Celebrating Black History Month & Some Important Figures in The Automotive Industry

LONDON, HANWELL, UNITED KINGDOM, February 16:Black History Month is a time to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions and achievements of Black individuals throughout history. The month of February was chosen to honour the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two figures who played a significant role in Black history. The celebration of Black History Month dates back to 1926 when historian Carter G. Woodson established “Negro History Week” to shed light on the achievements of Black Americans. Over time, the week-long celebration evolved into a month-long recognition of Black history, culture, and contributions. The theme of Black History Month changes every year, but it always focuses on highlighting the accomplishments and experiences of Black individuals, who have overcome adversity and discrimination to make significant contributions to society. From scientists, inventors, and artists, to politicians, activists, and business leaders, Black people have left a lasting impact on the world. This month is an opportunity to celebrate the past, present, and future of Black people, and to continue to raise awareness about the ongoing struggle for equality and justice. It is also a time to reflect on the importance of diversity and inclusivity and to work towards creating a more just and equitable society for all. In conclusion, Black History Month is a celebration of the rich and diverse history and culture of Black people, and a reminder of the important role they have played in shaping our world. Let us continue to honour their legacy and strive for a better future for all. We have compiled a list of prominent Black figures (past and present) who have had a significant impact on the automotive industry. From innovators to automotive business owners, a large number of Blacks have made a positive impact in this field and opened doors for future generations. In The Automotive Industry Although they are not as widely recognized as figures like Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey, some people have, and still play important roles in the Black Revolution and are trailblazers in the automotive industry, inspiring change and innovation. The Industry’s Pioneers George Washington Carver (1864-1943) George Washington Carver's greatest achievement was when he received an invitation from Henry Ford to work at Ford Motors. Carver accepted and had a successful career inventing synthetic rubber, resolving the rubber shortage. Prior to his role at Ford, Carver was the first African American student at Iowa State Agricultural College. He made other important inventions, including alternative fuels, and was a trailblazer in automobile development as the first African American to significantly impact the field. McKinley Thompson Jr. (1922-2006) Another Ford luminary who achieved significant success in the white microcosm of Ford Motors is Mckinley Thompson Jr. Thompson Jr designed some iconic models during the burgeoning automotive industry. "Mac," as he is widely known, had a passion for automobile innovation from a young age. However, during World War II, his ambitions were put on hold as he joined the Army Signal Corps to work on communication technology development. He received a scholarship to attend the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and later secured a job at Ford's Design Studio, where he had a talent for creating futuristic models. His notable designs include the Gryon, Ford Bronco, and Thunderbird. Although some of McKinley Thompson Jr's other concepts were not developed by Ford, they served as the basis for other well-known automobiles. Today's Innovators Emeline King In 1983, King, a Detroit native, was hired by Ford Motor Co. to become the first Black woman Transportation Designer for Ford. Her portfolio includes some of her best-known work from her nearly 25-year career at the company, including the interior design of the award-winning 1994 Ford Mustang, according to Ford Online. She also contributed to the design of the 1990 Ford Probe and 2000 Ford Thunderbird, among other vehicles in Europe. Also, she patented a 15-inch wheel cover the 1989 Thunderbird. Tomi Isaacs (Senior Director, Corporate Engagement, Catalyst) Tomi Isaacs heads the UK Corporate Engagement within the EMEA Team at Catalyst and is responsible for maintaining relationships with UK-based Supporters. She has an extensive background in creative problem-solving and nearly two decades of professional experience, including serving as a Programme and Team Lead at Moving Ahead and as a Global Account Director at WPP. With expertise in strategic program management, business partnerships, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge sharing, she brings a wealth of thought leadership and a commitment to social impact campaigns, diversity, and inclusion to the role. At Moving Ahead, she led efforts to enhance workplace inclusion and diversity, overseeing cross-company mentoring programs for the 30% Club Chapter in the US and Mexico with a focus on improving gender balance on company boards and promoting female talent in senior positions. Her diverse career experiences have given her a unique perspective and a practical approach to building sustainable partnerships, promoting social impact and responsible sourcing, fostering collaboration, and delivering results. Sophia Glandor (IT Project Manager & Women@Bosch Global board member) Sophia Glandor joined Bosch's IT department in 2000 as a user support technician after several years in secretarial assistant positions. She received on-the-job training and worked her way up to a team leader in Drancy in 2006 and eventually took on the management of the entire service in Drancy and St Ouen by 2010. In 2015, she switched to project missions and has participated in two major divisional projects: Next Generation Workplace (NGW) and Next Generation Support Services (NGS). As the leader of a team-based globally, Sophia is responsible for defining training and information actions for the user support teams, as well as communication and change management for the NGS project. This allows her to contribute to a greater customer focus for the support teams. Ayesha Coker (Vice President, Marketing at Porsche Cars North America) The recent appointment of Ayesha Coker as the first African American woman Vice President of Marketing for Porsche in Atlanta is a move many other automotive companies have applauded. The past few years have been marred with racial and gender injustice, with African Americans bearing the most brunt. Coker’s appointment serves as a breath of fresh air on the road to justice and equality. Alongside her achievements, notable figures share the spotlight for their change in the modern-day vehicle industry. Some black figures to note are: Jimmy Settles- Former Vice President of the United Auto Workers who negotiated jobs and occupational rights for many. Fletcher V. Davidson- Group Vice President and General Manager for Toyota has achieved great success with the Japanese automotive giant. Don Butler, former Vice President of marketing for Cadillac, was named one of Egypt’s top 50 business leaders. A multitude of contemporary black leaders is constantly revolutionising the automotive industry. The impact and growth African Americans have had in the vehicle sector cannot be fully captured by the descriptions mentioned above. The Women Automotive Network is a community dedicated to empowering women in the Automotive industry. Our focus is on diversity, technology, and career advancement, providing a platform for networking, professional development, and advocacy. We collaborate with the world’s leading manufacturers, suppliers, tech companies, consultancies and more, to support and celebrate women in automotive with our activities.

variednews: variednews: Blockchain Laboratories announces part...

variednews: variednews: Blockchain Laboratories announces part...: variednews: Blockchain Laboratories announces partnership with... : SHERIDAN, WYOMING, UNITED STATES, February 16: Blockchain Laboratorie...

variednews: Blockchain Laboratories announces partnership with...

variednews: Blockchain Laboratories announces partnership with...: SHERIDAN, WYOMING, UNITED STATES, February 16: Blockchain Laboratories is proud to announce its partnership with Intrinsic Methods to sup...

Blockchain Laboratories announces partnership with Intrinsic Methods to build Carbon Credit Registry XRPL

SHERIDAN, WYOMING, UNITED STATES, February 16: Blockchain Laboratories is proud to announce its partnership with Intrinsic Methods to support new reforestation and afforestation projects worldwide. By enabling carbon credit tokenization on the XRP Ledger. The XRP Leger was the first carbon neutral layer1 blockchain network, and issuing carbon credits on XRPL will bring radical transparency, accountability, and liquidity to the carbon credit markets. By using blockchain technology for global climate initiatives, offset buyers can better verify and analyze carbon credits, trade them with more liquidity, and retire/claim them for ESG reporting with auditable records on Distributed Ledger Technology. Using DLT and tokenization many of the problems of accountability that exist in the carbon markets today are solved. “Intrinsic Methods plans on setting higher standards for voluntary CO2 offsets and the ROI the offsets bring buyers and the local communities they come from” said Jim Duggan, CEO of Intrinsic Methods. Nature Positive Environmental Impact from Carbon Credits Planting billions to trillions of trees around the world would be the cheapest and most effective way to solve the climate change dilemma. Trees absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide which scientists believe contributes to global warming. A worldwide initiative to plant trees would remove the threat of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Also it is important to mention that trees produce oxygen which we all need to survive. Plant life is the only carbon removal solution that produces oxygen as a by-product of CO2 sequestration. “This new quantitative evaluation shows [forest] restoration isn’t just one of our climate change solutions, it is overwhelmingly the top one,” said Prof Tom Crowther at the Swiss university ETH Zürich, who led the research. “What blows my mind is the scale. I thought restoration would be in the top 10, but it is overwhelmingly more powerful than all of the other climate change solutions proposed.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/04/planting-billions-trees-best-tackle-climate-crisis-scientists-canopy-emissions Many brands from all over the world have joined commitments like 1t.org to mobilize a global movement to conserve, restore and grow 1 trillion trees by 2030. 1t.org is part of the World Economic Forum’s efforts to accelerate nature-based solutions and was set up to support the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. But the carbon markets are struggling to keep up with the demand for high quality verifiable carbon removals, inhibited by supply bottlenecks and slow time to market. To meet climate goals on a global scale, carbon markets need enhanced mechanisms for project verification and credit issuance; greater transparency in pricing and market data; and improved infrastructure for both buyers and suppliers. Blockchain Laboratories is a Web3 ESG Venture Studio that has been working on climate & biodiversity solutions like Carbonland Trust, and has been experimenting with ways to leverage the qualities of transparency, variability, and scalability of the XRP Ledger to address many of the carbon market’s biggest obstacles. Intrinsic Methods and Blockchain Laboratories are now preparing to launch Intrinsic Methods Registry on XRPL. Intrinsic Methods will use the web3 SaaS to issue and have a marketplace for Future Mitigated Units(carbon credits) coming from Ecological Projects doing reforestation or afforestation work using RootMaker trees. The planet has suffered mass deforestation, and we have lost a large percentage of forests and biodiversity over the last 100 years. Trees are the planet's best proven solution to removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and they also produce oxygen which we all need to breathe. Without intervention many of the places deforested in the past still remain without trees, and at the pace forests are being cut down today without mass reforestation efforts everyone will suffer. “it makes clear how much deforestation accelerated over the last century. In just over 100 years the world lost as much forest as it had in the previous 9,000 years.” Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser, https://ourworldindata.org/deforestation Intrinsic Methods Carbon Credit Registry will give brands that have pledged NetZero or carbon neutrality or other commitments like 1t.org, a way to buy offsets that they can know are supporting the highest quality reforestation projects globally, in addition to providing those local economies with jobs and other economic benefits. Blockchain Laboratories is helping Intrinsic Methods create forests for the next generations, using innovative technologies designed to improve trust and transparency. “I am so excited about working with Intrinsic Methods to bring to market one of the most nature positive carbon credits that is using carbon neutral technology” says Boone Bergsma, CEO of Blockchain Laboratories. Boone will be speaking at Sustex World Tech For Impact and Climate Action Conference March 15th, 2023 in Dubai, and will be presenting the work Blockchain Laboratories has been doing in ESG digital assets. Blockchain Laboratories is doing a Regulated Crowdfunding offering on NetCapital. Anyone can get shares/equity in Blockchain Laboratories with as little as a $99 investment, the company is seeking to raise $500,000 to support product improvements and reach new customers. About Blockchain Laboratories: https://blockchainlaboratories.com/ Blockchain Laboratories is a web3 venture studio developing impactful ESG DeFi Applications, and ESG Digital Assets. Blockchain Laboratories offers web3 SaaS using innovative carbon neutral blockchain and DLT networks like the XRP Ledger. About Intrinsic Methods: https://intrinsicmethods.com/ Intrinsic Methods, LLC & RootMaker are dedicated to changing how trees are grown. The patented RootMaker® system has a 20-year documented proof of 2 to 3 times faster growth as well as transplant survivability greater than 95%. For the carbon offset market, RootMaker® grown trees provide carbon sequestration annually of 200-300% more than any other growing system. About XRP Ledger: https://xrpl.org/ The XRP Ledger (XRPL) is an open source, public and decentralized Layer 1 blockchain led by a global developer community. It is fast, energy-efficient, and reliable. For more than ten years, it has been the blockchain best suited to enable settlement and liquidity of tokenized assets at scale.

variednews: variednews: Renowned Hydro geologist, Subhajyoti D...

variednews: variednews: Renowned Hydro geologist, Subhajyoti D...: variednews: Renowned Hydro geologist, Subhajyoti Das warns of ... : Mr. Subhajyoti Das who visited the USA on UNDP Fellowship for training ...

variednews: Renowned Hydro geologist, Subhajyoti Das warns of ...

variednews: Renowned Hydro geologist, Subhajyoti Das warns of ...: Mr. Subhajyoti Das who visited the USA on UNDP Fellowship for training connected with �Integrated Use of all Water Resources� expresses his...

Renowned Hydro geologist, Subhajyoti Das warns of water crises reaching alarming proportions in Bangalore

Mr. Subhajyoti Das who visited the USA on UNDP Fellowship for training connected with �Integrated Use of all Water Resources� expresses his deep concern over the growing water crises plaguing Bangalore, referred to as the software hub of India. Mr. Subhajyoti Das, one of the eminent Hydro geologists of India has contributed significantly to groundwater research in the country by means of his revolutionary work and connected activities in groundwater studies. Mr. Das who visited the USA on UNDP Fellowship for training connected with �Integrated Use of all Water Resources�, in the Colorado State University (Fort Colins), US geological Survey (Tucson), American Water Foundation and Salt River Project (Phoenix) was also the Regional Director of the Central Ground Water Board of India. Mr. Das is currently the editor of a journal published by the Geological Society of India, Bangalore. In the interview to Anjishnu Biswas, of Samay Paribartan, Mr. Subhajyoti Das warns that if corrective steps are not taken Bangalore could witness problems of extraordinary nature in terms of non availability of water to the required extent. The following is an excerpt of the interview with Anjishnu Biswas. Bangalore, the software hub of India, also referred to as silicon city, is a rapidly expanding territory with a populace of 8 million people and dotted with numerous multistoried buildings, housing and commercial complexes along with Malls and Multiplexes The IT boom has resulted in unparalleled commercial activities together with the need to keep the sector going . As a consequence the demand for the city�s water supply has augmented considerably. Water is a major component of the infrastructure of a city where varied forms of activities takes place. However Bangalore does not enjoy the privilege of having a perennial river in close proximity. The city has to rely chiefly on the waters of Cauvery River, transported from a distance of roughly 100 km and raised to a height of 500 m from the source. But in comparison to the water supply requirement of 1200 million litres per day (MLD), the water that the river Cauvery provides to the city is to the extent of only 870MLD, thereby leaving a difference of 330 MLD. Apart from this demand for water is the industrial necessity of nearly 60 MLD, thus, increasing the deficit further. A considerable quantity of Cauvery water is also lost in transmission creating additional stress in the accessibility of water for consumption by the city dwellers. Following an upsurge in population growth, expansion of industries, as well as commercial activities, the difference between demand and supply by the year 2025, will be tough to fulfill. Rampant urbanization has created an adverse impact on a number of the surface water bodies, with much of the precipitation water lost as runoff with the resultant reduction in groundwater recharge and decrease in water supplies. This dwindling water supply has resulted in the city�s growing reliance on bore wells, of which there has been no appropriate evaluation so far, - 1.5 lakh to 3 lakhs by a number of assessments made so far. This has led to groundwater overexploitation, deepening of groundwater levels, jeopardizing the ecosystem in the process. This problem becomes severe every summer as reservoir levels are at the lowest. This affects the water supply, and growing stress on groundwater. Under these circumstances of dwindling water supply trade in commercial marketing of water is thriving. The burden of the suffering is endured by the low income group or the deprived as they are compelled to pay a number of times extra on water tankers than their wealthy counterparts, who live in luxurious apartments or buildings, furnished with safe BWSSB water supplies at subsidized charges. Till the first half of the 20th century Bangalore did not encounter any water shortage with numerous flowing lakes and stream around the city furnishing continuous supplies of water to the city. Currently the city�s water supply network encounters two-pronged difficulty of dwindling surface water resource because of drying up of lakes and reducing ground water because of excessive utilization. To discover an enduring solution to the water shortage, the origin of water crisis has to be comprehended in the correct angle. Mr. Das backs the refurbishment of waste land and lakes, rainwater harvesting, and water conservation actions to cope up with the dual crisis of surface water and groundwater. Dr. Das points to the exercise of water conservation as the only crucial answer to the uncontrolled water crisis. He envisages retrieving considerable amount of water by means of domestic level wastewater treatment and recycling as well as recovery of enormous transmission wastes through suitable actions. By ANJISHNU BISWAS