Half of EU countries have no mandatory energy-saving measures in place for next winter, new analysis by European Environmental Bureau shows

Most measures adopted by EU member states to save gas and electricity are voluntary and only targeted at public buildings, new analysis published this week reveals. Governments refraining from mandatory reductions for business and industry are shifting the burden of the energy crisis onto the most vulnerable citizens, warns the European Environmental Bureau (EEB). The … Continue reading Half of EU countries have no mandatory energy-saving measures in place for next winter, new analysis by European Environmental Bureau shows →

An international first: Dutch wind turbines shut down to prevent migratory birds from flying into the wind turbine blades

NL Times reports that wind turbines were shut down for four hours last weekend to protect migratory birds. It is planned that wind turbines will be shut down more often from this autumn, so that migratory birds can safely travel. Wind turbines at sea shut down for the first time to protect migratory birds … Continue reading An international first: Dutch wind turbines shut down to prevent migratory birds from flying into the wind turbine blades →

Excessive personal consumption needs to be addressed in our climate strategies

Fernando Valladares from the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) in Spain, in an article on The Conversation website, discusses a study that found that rich people leave a disproportionately large carbon footprint, and that the share of global emissions for which they are responsible is increasing and there is a need to tax the … Continue reading Excessive personal consumption needs to be addressed in our climate strategies →

Blog from Jane Marsh: Green Energy Provides More Jobs in the Short- and Long-Term

Green energy is more than a one-time investment and installation process. Humans could erect wind turbines and ground solar panels on rooftops in a mass renewable energy revolution. But, these machines and technologies need continued maintenance and R&D. Humans must adjust their misconceptions for the better — that just because renewable energy is clean doesn’t … Continue reading Blog from Jane Marsh: Green Energy Provides More Jobs in the Short- and Long-Term →

The average temperature at the planet’s surface is about 1.2℃ hotter than in the pre-industrial era – are we moving out of the Goldilocks zone?

Andrew King from the University of Melbourne and Steven Sherwood at UNSW Sydney write on The Conversation about their concerns about the impact of GHG emissions. Two trillion tonnes of greenhouse gases, 25 billion nukes of heat: are we pushing Earth out of the Goldilocks zone? Since the 18th century, humans have been taking … Continue reading The average temperature at the planet’s surface is about 1.2℃ hotter than in the pre-industrial era – are we moving out of the Goldilocks zone? →

New EEA briefing assesses the costs and benefits of climate change adaptation

A better understanding of the costs and benefits of adaptation measures to counter climate change is needed according to a recent European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing which assesses the main methods, challenges and constraints in taking action. Improvements needed in assessing costs, benefits of climate change adaptation There is an urgent need to speed … Continue reading New EEA briefing assesses the costs and benefits of climate change adaptation →

Recent study found that chess experts perform worse when there is more particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air

A recent study conducted by researchers from Maastricht University (Netherlands) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) analysed the quality of chess moves across multiple German chess tournaments. They found that chess experts perform worse when there is more particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air. In an article on the Conversation website, Francis Pope, Professor … Continue reading Recent study found that chess experts perform worse when there is more particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air →

EU member states weathering an historic natural gas crisis

Philip Oltermann, Jon Henley, Angelique Chrisafis, Sam Jones and Shaun Walker wrote an article on The Guardian website that shows the effective action EU member states took to reduce dependence on Russian gas. Within eight months of Russia invading Ukraine, the EU’s 27 member states had already replaced about 80% of the natural gas they … Continue reading EU member states weathering an historic natural gas crisis →

The transition to lithium battery-powered electric vehicles by 2050 will deepen global environmental and social inequalities linked to mining

By 2050 electric vehicles could require huge amounts of lithium for their batteries, causing damaging expansions of mining. Nina Lakhani discusses the implications in an article on The Guardian website. Revealed: how US transition to electric cars threatens environmental havoc The US’s transition to electric vehicles could require three times as much lithium as … Continue reading The transition to lithium battery-powered electric vehicles by 2050 will deepen global environmental and social inequalities linked to mining →

New standards should bring greater scrutiny of carbon offsets and give buyers confidence their money is helping protect the environment

Recent investigations have revealed widespread problems with offsetting. Fiona Harvey writes on The Guardian website about new efforts by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market to introduce new standards to reassure consumers of the impact of their carbon offset efforts. What are your views? New carbon offset standards ‘should bring greater scrutiny’ … Continue reading New standards should bring greater scrutiny of carbon offsets and give buyers confidence their money is helping protect the environment →