No. 106: The USAF PFAS BFD

Artificial intelligence is making decisions on our behalf, and there's not much regulation to go around. Without a comprehensive federal approach, states have started to step up with their own laws, particularly around health care. But as fascinating as that environment has become, it pales in comparison to news this week that the U.S. Air Force is pushing back on the Environmental Protection Agency to avoid cleaning up after its military bases. The Supreme Court strikes again – more below.

On the job front, I'm highlighting a B Corp with a designer's edge and a couple of very senior roles as you look for your next leap. A role with the City of Portland caught my eye, and while that's not everyone's cup of tea, I will say that local government needs great people looking to make a difference – you'd be surprised by how many good opportunities are lurking on your municipal website. Off we go!

~ Greg

What we're reading

States are leading regulatory efforts to rein in the use of artificial intelligence in health care. (Axios)

• AI in health care is attracting significant investment and use, but states are having to develop their own regulations due to a lack of federal oversight.
• I wrote about Colorado's law just a few months ago. They are one of the first with a state law designed to restrict AI decision-making in health care.
  • Utah is now trying to regulate how mental health chatbots use AI.
• This patchwork of solutions has its downsides. For emerging companies, it's particularly challenging to navigate a mix of laws.
  • We definitely need regulation on this front, but some of the use cases for AI in health care are solid. The mental health chatbot is a great example: America is facing a loneliness crisis, and these chatbots can potentially help with that.
• Various federal agencies have made progress on the AI front, but I'd argue that much of it is preliminary. If you look at the list, we're getting a lot of pilot programs and AI guidance but not much accountability.
  • I'm also keeping an eye on the industry itself to see how it self-regulates. That seems counterintuitive, but given the amount of scrutiny, I'm seeing a lot of companies use "safety" as a differentiator in the market. I would gladly welcome a race to make the safest AI, not just the most comprehensive.

The United States Air Force is challenging an EPA mandate to address PFAS contamination in Tucson, Arizona and using the Supreme Court’s recent "Chevron deference" ruling as part of its rationale. (The Guardian)

• We knew this sort of thing was coming. I still find myself surprised, however, given who is refusing to comply: one part of the government is refusing to listen to another part of the government.
• The Supreme Court’s decision in June overturned Chevron deference, which had previously given regulatory agencies more authority to interpret ambiguous laws. The concern was that the EPA would have more difficulty enforcing environmental regulations.
• The Air Force's refusal to comply with the EPA’s order highlights how polluters might use the Chevron ruling to evade accountability.
  • In this particular case, the EPA had required the USAF to develop a PFAS-specific filtration system to remove contamination in the Tucson water supply.
  • PFAS are the "forever chemicals" you find just about everywhere: in our food, in our water, and in our blood for example. Researchers have suggested that PFAS may be linked to reproductive health, certain cancers, and immune system deficiencies, which is why filtering them out is such a big deal.
• I think a key component of this is the part about ambiguous laws. We really need Congress to fill in the gaps here if our government can't regulate bad actors, including itself.

Job of the week

I've been doing a lot of research on furniture and home goods ahead of my move next month, so of course I dipped into the myriad Certified B Corps focused on interior design. One of my favorites is RBW – they make stunning light fixtures that look like works of art, and they are hiring a Product Marketing Manager to help get the word out and set pricing.

Benefits are rock solid, and they have a very reasonable set of job requirements: 5 years of experience with none required in the lighting industry. So if you're a bit artsy like me and want to make the world not just better but beautiful, be sure to check RBW out.

Community roundup

• The University of Florida and the Florida Aquarium are teaming up to raise sea urchins to help with coral restoration. The urchins feed on algae, effectively cleaning coral reefs. (Hakai Magazine)
• Minnesota has won a settlement against Walmart and Reynolds Consumer Products for advertising plastic bags as recyclable. Minnesota had argued that the advertising was a form of greenwashing, and the companies agreed to forfeit their profits as part of the settlement. (Grist)
• More than half of cars sold in China last month were a combination of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, indicating significant momentum in the world's largest auto market. (Axios)
  • China is really leading the way in terms of manufacture and adoption of "green" technologies – not only with electric vehicles, but with renewable energy as well.
• Scientists at Oxford University have developed a coating that acts like a solar panel and could be applied to objects like cars and buildings to generate electricity. (CNN)
• Veterans exposed to repeated artillery fire are suffering from brain injury, and now the Department of Defense has mandated baseline cognitive tests for new recruits so they can more easily diagnose brain injuries later in their careers. (ABC News)
• A major liquid natural gas pipeline project in Texas has been halted again by a federal court. (Inside Climate News)
  • The court had originally rejected the project after pressure from local stakeholders, citing insufficient analysis of the climate impacts.

Hot job opportunities

• Software Developer – Commons – Remote
• Director of Research & Evaluation – ideas42 – Remote
• Marketing Specialist – Group14 Engineering – Denver, CO
• Data Manager – Murmuration – Remote
• Sales Advisor – 4ocean – Boca Raton, FL
• Planning Systems Analyst – City of Portland – Portland, OR
• Carbon Services Senior Project Manager – Stok – Remote
• Deputy Chief of Staff – AmeriCorps – Washington, DC
• Senior Product Designer, PracticeHub – Chewy – Bellevue, WA or Boston, MA
• Operations Program Coordinator – The Nature Conservancy – Lewistown, IL

Resource of the week

This may be the nerdiest resource I've put in the newsletter: a Social Return on Investment (SROI) calculator.

The gist is that investments generate more than financial returns. They generate social returns as well. Consider when you make a donation to a nonprofit, for example – you're not providing a gift so much as investing in the nonprofit and expecting a return aligned to your personal mission.

I'm reminded of a number of concepts you've likely come across here before: things like triple bottom line, effective altruism, and public benefit corporations. Think of SROI as another way that companies can maximize their social impact by ascribing a financial benefit to doing good.

Test your knowledge

Last week, we tackled activism history when Greta Thunberg and other student activists skipped out on school for weeks to call attention to climate change. The sit-in inspired the creation of Fridays For Future, which continues to emphasize student activism around the world.

We're still a few months away from this week's trivia question. Any idea what it is?

What global charity initiative encourages people to donate to causes of their choice on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving?

Email me your guess, and I'll send one lucky winner a couple of One Work stickers!

I am one month away from moving into my house out west. Where should I go to celebrate? Hit me up with your Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA dinner faves. You can find me on LinkedIn and Threads.