More than 140 Consumers Energy employees and contract personnel are responding to a winter storm that left nearly 2 million residents in the Northeast U.S. without power. Consumers Energy crews, including lineworkers, damage assessors, safety personnel and other field employees, are departing Jackson, Michigan today.
If we think about it, what is it that makes our world special? Chances are that each one of us will have our own unique answer to this question, and that’s exactly the point. We live in a wonderfully diverse world, and there can hardly be any doubt about that. So, it’s difficult to understand why and when did we start to value sameness so much; why don’t our workplaces mirror the diversity that’s all around us; and why is our society still dogged by exclusion?
Are you concerned about the environment? Do you feel there is still a lot of progress to be made on social issues? Do you have a global perspective? And, most importantly, do you feel that business, more often than not, can be the answer? It sounds like you could be the perfect candidate for a dual degree program at the Erb Institute | Business for Sustainability and we’d love to meet you!
Last month, Jackson-based Consumers Energy pledged to save another billion gallons of water over the next five years beyond the savings seen by closing seven coal plants in 2016. While the goal is part of the company’s broader clean energy and environmental pledge over the next two decades, it also highlights an overlooked aspect of the energy sector: The industry is a major consumer of water.
Cape Town, South Africa could run out of water in a few months, literally turning off the spigot for some four million residents. If a solution to the crisis is not found, social unrest is feared. Beyond the human rights concerns, the region’s vegetable, citrus, grape and nut growers may face shortages as 40 percent of Western Cape Town’s water is currently allocated to agriculture.