French workers win legal right to avoid checking work email out-of-hours
From 1 January, workers have ‘right to disconnect’ as France seeks to establish agreements that afford work flexibility but avoid burnout
2016 C.E.
Obama names new national monuments in Utah and Nevada despite opposition
President Barack Obama designated two national monuments Wednesday at sites in Utah and Nevada that have become key flashpoints over use of public land in the U.S. West.
Canada declares high-speed internet a basic service
The regulator has now officially declared broadband access as necessary for the quality of life of all citizens, a claim backed by up to CAD$750 million (US$556 million) in new funding to bring every last Canadian online.
U.K. mass surveillance ruled illegal by E.U. court
Europe’s highest court says that the provision for mass surveillance contained in the recently-passed Investigatory Powers Act ‘cannot be considered to be justified within a democratic society’.
Obama bans drilling in parts of the Atlantic and the Arctic
President Obama announced on Tuesday what he called a permanent ban on offshore oil and gas drilling along wide areas of the Arctic and the Atlantic Seaboard as he tried to nail down an environmental legacy that cannot quickly be reversed by Donald J. Trump.
Washington, D.C. passes 8 week paid parental leave bill
The new legislation will grant all full- and part-time workers in the city eight weeks of leave at up to 90% of their full weekly wages for birth, adoption or fostering.
U.S. jurisdictions take steps to reform ‘dishonest’ bail system
It is common for judges to set bail based solely on the charges a defendant faces, without regard to the defendant’s criminal history or financial means.
Reversing course, E.P.A. says fracking can contaminate drinking water
The Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that hydraulic fracturing, the oil and gas extraction technique also known as fracking, has contaminated drinking water in some circumstances, according to the final version of a comprehensive study first issued in 2015.
Bill Gates is heading a $1 billion clean energy venture fund
He’s got several billionaire pals on board.
Nearly two dozen of the world’s most successful business leaders, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists will invest up to $1 billion in a fund led by Microsoft-co-founder Bill Gates that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to almost zero by financing emerging clean energy technology.
Fossil fuel divestment funds double to $5 trillion in a year
The value of investment funds committed to selling off fossil fuel assets has jumped to $5.2tn, doubling in just over a year.