Sustainable Switch - US navigates ICE and ice

Jan 27 - By Sharon Kimathi Energy and ESG Editor, Reuters Digital

Hello,

Today’s newsletter focuses on the aftermath ⁠of the ‌major storm that hit the United States over the weekend, with winter conditions unseen ⁠for decades and inch-thick ice bringing down trees and power lines. The storm was blamed for at least 18 deaths across multiple states. In Austin, Texas, a person died of apparent hypothermia while trying to shelter at ‍an abandoned gas station, authorities said, while five people died in New York City from exposure to the cold, said Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who urged residents to call for help if they saw anyone in ‍need.

Before we get into more snowstorm-related news, here’s a look at some top workers’ rights stories that caught my eye:

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31,000 nurses to strike at Kaiser Permanente ⁠in California, Hawaii

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Union at Chile's Mantoverde mine says company avoiding talks to end strike

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US EEOC scraps guidance that expanded workplace protections for LGBTQ workers

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Exclusive: Citigroup to lay off more employees in March, sources say

Power outages

Almost 200 million Americans were under some form of extreme cold alert, from along the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters said.

Lubbock, Texas, had a low of minus 4 degrees ​Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius) on Monday, and New York City, Washington, D.C. and Boston all face single-digit temperatures through much of the week ahead. The winter storm left more than 780,000 homes and businesses without power early on Monday, from the Ohio Valley and mid-South to New England.

The hardest-hit utilities included Nashville Electric Service (NES) in Tennessee, where 175,034 of 463,455 customers were without power, and Entergy, with more than 144,845 of 3.05 million U.S. customers affected, according to PowerOutage.us. The storm snarled air traffic, with more than 12,500 U.S. flights cancelled on Sunday - the ‍most of any day since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Click here for a collection of Reuters photos showing the effects of the storm. In spite of freezing temperatures, ‌residents of Minneapolis, Minnesota, still took to the streets to protest after American citizen Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents. Click here for a Reuters story on the protests.

Global snow storms

It’s not just America that's been affected by ‌freezing weather. In Asia, record snow storms buried roads, blocked sidewalks and grounded flights in northern Japan's Hokkaido, leaving passengers stranded at one of its major airports. Click here for the Reuters video. Meanwhile in Europe, Storm Chandra hit Britain, bringing wet and windy conditions across southern England and Wales, while the Met Office issued a yellow warning for snow for Scotland and northern ‌England.

Talking Points

In Conversation

Morgan Haenchen, an associate at international law firm

Haynes Boone,

provides some advice for businesses to keep in mind during the U.S. winter storm:

“Since Winter Storm Uri in 2021, Texas lawmakers have passed new ​legislation to better prepare and protect Texans from winter storms.

“Authorities have confirmed that this storm will not have the same impact as Winter Storm Uri.

“Any outages will likely not be due to the grid lacking in capacity or problems with generation—if there are outages, they will likely be due to ice on the lines, which will cause local outages.

“Still, businesses should be prepared for possible ⁠property damage and business interruption.

“Review your contracts and insurance policies to confirm what is covered and what notice is required.

“Pay ‍special attention to ‘force majeure’ or excuse provisions when considering what obligations are owed to your business partners.

“Have a printed copy of your emergency action plan, follow those procedures, and stay in close communication with your employees. Remember: fail to plan, plan to fail.”

ESG Spotlight

It’s yet ​another spotlight on Ukraine as we shine a light on zookeepers in Kyiv who are struggling to keep animals warm ⁠while protecting them from Russian attacks.

Five times a day, staff deliver firewood to a constantly burning stove to keep the gorillas’ cage at 20 degrees Celsius.

Russian air attacks on Ukraine's energy system in recent weeks have thrown millions of people in Kyiv and other cities into sometimes lengthy periods of darkness and cold.

Today’s Sustainable Switch was edited by Alexander Smith

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