Etsy Is Helping Its Sellers Get Solar Panels On Their Homes

Etsy has already offered flasks emblazoned with solar panels and canvas prints of photovoltaic equipment. 

Now the artisanal goods marketplace is helping people get actual solar panels. 

The site, which lets people buy and sell handcrafted home goods and other items, announced this week a pilot program to offer discounts to Etsy users in four states when they install solar panels on their homes. That could help offset the company's carbon footprint, 95 percent of which comes from shipping products.

The company is partnering with the solar energy marketplace Geostellar to measure the impact of each solar installation in terms of emissions reduction. Solar users can get discounts of up to $37 per metric ton of carbon dioxide, one of the chief greenhouse gases warming the planet and causing the climate to change. Etsy expects its customers to receive a total average discount of $2,000. 

Here's how it works, as explained in a joint press release from the companies: 

When a new participant applies for the Etsy Solar pilot program, Geostellar will instantly and interactively tailor a solar energy installation and financing plan to meet the unique needs of each individual household. Geostellar will then provide a discount based on the potential contribution of the clean solar energy generation toward the comprehensive emissions reduction goals of the Etsy community. Etsy developed the process according to Gold Standard requirements to enable those reduction rights to be validated, verified and registered as carbon offsets.

Etsy said it hopes to expand the program over the next year or so. For now, the company is choosing its starter states strategically. Etsy is based in Brooklyn, so it wanted to make sure it started in New York. In Florida, where big utility companies in 2014 quashed state-issued solar incentives, Etsy said it felt it could help bolster the industry.

The company also chose West Virginia and Utah because of those states’ long histories with mining and other causes of pollution.

“We felt like we could have a larger climate impact by helping solar there,” Chelsea Mozen, Etsy's senior sustainability specialist for energy and carbon, told The Huffington Post on Thursday.

In February, Etsy became the first U.S. company to be recertified as a benefit corporation, or B corp, by the nonprofit B Lab after going public. As part of the voluntary designation, the company must adhere to strict environmental standards.

"The bigger picture here is that we've been very outspoken about how social good and business can go hand-in-hand -- they're not at odds with each other," Mozen said. "A lot of people on both sides want to say 'If you do social good, then you don't care about profit.' We're really trying to hold them in equal balance. They don't have to be either/or."

The Feds Are Finally Cracking Down On Wall Street Bonuses

“I’ll be gone, you’ll be gone,” are six words dangerous words on Wall Street.

They get at one key reason why so many people took so many risks in the run up to the financial crisis of 2008: Sure, trades might have been risky, but if they soured, bonuses would already have been paid and people would have moved on to new jobs.

The incentive was to take risk to get paid now, regardless of the risk later on.

The 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation aimed to change that by requiring a group of financial regulators to write rules tying incentive pay -- bonuses -- to longer-term performance.

On Thursday, the National Associations of Credit Unions proposed a rule that would allow for bonuses to be taken back from bankers and traders even after they are delivered -- “clawed back” in regulatory jargon. Employees would have to forfeit their bonuses if they took too much risk, violated internal guidelines, breached regulations or caused the firm’s reputation to suffer. The rule would also require that at least 60 percent of bonus pay be deferred for between four and seven years, depending on the size of the firm.

Five other financial regulators, including the Federal Reserve and the Securities and Exchange Commission, are expected to offer similar regulations.

Importantly, the proposed rule would cover not just senior executives but also “significant risk-takers.” At many big financial firms, there are senior traders or bankers who responsible for significant risk taking but are not, for regulatory purposes, considered senior executives. For example, some commodities or mortgage traders have been paid more in a given year than the chief executive of the same firm.

The 2011 version of the rule, which was proposed but not implemented, would only have applied to senior executives. It's not clear how many financial employees would be covered by the proposed rule, but the definition it includes is very broad.

“This addresses the 'slash and burn' mentality that led to the financial crash, where you make a lot of money this year even if it burns down the bank next year,” Naylor told HuffPost.

In some ways, the rule doesn't go far enough. Naylor said he was disappointed the rule did not set aside money from bonuses to pay for future legal settlements -- meaning employees, rather than shareholders, would be monetarily punished when a bank paid out funds to regulators.

If that were the case, it would create “a dynamic where all the bank managers would be looking over each other’s shoulder to make sure no one is committing fraud,” Naylor said.

The rules are subject to a 90-day comment period. After that, it is up to each agency to determine how long to consider the comments before altering and implementing the rule.

Apparently No One Hates Their Job Anymore

American workers are feeling a lot better about their jobs.

Propelled by a stabilizing economy, employee satisfaction is at its highest level in more than a decade, according to a new survey from the Society for Human Resource Management, an association of HR professionals.

Eighty-eight percent of the employees polled reported being satisfied overall with their jobs in 2015. Of them, 37 percent described themselves as “very satisfied,” and 51 percent said they were “somewhat satisfied.” Compare that to results from the organization's 2005 survey, which found just 77 percent of people were pleased with their jobs. 

As you can see in the chart below, satisfaction took a hit between 2009 and 2013, the years following the recession. By now, though, people are feeling more confident about the job market, and workers who were unhappy and switched jobs five or six years ago have likely settled into their new roles, contributing to the higher satisfaction level, the SHRM researchers say.

SHRM

Age apparently has little to do with how much people enjoy their work. Millennials' satisfaction ranks about as high as that of older generations.

“Stop the stereotypes," SHRM researcher Christina Lee wrote in a paper released alongside the survey. "Although Millennials may have slightly different mindsets, on the whole, they tend to place significance on several of the same aspects of job satisfaction that Generation Xers and Baby Boomers do.” 

Compensation remains highly important in how employees feel about their jobs, with 63 percent of those surveyed citing it as a contributor.

Paychecks, meanwhile, just aren’t growing fast enough. A report last year from the Economic Policy Institute found that growth in worker productivity is outstripping wage growth. From 2000 to 2014, productivity increased by 21.6 percent, while median compensation in the U.S. rose by only 1.8 percent.

Yet compensation ranked only as the second-highest factor contributing to job satisfaction, per the new survey. Topping the list was “respectful treatment of all employees at all levels,” which 67 percent of respondents cited.

“The day-to-day experience is what governs their perspective on their work,” Evren Esen, director of survey programs at the Society for Human Resource Management, told The Huffington Post. “That’s where corporate culture comes into play. You want your supervisor to ask for your ideas.”

Workplaces that promote openness, community and equality are increasingly becoming the norm. While these are aspects valued by all employees, millennials in particular have helped to push that shift forward by being direct about what they expect from their employers.

“They see themselves as equal with who they work with in terms of expressing ideas,” Esen said of millennials. “In that way, by sharing their beliefs with the higher-ups, they are heard more than other generations.”

The expectation that employees are treated equally and fairly, in addition to things like having trustful leaders and transparent management, will only grow as millennials take over the workforce.

Take parental leave: Having a family and young children is hardly a new development, but millennial workers have been more vocal than their older counterparts about having decent company support when they have a newborn. Paid time off is gaining traction quickly, and more and more companies are now offering paid time off to new moms and dads. 

“It’s just what they think is normal,” Esen added. “Millennials say, ‘It’s not that way? Why isn’t it that way?’”

These Are The Highest-Paying Companies In America

Career review site Glassdoor on Wednesday released a list of the 25 highest-paying companies in America for 2016 -- and surprise, surprise, tech firms dominate the report. 

Major tech companies (Google, Facebook and Twitter, to name a few) account for nearly the entire list, though a few consulting firms and one credit card company made the cut, too.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Google software engineers work in a game room at the campus in Washington. 

“In technology, we continue to see unprecedented salaries as the war for talent is still very active, largely due to the shortage of highly skilled workers needed,” said Dr. Andrew Chamberlain, Glassdoor chief economist, in a release. “High pay continues to be tied to in-demand skills and higher education.”

The report shares each company’s median total compensation and median base salary. The companies were ranked by their median total compensation figures, based on salary reports anonymously shared on Glassdoor by employees.

Here are America’s 25 highest paying companies for 2016.

1. A.T. Kearney

• Median Total Compensation: $167,534
• Median Base Salary: $143,620
• Industry: Consulting

2. Strategy&

• Median Total Compensation: $160,000
• Median Base Salary: $147,000
• Industry: Consulting

3. Juniper Networks 

• Median Total Compensation: $157,000
• Median Base Salary: $135,000
• Industry: Technology

4. McKinsey & Company

• Median Total Compensation: $155,000
• Median Base Salary: $135,000
• Industry: Consulting

5. Google

• Median Total Compensation: $153,750
• Median Base Salary: $123,331
• Industry: Technology

6. VMware

• Median Total Compensation: $152,133
• Median Base Salary: $130,000
• Industry: Technology

7. Amazon Lab126

• Median Total Compensation: $150,100
• Median Base Salary: $138,700
• Industry: Technology

8. Boston Consulting Group

• Median Total Compensation: $150,020
• Median Base Salary: $147,000
• Industry: Consulting

9. Guidewire

• Median Total Compensation: $150,020
• Median Base Salary: $135,000
• Industry: Technology

10. Cadence Design Systems

• Median Total Compensation: $150,010
• Median Base Salary: $140,000
• Industry: Technology

11. Visa

• Median Total Compensation: $150,000
• Median Base Salary: $130,000
• Industry: Finance

12. Facebook

• Median Total Compensation: $150,000
• Median Base Salary: $127,406
• Industry: Technology

13. Twitter

• Median Total Compensation: $150,000
• Median Base Salary: $133,000
• Industry: Technology

14. Box

• Median Total Compensation: $150,000
• Median Base Salary: $130,000
• Industry: Technology

15. Walmart eCommerce

• Median Total Compensation: $149,000
• Median Base Salary: $126,000
• Industry: Technology

16. SAP

• Median Total Compensation: $148,431
• Median Base Salary: $120,000
• Industry: Technology

17. Synopsys

• Median Total Compensation: $148,000
• Median Base Salary: $130,000
• Industry: Technology

18. Altera

• Median Total Compensation: $147,000
• Median Base Salary: $134,000
• Industry: Technology

19. LinkedIn

• Median Total Compensation: $145,000
• Median Base Salary: $120,000
• Industry: Technology

20. Cloudera

• Median Total Compensation: $145,000
• Median Base Salary: $129,500
• Industry: Technology

21. Salesforce

• Median Total Compensation: $143,750
• Median Base Salary: $120,000
• Industry: Technology

22. Microsoft

• Median Total Compensation: $141,000
• Median Base Salary: $125,000
• Industry: Technology

23. F5 Networks

• Median Total Compensation: $140,200
• Median Base Salary: $120,500
• Industry: Technology

24. Adobe

• Median Total Compensation: $140,000
• Median Base Salary: $125,000
• Industry: Technology

25. Broadcom

• Median Total Compensation: $140,000
• Median Base Salary: $130,000
• Industry: Technology

Mitsubishi Motors Admits Falsifying Fuel Economy Tests To Make Emissions Levels Look More Favorable

Mitsubishi Motors Corp said it falsified fuel economy test data to make emissions levels look more favorable, and its shares slumped more than 15 percent, wiping $1.2 billion from its market value on Wednesday.

Tetsuro Aikawa, president of Japan's sixth-largest automaker by market value, bowed in apology at a news conference in Tokyo for what is the biggest scandal at Mitsubishi Motors since a defect cover-up over a decade ago.

Toru Hanai / Reuters

The scandal prompted Tetsuro Aikawa, president of Mitsubishi Motors, to bow in apology at a news conference in Tokyo.

Shares in the company closed down more than 15 percent at 733 yen, the stock's biggest one-day drop in almost 12 years.

In 2000, Mitsubishi Motors revealed that it covered up safety records and customer complaints. Four years later it admitted to broader problems going back decades. It was Japan's worst automotive recall scandal at the time.

The company said on Wednesday the test manipulation involved 625,000 vehicles produced since mid-2013. These include its eK mini-wagon as well as 468,000 similar cars it made for Nissan Motor.

It said it would stop making and selling those cars, and has set up an independent panel to investigate the issue.

Mitsubishi Motors sold just over 1 million cars last year.

Mitsubishi Motors is the first Japanese automaker to report misconduct involving fuel economy tests since Volkswagen was discovered last year to have cheated diesel emissions tests in the United States and elsewhere.

South Korean car makers Hyundai Motor Co and affiliate Kia Motors Corp in 2014 agreed to pay $350 million in penalties to the U.S. government for overstating their vehicles' fuel economy ratings. They also resolved claims from car owners.

KFC Deletes Incredibly Dumb NSFW Twitter Fail

What were you thinking, KFC?

The fast-food giant went below the belt in a stupidly saucy tweet Friday, then got chicken and took it down an hour later, Adweek reported.

Double entendres and obvious sexual imagery are usually a bad recipe for a family-friendly chain. But that didn't stop KFC in Australia from serving up this gem (as shared by a Twitter user): A guy looks suggestively at his crotch while a woman reaches over. The caption reads: "Something hot and spicy is coming soon."

KFC, if you are experiencing "hot and spicy" sensations in your genitals, I recommend you speak to a doctor pic.twitter.com/iGaYDdXTI0

— mat whitehead (@matwhi) April 14, 2016

Viewers, like this Twitter user, had buckets of fun clucking about KFC's marketing doofus-ness.

Wait, is KFC introducing jerk chicken? Was that the joke?

— barry (@barrysaunders) April 15, 2016

The brand quickly yanked its message and apologized. ...

We are very sorry for our earlier tweet on H&S - we didn’t mean to offend and removed it when we realised we’d made an error in judgment.

— KFC Australia (@KFCAustralia) April 15, 2016

"I applaud and salute u colonel," one Twitter user responded.

Our Coffee Addiction Could Destroy Earth’s Tropical Forests

Coffee producers may need a wake-up call.

Soaring demand for the caffeinated brew could hasten destructive climate change by encouraging producers to chop down some of the last remaining tropical forests as they struggle to increase yields on existing farmland, according to a report released Thursday by the nonprofit Conservation International.

Coffee grows in tropical countries near the equator, such as Indonesia, Brazil and Uganda, where thick jungles rich with biodiversity provide fresh water and store tons of carbon. Farmers expand their fields by felling trees in these forests and burning the dense underbrush -- releasing that carbon into the atmosphere, where it traps other gases and warms the planet. As a result, deforestation is a twofold environmental catastrophe: Left intact, forests absorb many of the pollutants that cause global warming. Destroyed, they unleash even more emissions and speed up the pace of climate change. 

Worse, it's a self-perpetuating cycle. As climate change worsens, the amount of existing farmland suitable for growing coffee shrinks. 

The underlying market force in all this is the skyrocketing demand for coffee. Coffee growers may have to triple their production by 2050 to meet current demand forecasts, the report predicted. Coffee demand is expected to spike 25 percent in the next five years alone, according to a report last year by the industry group International Coffee Organization. 

Consider the two maps below. The dark blue, red and yellow segments represent forested areas where certain types of coffee could be grown in Brazil in 2010.

Conservation International

Dark green represents forests not suitable for growing coffee. Different colors represent areas where certain types of coffee, such as Arabica or Robusta, can be grown. 

Now fast forward to the middle of the century. By 2050, much of the farmland where Arabica beans are produced, represented in light blue, is expected to recede. Farmland for Robusta, represented in light pink, nearly disappears.

Conservation International

Quite a change in just 40 years. 

"Ideally, plant breeders will develop new varieties that are adapted to the harsher conditions of the future, while, simultaneously, improving productivity.  That is a tall order, but not impossible," Tim Killeen, a lead author of the report, said in a statement. "If it doesn’t happen, then coffee production will shift to landscapes with conditions similar to today’s coffee growing areas.”

Tropical forests currently cover 60 percent of the land around the world that can be used for coffee production. By 2050, as much as 20 percent of the land suitable for growing coffee would fall within the boundaries of protected areas. That means farmers will either have to produce more with less land, or start clearing new lands on which to grow. Conservation International named the Andes, Central America and Southeast Asia as the regions of most concern.

There is a hope. Some of the world's biggest coffee sellers, such as Nestlé and Starbucks, have begun improving their supply chains to increase farmers' yields with more sustainable growing practices. But unless those efforts are stepped up, the quickened pace of deforestation and climate change may derail the progress already made. 

"Unless we act now, the trend of coffee production towards full sustainability may well be reversed," Peter Seligmann, founder and CEO of Conservation International, said in a statement. "The good news is that we know from our experience working with Starbucks and others that we can put the right practices in place to grow coffee in a way that protects forests and farmers -- but we need to keep pushing these techniques on a global scale."