ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of October 25, 2021
Nora's Note
It’s National Women’s Small Business Month—the anniversary of the signing of HR 5050, the Women’s Business Ownership Act, in 1988. Before HR 5050, women needed a male relative to co-sign their business loan applications. Today, 13 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. generate $1.8 trillion per year. We represent 40% of all U.S. business and half of us are women of color, but we receive just 2.3% of venture capital. Yet, just a day ago, CEO Sara Blakely celebrated Blackstone’s majority stake investment in Spanx by giving her employees two first-class tickets anywhere and $10K spending cash. Women-led startups lean toward human-centered models, hire more women and deliver more than twice as much revenue per dollar invested, but we still face systemic challenges because of our gender. Make a change this month by supporting women-owned businesses in your communities. #buywomenowned
Transportation
NYC ridership reaches pandemic-era peak. For the first time since March 2020, the New York City subway system saw more than 3.2 million riders in a single day. After an annual drop of nearly one billion rides in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many officials are viewing this recent ridership surge as a promising indicator that New York's pandemic recovery is only getting stronger. Learn more about recent trends in New York’s public transit ridership.
WBFO: Could all Buffalo school buses be electric by 2035?
Transportation Topics: FAA releases recommendations for improving Alaskan air travel
Grist: ‘Mobility Justice’: How cities are rethinking public transportation after COVID
The City: MTA Gets Rolling With Hiring Spree But Impact on Commute May Be Slow Going
CityLab: Finding a Creative Way Around a Bad Highway
Westfair Communications: $2.9 million from state for Westchester, Hudson Valley airports
Popular Science: New York City’s subway system isn’t ready for a storm-filled future
CNBC: Automakers are spending billions to produce battery cells for EVs in the U.S.
Energy/Environment
Fossil fuel production set to soar over next decade. At the upcoming UN Conference of the Parties (COP26), which begins next week, the Production Gap Report of 2021 will likely be a major topic as global leaders discuss climate change. The summary report shows that some countries are currently on track to double their fossil fuel production by 2030, despite net-zero emissions goals. Learn more about how fossil fuel production will need to shift to align more closely with Paris Agreement goals.
AP News: EPA unveils strategy to regulate toxic ‘forever chemicals’
PV Magazine: Targeted marketing, more supportive policies could boost low-income solar adoption
LA Times: California records driest year in a century
Utility Dive: Boosting transmission between East, West grids will lower costs
Fast Company: This ingenious wall could harness enough wind power to cover your electric bill
Global Citizen: Investing in Renewable Energy Creates More Jobs Than Spending on Fossil Fuels
NY Times: What Is COP26? And Other Questions About the Big U.N. Climate Summit
Building Design + Construction: Pittsburgh enacts first-in-the-nation “Dark Sky Lighting” law
Economic Development
The economic rebound is still waiting for workers. Recent data shows that the labor force has continued to shrink, even as the U.S sees notable job growth and the end of some forms of federal aid. Economists have pointed to factors such as health and child care concerns as major disincentives to rejoining the workforce. The surplus of open jobs has also given job seekers leverage over employers, as they hold out for jobs that offer higher pay and better benefits. Learn more about how these labor trends may impact pandemic recovery.
The Conversation: How ‘managed retreat’ from climate change could revitalize rural America
Route Fifty: Creating More Capital for Underserved Communities Through State-owned Banks
Bronx Times: HERE to HERE awards $600K in grants toward braided learning to NYC institutions
NextCity: 80% of Food Businesses Fail. This Partnership at MIT Is Changing the Game
Federal News Network: For federal accessibility managers, adding ‘A’ to new DEIA initiative is a welcome change
GovTech: Can NYC Build an Ethical Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem?
Forbes: Cash-Rich Tech Companies Are Remaking Post-Pandemic Manhattan
Transport Topics: Biden Focuses on Climate, Families in Trimmed $2 Trillion Plan
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