Kickstart: Enhancing diversity in STEM

A program focused on improving diversity and access to jobs in the chemical industry has raised enough funds in its first year to support scholarships for 151 students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

The Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) launched in 2020 and combines the efforts of 43 companies and trade groups — including Chemours Co. and the American Chemistry Council — in raising more than $7 million for the scholarships.

"ACC and our members are committed to leading our industry in enhancing diversity in our facilities, our communities and nationwide," ACC President and CEO Chris Jahn said in a news release.

Nearly 1,700 high school students across the U.S. applied for FOSSI scholarships, and the recipients represent 26 states, with students planning to attend 23 HBCUs, the group said.

Higher material costs have been hitting processors since late last year. They're now making their way to consumers, via higher prices for goods, and showing up in statistics, with inflation in April rising at its fastest pace in more than 12 years, the U.S. Labor Department reported on April 12.

The Consumer Price Index, which measures a basket of goods as well as energy and housing costs, rose 4.2 percent from a year earlier.

We can expect high costs to continue for at least the near future. The CPI number did not account for the cyberattack that forced a major oil pipeline to shut down, which led to both higher prices and panic buying of fuel that drained some gasoline stations' tanks.

And that, in turn, led to one of the strangest warnings I've seen coming from the federal government as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Twitter: "Do not fill plastic bags with gasoline."

While most viral photos of bags filled with fuel are either old or from outside the U.S., the safety agency was not joking around.

"We know this sounds simple, but when people get desperate they stop thinking clearly," the CPSC Twitter thread went on to say. "They take risks that can have deadly consequences."

The agency went on to note that rather than mocking others, you should take a moment to check your own safety routine. Have you changed the battery in your smoke detector lately? Do you have a working fire extinguisher?

Good point.

Toymaker Mattel Inc. has launched a recycling program for its products called "PlayBack."

It's sounds like a solid plan. When your kids have outgrown toys, simply print out a free shipping label and send them to Mattel. Mattel will separate and recycle the materials.

But there's a whole Toy Story 3 angle to the story too, as Karen Laird from Sustainable Plastics writes: "Products that are not able to be recycled into new toys will be downcycled by the company or converted from waste to energy."