by Kathy Shaw, SPARK manager
Workers Rights in the UK
Landmark employment laws set new legal rights for employees. The Employment Rights Bill includes changes to the exploitative zero hours contracts, sick pay, protection for expectant and new mothers and new requirements for unfair dismissal to be implemented by next year. One Union describes this as “a bright new era for workers’ rights in Britain. This is going to change working lives for the better.” The UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the bill was the “biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation”.
Public backing to protect original artists from AI
People in the UK overwhelmingly support artists demanding action to protect their work from AI bots, with 88% of respondents wanting tougher copyright laws. Performing arts union Equity said the result was a vindication for the creative industries and there was a clear consensus on the need for protections.
New satellite data monitoring climate change
New satellite data is pinpointing emissions hotspots for methane, the second-largest contributor to climate change after CO2. Greenhouses Gases are responsible for around 30% of the rise in global temperatures. 14 new satellites operated by a Canadian space firm will be evaluating emissions for the first time as collaboration with a nonprofit Carbon Mapper and Space Research organisation. The satellites have detected methane plumes from existing fossil fuel facilities, estimating that the 3114 identified sites released up to 8.54m tones of methane in 2023. This information will be useful to improve understanding and predictions of methane emissions in order to understand and reduce warming trends.
Historic change in animal protection
Poland has become the 18th country in the European Union to ban fur farming, after President Karol Nawrocki officially signed a ban into law in December. This decision further isolates the remaining countries which include Finland, Denmark, Spain, Hungary and Greece. This has been welcomed as ”an historic moment for animal protection in Poland” by Humane World for Animals Europe, as Poland is the largest fur-producing country in Europe, second globally only to China in size. 1.5 million people have signed a further petition calling for an EU-wide ban. The European Commission considers the case for banning fur farming EU-wide and plans to respond in March.
Wildlife is flourishing on ex-oil sites
Abandoned oil refineries in the UK are emerging as unlikely wildlife havens. At Canvey Wick in Essex, a barren industrial wasteland has been transformed into a wildlife oasis. The oil refinery project was shelved in the 1970’s and has now become a mosaic of flower-rich grassland, home to rare insects and wildflowers.
