World's largest miner BHP Billiton quits global coal lobby group

UncategorisedLeave a comment

The miner came under pressure last year to leave any associations with policies that fail to match the company’s support of the 2015 Paris climate accord
Global miner BHP Billiton said on Thursday it had made a final decision to leave the World Coal Association (WCA) over differences on climate change but would remain a member of the US Chamber of Commerce.
BHP has largely quit mining coal for power plants, but is the world’s largest exporter of coal for steel-making. It said in December it had taken a preliminary decision to withdraw from the WCA, pending a full review.
The miner came under pressure from Australian green groups last year to leave any industry associations with policies that fail to match the company’s support of the 2015 Paris climate accord.
Read more Microplastics found in fertilisers being applied to farmland “In light of the material difference identified by the review and the narrow range of activities of benefit to BHP from membership, BHP has reached a f..

Gender pay gap latest: 1,500 firms fail to meet midnight deadline for reporting pay data

UncategorisedLeave a comment

Employers who failed to report before the deadline could face legal action, the ECHR has said
Around 1,500 organisations failed to report their gender pay gap data by the deadline of midnight on Wednesday, 4 April, according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (ECHR).
With 10,015 meeting the deadline, firms continued to publish data on Thursday, and 10 more had reported by 8am.
There was a late surge in organisations reporting on deadline day, with more than 15 per cent filing their pay gap reports between Tuesday at 4pm and the cut-off point.
Read more To truly tackle the gender pay gap the Tories need to do much more ECHR boss Rebecca Hilsenrath said the group was pleased with the rate of reporting. However, she added: “It’s the law, it’s not an option.”
Early analysis shows that 78 per cent of firms reported that they pay men more than women, while 8 per cent reported no median gap and 14 per cent reported a gap that favours women.
On Wednesday, the equalities mi..

Letter 52: Gender Progress in Macho Australia?

WORLD NEWSLeave a comment

Gender Progress in Macho Australia? Photo Credit Franziska Barczyk Want the Australia Letter by email? Sign up and forward to your friends for heaps of global coverage and provocative Australia insight.
______
When Francesca Donner, director of The New York Times Gender Initiative, arrived in Australia a few weeks ago, she was almost immediately swept up in the wave of #MeToo and news media activities.
In addition to public panels on the #MeToo movement, there were conferences, university discussions and a dinner with young female New York Times readers to talk about our coverage.
Everyone, it seemed, had something to say about #MeToo.
On her way back to New York, Francesca jotted down a few impressions about Australia’s gender movement and how it compares with what’s happening in the United States.
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story Her thoughts raised as many questions as they answered, and we hope you’ll share your insights as we unpack the issue.
Continue reading the..

Marijuana Use Tied to Fatal Car Crashes

HEALTHLeave a comment

Supported by Well | Live Marijuana Use Tied to Fatal Car Crashes Photo April 20 has become known as a day to celebrate the pleasures of marijuana consumption with parties that traditionally begin at 4:20 p.m.
But a study in JAMA Internal Medicine has found that the high spirits may have a price: a significant increase in fatal car wrecks after the “4/20” party ends.
Researchers used 25 years of data on car crashes in the United States in which at least one person died. They compared the number of fatal accidents between 4:20 p.m. and midnight on April 20 each year with accidents during the same hours one week before and one week after that date.
Before 4:20 p.m. there was no difference between the number of fatalities on April 20 and the number on the nearby dates. But from 4:20 p.m. to midnight, there was a 12 percent increased risk of a fatal car crash on April 20 compared with the control dates. The increased risk was particularly large in drivers 20 and younger.
“These crashe..