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Oil and gas companies would be liable for damages caused by climate change -related disasters in California under legislation introduced Monday by two Democratic lawmakers. The proposal claims that the oil industry intentionally deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels on climate change that now have intensified storms and wildfires and caused billions of dollars in damage in California. Such disasters have also driven the state insurance market to a crisis where companies are raising rates, limiting coverage or pulling out completely from regions susceptible to wildfires and other natural disasters, supporters of the bill said. Under state law, utility companies are liable for damages if their equipment starts a wildfire. The same idea should apply to oil and gas companies, said Robert Herrell, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California, for their massive contribution to these fires driven by climate change. The bill aims to alleviate the financial burdens on victims of such disasters and insurance companies by allowing them to sue the oil industry to recoup their losses. It would also allow the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan, created by the state as a last resort for homeowners who couldnt find insurance, to do the same so it doesn’t become insolvent. If approved, California would be the first state in the U.S. to allow for such lawsuits, according to the bill’s author, state Sen. Scott Wiener. “We are all paying for these disasters, but there is one stakeholder that is not paying: the fossil fuel industry, which makes the product that is fueling the climate change, Wiener said at a Monday news conference. The new measure is bound to face major backlash from oil and gas companies, who have faced a string of defeats in California in recent years as the countrys most populous state started to shift policy priorities to address climate change. The Western States Petroleum Association, representing oil and gas companies in five states, already signaled it will fight the bill. President and CEO Catherine Reheis-Boyd said state lawmakers are using the L.A. fires to scapegoat the industry. We need real solutions to help victims in the wake of this tragedy, not theatrics, Reheis-Boyd said in a statement. Voters are tired of this approach. Supporters said the measure will also help stabilize the state’s insurance market by allowing insurers to recover some of the costs after a natural disaster from oil companies, which will prevent increased rates from being passed onto policyholders. The bill is supported by several environmental and consumer protection groups. The legislation comes as California begins the long recovery process from multiple deadly fires that ripped through sections of Los Angeles and burned more than 12,000 structures earlier this month. The fires were named the most destructive in the modern history of the city of Los Angeles and estimated to be the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. Lawmakers last week voted to spend $2.5 billion to help the area rebuild. Dozens of U.S. municipalities as well as eight states and Washington, D.C., have sued oil and gas companies in recent years over their role in climate change, according to the Center for Climate Integrity. Those suits are still making their way through the courts, including one filed by California more than a year ago against some of the worlds largest oil and gas companies, claiming they deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels. Scientists overwhelmingly agree the world needs to drastically cut the burning of coal, oil and gas to limit global warming. Thats because when fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide forms and is released, which accounts for over three quarters of all human-caused greenhouse gases. California is also working to persuade insurers to continue doing business in the state by giving them more latitude to raise premiums in exchange for more issuing policies in high-risk areas. Citing ballooning risks of climate-driven natural disasters, seven of the top 12 insurance companies doing business in California in 2023 either paused or restricted new business in the state. The state now allows insurers to consider climate change when setting their prices and will soon also allow them pass on the costs of reinsurance to California consumers. Trān Nguyn, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
How often do our workplace communications open with I hope you are well or I trust you are doing fine? These wellness checks reflect the fact that everybody has become more conscious of the need to be kind to others. Thats a good thing. Our workplace has become a setting where the best bosses and colleagues take pride in showing sensitivity to the emotional and physical well-being of others. And for these reasons, beginning a letter or a conversation with I hope you are well has some merit. But even if it reflects the best of intentions, this opening should be abandoned. Heres whyand some suggested replacements. Why to stop saying I hope you are well in emails I hope you are well is not a prohibited email opener by any means, but here are some reasons you may want to consider starting your message a different way. 1. Its a cliche. First, this opening is overly general. Of course you want to begin an email or conversation with something that warms up the relationship. I call this the grabber. But people who use I hope you are well or a similar phrase are simply making a pro forma statement that could be made to anyone. The words sound good but have no deeper personal or individual meaning. 2. It sounds unprofessional. Second, beginning an email or phone call with I hope all is well can make you sound unprofessional. Given that this expression is a throwaway line that typically is not meant to be answered, it will make you sound fluffy. It smacks of fillerof saying something that youve heard others say and youre just repeating it because it sounds good. Its a bit like saying hows it going? or whats up? These are oft-repeated, empty expressions. Platitudes can weaken your impact because they are empty of meaning. You dont want to come across as a person who has nothing to say and therefore begins emails and conversations with boilerplate text. 3. It creates confusion. Third, beginning with I hope you are well can create confusion for the recipient, who may wonder how to respond. Should they address the comment or let it go? For example, when an email begins with this expression, possible answers run through the recipients mind, including Im well, or Im having a great week, or life has been good. They might even consider getting more specific. But if theyre grappling with a problem, should they spill all? Here is where the confusion sets in. Should the respondent not address the query at all, answer only in the positive, or go deeper and explain that they are wrestling with a problemat work or at home? People justifiably get confused about how to respond. 4. It can lead to a digression. An email or conversation launched with I hope all is well with you can get the discussion off course. Your recipient may respond with details of whats happening in their lifewhich can be fine (or even nice). But you may also find yourself having to respond to a narrative you hadnt planned on. With an especially talkative individual, you might get a response like, Yes, Ive been well. In fact, let me tell you where we went on a recent holiday. Your listener has been waiting for a chance to tell you or anyone else about their recent vacation, what cities they saw, and what they liked about each one. Your statement becomes an invitation to share a personal narrative that may get you (and them) off track. 5. It may sound empty. Saying I hope you are well might also sound empty or even heartless to someone who has actually been going through an especially hard time. It may strike the recipient as toxic positivity insofar as the speaker is using a quick brushstroke to gloss over something much more profound. It may not be an intentional dig, but its still a poor way of introducing the subject of the recipients emotional state. The query will ring hollow with any recipient who is dealing with something serious. 7 Alternatives to I hope you are well Here are some other ways to start your messages: 1. With something specific and sincere I hope youre well can sound overly vague. So instead, sk yourself what you can say to show that you do care about the person you are writing to or talking with. You might begin: You have been on my mind lately, and then explain why. Or say: We were so enthralled with the event you hosted last month. In short, think about something in your relationship with your recipient to draw out. If its a new contact, show youve done your research and say something positive about that person. For example: Im so impressed with your HR organization, or I am looking forward to meeting you and being part of your product launch. Being specific gets the relationship off on good footing. 2. I hope youre having a [productive/good/great/etc.] [week/month/season/year]. This is a good email opener for a quick message. Not every email needs to make a great first impression or build a relationship, but getting a bit more specific will make it feel more personal than the vague I hope youre well. 3. We met at.. or another a reminder Maybe youve met the person youre emailing, but it was just once or perhaps you worked together years ago. Either way, you want your recipient to know who you are right up front. If not, they might not be motivated to read the rest of your message. A well wish from a stranger doesnt mean much. 4. [Name] said I should reach out. This is another opener that hooks your recipient by telling them why they should read your message. It tells them right up front why youre contacting them and reassures them that someone they know vouches for you. Your next sentences should quickly explain why you were referred to them by your mutual contact. And of course, you should only use this opener if its true. 5. With an introduction to yourself Sometimes youre sending a cold or nearly cold email, and in these cases, your first order of business should always be introducing yourself. This doesnt mean telling your life story, however. Instead, quickly tell the email recipient what about you is relevant to them. For example, if youre messaging someone who works at the same company as you, you might say: Hi Millie, Im Peter, the new marketing assistant under Kim and I was wondering if youd be able to answer some of my questions on the newest product feature release. Or if youre reaching out toa possible contact for an information interview, you might say: Hello Juan, Im a senior in USCs Computer Science major and Im interested in pursuing a career in game design. 6. How are you? This doesnt necessarily mean to literally start your email with the sentence How are you?you can use any of the many alternatives. But only use this opener if you genuinely want an answer and youre ready to continue any conversation that the recipient starts as a result. Asking how someone is doing is less presumptuous than I hope you are well because it gives room for them to answer genuinely. 7. Nothing Not every email needs a dedicated opener. Particularly if youre emailing someone you work with a lot or have other conversations going with, you can just cut to the point. If youre Slacking your supervisor every day, for example, theres no reason to start an email with pleasantries. Instead, you can just keep your email brief and to the point. Regina Borsellino also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article and a previous version.
Category:
E-Commerce
Since his inauguration on January 20, President Trump has wasted no time issuing an onslaught of executive orders. On his first day in office, Trump signed off on a whopping 26 executive orders, along with 20 additional presidential actions, and rescinded nearly 80 of Bidens executive actions, which he described as disruptive and radical. A number of those edictsincluding others that have followed over the past weekhave targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across the federal government and private sector. Its not clear how some of these executive actions may hold up in court, though mounting right-wing attacks on DEI had already prompted many employers to alter or even dismantle their diversity programs well before Trump took office. Over the past year, major companies like Walmart and McDonalds have rolled back their commitments to DEI, along with household names like John Deere, Ford, and Lowes; more recently, leading tech employers like Meta have also followed suit. But Trumps barrage of orders could usher in more sweeping changes to corporate DEI work, by explicitly targeting even private employers. Trumps actions have had a near-immediate impact on equity initiatives across the government: Federal employees in DEI roles were put on administrative leave by Wednesday, and workers across federal agencies claim the executive orders have already compromised employee resource groups, which have been shut down or paused. Heres a rundown of the orders Trump has issued over the past week, and how they could further affect DEI efforts across the workforce: Federal hiring and workforce When Biden took office in 2021, he introduced an executive order that sought to formalize equity requirements across all federal agencies. Trump is undoing those initiatives with a new action (Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing), directing agencies to eliminate what the order describes as illegal programs, including all DEI mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear. The order also calls for terminating visible DEI positions like chief diversity officer to the maximum extent allowed by law, along with any equity-related requirements for grants or contractors and initiatives that focus on environmental justice. Trump also signed a separate order intended to emphasize the importance of merit in federal hiring and eliminate any DEI considerations. Federal hiring should not be based on impermissible factors, such as ones commitment to illegal racial discrimination under the guise of equity, or ones commitment to the invented concept of gender identity over sex, the order read. Another action targeted hiring practices at the Federal Aviation Administration, ordering the agency to end any such initiatives that incorporated DEI. Beyond these orders, the Trump administration has also explicitly instructed federal workers to report colleagues who attempt to maintain any DEI programs or continue the work under a different nameor risk adverse consequences for failing to do so within 10 days. These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars and resulted in shameful discrimination, read an email to federal workers. DEI in the military In a suite of new orders this week, Trump made a number of major changes to the militarymost notably barring transgender people from enlisting. As part of those actions, Trump is also ending diversity programs in the military and directing the Department of Defense and Homeland Security to eliminate all DEI positions, which will include any vestiges of DEI offices, such as sub-offices, programs, elements, or initiatives established to promote a race-based preferences system that subverts meritocracy, perpetuates unconstitutional discrimination, and promotes divisive concepts or gender ideology. The newly confirmed defense secretary Pete Hegseth underscored this message in a recent post on X, and the executive order also notes that his office will be tasked with conducting an internal review to snuff out any DEI-related initiatives. Corporate diversity programs Perhaps the most significant aspect of Trumps DEI-related actions is that they also take aim at private companies that engage in diversity work. In another action, Trump reversed a critical executive order that dated back to 1965 and addressed discriminatory hiring practices across private contractors that work with the federal government; at the time, the order was seen as an important move to promote racial equity, and it laid the groundwork for subsequent measures to expand worker protections. Trump also revoked a number of previous actions that secured protections against employment discrimination for American workers. But this directive could also catalyze a broader divestment from diversity work across corporate America, by instructing federal agencies to investigate private sector DEI programs. I further order all agencies to enforce our longstanding civil-rights laws and to combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities, the order reads, adding that agencies will identify up to nine potential civil compliance investigations of publicly traded companies, nonprofits, and other corporate entities. Its not yet clear which companies might be singled out for those investigationsbut it seems likely that even more employers will make changes to their DEI programs to avoid legal scrutiny.
Category:
E-Commerce
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