The Know Daily - Thursday 8 June 2023

_{Read in 5m 24s ∙ Listening to Carly Rae Jepsen}

Marine campaigners have welcomed the Australian government’s decision to phase out commercial gillnet fishing in the Great Barrier Reef world heritage area by mid-2027 and create new net-free zones. The $160m plan will help protect species including turtles, dolphins and hammerhead sharks - some seriously incredible news to share on World Oceans Day! 🌊 🐬

🔥 Wildfires warning

Millions of people in North America are under air quality alerts, as smoke from a series of wildfires in Canada continues to blow across the United States.

What’s happening in Canada?
At a press conference last night, Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau said more than 230 fires are raging out of control and more than 20,000 people have been evacuated from their homes so far.

9.4 million acres of land have already been burned across Canada, the BBC has reported, meaning that the country is on track to experience its worst wildfire season on record.

What’s happening elsewhere?
Thick, hazardous smoke from the wildfires has drifted across to the north-east coast of America, prompting health warnings in several states. New York’s air pollution ranked the worst of any city in the world yesterday, with the smoke blanketing the city in an orange haze.

Airline flights, Broadway shows and sports games were cancelled on Wednesday due to the smoke, and millions of people in the city have been advised to wear face masks and stay indoors where possible.

What’s the bigger picture?
While scientists have not linked the current fires to climate change, experts and officials have warned that global warming will exacerbate Canada’s wildfires in general. “While this may be the first time we’ve experienced something like this on this magnitude... it is not the last,” said New York City mayor Eric Adams yesterday.

“Climate change makes hotter, drier weather and longer fire seasons more common,” explained The Guardian.

💰 The gender pension gap

By 55, women’s private pensions are typically worth 35% less than those of their male colleagues, according to a major new government study.

Tell me more.
Government researchers analysed data between 2018 and 2020 and found that, on average, for every £100 accumulated in men’s private pensions in Britain, women have just £65. Women aged between 55 to 59 have £94,000 saved as retirement income on average, compared to £145,000 for men.

However, “female civil servants enjoy one big advantage”, according to The Telegraph. The figures show that women working in the public sector are able to save more than twice as much compared to those in the private sector - but men still overtake women in both sectors.

What’s behind the gap?
“Lower overall earnings, time off for childcare and other caring duties, and the greater numbers of women doing part-time work are all thought to be factors,” said The Guardian. Researchers found that the gap was lowest for those in their 30s but increased once women hit their 40s, suggesting that time off for childcare played a big role, alongside the gender pay gap.

How is this being addressed?
Pensions minister Laura Trott said the study would help “track the collective efforts” of the government and employers to close the gender pension gap.

But a senior analyst from investment service Hargreaves Lansdown described the 35% figure as “less of a gap, more of a gaping chasm”. “The government recently announced childcare reforms which should help more women keep working and contributing to their pensions, but the gender pension gap looks set to remain with us for some time yet,” they said.

Do you have any thoughts surrounding the state of your pension pot? We’d love to hear from you - hit reply to share your opinion.

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🇺🇦 Ukraine update: Reports suggest that around 600 square kilometres of Ukraine's southern Kherson region is underwater following the destruction of a significant dam earlier this week. Footage has shown drones delivering bottles of water to those standed by the flooding.

🥵 Hot weather warning: The first heat-health alert of the year has been issued for parts of England from 9am on Friday to 9am on Monday. The Met Office has predicted that temperatures may potentially hit 29C on Saturday ahead of thundery conditions.

🗣️ “Every Story Matters”: The Covid Inquiry is urging people across the UK to share their experiences of how the pandemic affected them to help create the full picture of what happened and shape the recommendations.

🥪 Greggs vs. Pret: The way to reveal England’s true north-south divide is by using an objective AI analysis to map the distribution of Pret a Manger and Greggs shops, a group of scientists have proposed.

🥛 Judgement call: Marks & Spencer has scrapped use-by dates on milk as part of efforts to curb food waste. The supermarket has urged customers to use “their judgement on what’s still good to eat”.

Trivia answer: B) Paradise is the translation of K’gari - and after looking at these pictures, we’re definitely inclined to agree!

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