The little engine that beat Exxon

+ what makes a region more vulnerable to hurricanes US Edition - Today's top story: Engine No. 1's big win over Exxon shows activist hedge funds joining fight against climate change [View in browser]( US Edition | 27 May 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Hedge funds aren’t exactly known for being champions of climate change, but Engine No. 1’s historic battle against Exxon may be a harbinger of a major shift. The small activist hedge fund – founded in December with the goal of using its investments to benefit society – chose to wage its first battle against one of the largest oil companies in the world. It argued Exxon wasn’t doing enough to transition away from fossil fuels, bad both for the environment and the oil company’s bottom line. On Wednesday it won its fight by persuading other shareholders to support at least two of its nominees to Exxon’s board. The results mark a turning point as more investors and even hedge funds begin to [view companies that snub sustainability as bad for business](, write Penn State’s Mark DesJardine and Western University’s Tima Bansal. Also today: - [Gender stereotypes and the link between casual sex and self-esteem]( - [Mythic and religious references in Marvel’s “WandaVision”]( - [An experiment in putting local opinion back into newspaper pages]( Bryan Keogh Senior Editor, Economy + Business Today's newsletter supported by [MarketWatch]( Engine No. 1 wants Exxon to focus less on fossil fuels. AP Photo/Matthew Brown [Engine No. 1’s big win over Exxon shows activist hedge funds joining fight against climate change]( Mark DesJardine, Penn State; Tima Bansal, Western University Engine No. 1 convinced other shareholders to support at least two of its nominees to join the company's board as part of its push for a stronger sustainability strategy at Exxon. Arts + Culture - [Why do women still get judged so harshly for having casual sex?]( Jaimie Arona Krems, Oklahoma State University; Michael Varnum, Arizona State University A new study finds that women are just as likely as men to assume something's wrong with a woman who decides she wants to sleep with a handful of partners. Politics + Society - [Colombian city beset by crime declares ‘Black Lives Matter’]( Shauna N Gillooly, University of California, Irvine A lethal turf war between drug traffickers has terrorized Buenaventura, Colombia for months. Now protesters are demanding the government's help to protect people in this mostly Black city. - [Local newspapers can help reduce polarization with opinion pages that focus on local issues]( Johanna Dunaway, Texas A&M University; Joshua P. Darr, Louisiana State University ; Matthew P. Hitt, Colorado State University The best op-ed pages operate like a town square, allowing readers to discuss and debate issues important to their communities and beyond. But many now focus on divisive national political issues. Ethics + Religion - [‘WandaVision’ echoes myths of Isis, Orpheus and Kisa Gotami to explain how grief and love persevere]( Michael Nichols, Martin University 'WandaVision' reimagines stories from Egyptian and Greek mythology, as well as Buddhist tradition. Education - [Teachers in South Central LA who had personal ties to the neighborhood made better connections with students]( Julio Angel Alicea, University of California, Los Angeles A sociologist asked public high school teachers to draw maps of the neighborhood where they teach. Those with more detailed maps also made stronger cultural connections with their students. Environment + Energy - [To protect ocean environments, ‘good enough’ might be the best long-term option]( Anastasia Quintana, University of California Santa Barbara; Alfredo Giron Nava, Stanford University In the design of marine protected areas, new research suggests that it might be better to start small in order to gain local trust and support that leads to larger long-term benefits. - [Why hurricanes devastate some places over and over again – a meteorologist explains]( Athena Masson, University of Florida The 2021 hurricane season is almost here, and it's forecast to be another busy one. Here's how heat, winds and the shape of the seafloor raise the risk for places like Miami and New Orleans. - [Biden’s budget: Why investing in innovation is crucial to reach US climate goals]( David M. Hart, George Mason University Cutting greenhouse gas emissions from key industries like cement and shipping will require technologies that either are in early development or don't exist yet. Health - [With COVID-19 cases surging, Nepal asks global community for urgent vaccine help]( Katharine Rankin, University of Toronto; David Citrin, University of Washington; Galen Murton, James Madison University ; Sienna Craig, Dartmouth College The COVID-19 cases are surging in Nepal, potentially surpassing India's reproduction rate, but the country is out of vaccines. Global aid could help with one of the worst health crisis in South Asia. Trending on site - [Supermoon! Red blood lunar eclipse! It’s all happening at once, but what does that mean?]( Shannon Schmoll, Michigan State University In the early morning of May 26, 2021, there will be a super blood-red lunar eclipse. The show will be spectacular and can all be explained by the orbits of the Earth and Moon. - [Employees are feeling burned over broken work-from-home promises and corporate culture ‘BS’ as employers try to bring them back to the office]( Kimberly Merriman, University of Massachusetts Lowell; David Greenway, University of Massachusetts Lowell; Tamara Montag-Smit, University of Massachusetts Lowell A divide is growing between workers and management over the return to the office and other issues. - [Warp drives: Physicists give chances of faster-than-light space travel a boost]( Mario Borunda, Oklahoma State University If humanity wants to travel between stars, people are going to need to travel faster than light. New research suggests that it might be possible to build warp drives and beat the galactic speed limit. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s graphic [maturity of clean energy technologies]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451