of how the Supreme Court's abortion decision affects U.S. businesses, clinics and providers only represent one part of the anti-abortion dragnet.
June 30, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Abortion Fight Forces a Reckoning For America’s Corporations
A storm is brewing after last week's Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights, as employee and shareholder activists gear up for the fight of the century.
June 29, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
In Midst of Labor Shortage, Abortion Time Bomb Drops on U.S. Businesses
In the wake of last week's Supreme Court ruling, it's clear business leaders must step beyond the offer of travel expenses for out-of-state abortion care.
June 27, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Red Alert for Corporate DEI Programs: Pride Month Attacks Continue What Insurrectionists Started
Long after this Pride Month, more violence will come unless business leaders organize and deploy DEI efforts into community and political action.
June 22, 2022
Energy
It’s Official: Oil Giants Seek New Revenue in Green Hydrogen
Serious money invested into green hydrogen projects is now in play, and at the scale needed to hasten the transition to a sustainable low-carbon future.
June 21, 2022
Voices for Change
Employee Activists Hit Brick Wall at SpaceX
SpaceX has recently driven itself into risk territory, and is now facing the prospect of losing out in the race to attract — and retain — top talent.
June 21, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Needle Finally Moves on Common Sense Gun Safety Regulations
Business leaders who support equal rights for all of their employees must call their senators now that some gun safety measures could emerge from Congress.
June 15, 2022
Energy
Carbon Capture and Sequestration Loses Ground to Carbon Recycling
Arguments for carbon sequestration are more difficult to make with the advent of new carbon recycling technologies launched by companies LanzaTech.
June 9, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
The Midterms are Coming: Here’s How to Not Drop the Voting Rights Ball
Leaders professing support for employees on a wide range of problems can prove their sincerity this year with their ongoing commitment to voting rights.
June 8, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Blueprint for Corporate Action on Gun Violence: Break the Taboo, Advocate for Action
It may seem impossible to awaken corporate voices on gun violence, but consider the impact of recent grassroots social movements.
June 1, 2022
Brands Taking Stands
Like it or Not, ESG Reporting is Here to Stay
ESG reporting is still a relatively new field sorting through transparency issues and analytical challenges; hence the controversy over this popular brand.
May 25, 2022
Energy
Pennsylvania Places Bet on Gas-Powered Hydrogen, Not Green Hydrogen
The future of fossil-based vs. green hydrogen is being put to the test in Pennsylvania, where policymakers are laying plans for a major new hydrogen hub.
May 23, 2022