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New Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is published Monday: On 4 April, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will publish the third and final part of its new Assessment Report on Climate Change. This looks at political and technological measures that could limit climate change. The third part will now finally deal with measures to mitigate climate change and its consequences. dlf.de ,ipcc.ch (Report available from Monday 10 am CET)

Joint central gas purchase for Europe called for: Should there be a sudden stop in the supply of Russian gas, the European Union is prepared. At least this is the impression the EU Commission in Brussels is trying to convey, referring to the EU law on security of gas supply. In the event of an emergency, contingency plans would take effect in all EU states and the supply of so-called „non-protected“ consumers such as industrial companies would be shut down. Hospitals and private households would be the last to be disconnected from the grid. At the same time, storage facilities would have to be replenished in order to survive the next winter’s heating period. On this point, Georg Zachmann, energy expert at the think tank Bruegel, calls for a common central gas purchase by Europeans. „We see member states acting as competitors for suppliers and outbidding each other,“ says Zachmann. He criticises that the EU is not yet operating in crisis mode. The EU has developed a scenario for a quick, orderly exit, but „this scenario does not do justice to the immanent crisis“. dw.com

By 80 per cent

global emissions of NH3 – ammonia have increased between 1980 and 2010. Nitrogen emissions from agriculture damage the environment, drive climate change and also endanger human health. Emissions of this gaseous nitrogen compound are almost exclusively attributable to the agricultural sector. The main culprit is the use in the cultivation of three crops and the keeping of four animal species rnd.de

Four billion for nature restoration: The Federal Government wants to restore nature with a total of four billion euros. One fifth of the area of the Federal Republic is suitable for natural climate protection, around 50 percent consists of forests. Since these areas are managed, those that are need an economic perspective. Bernhard Krüsken, Secretary General of the German Farmers‘ Association, calls for a „business model“ for his clientele. Among other things, it will be about „the development of new value chains for wet agriculture and the products produced there“, the key points say. Photovoltaic systems for energy generation, reeds for roofing, peat moss for potting soil, grasses as fibres for packaging, bulrushes for insulation materials – many things are conceivable, but they have not yet been sufficiently tested or proven. taz.de

The last farmer of Lützerath loses: Upside-down world – Eckardt Heukampf’s appeal against the early transfer of possession of his land to RWE has been rejected by the Higher Administrative Court (OVG) in Münster. Heukamp is considered the „last farmer of Lützerath“ and is defending himself against his expropriation. Although the main proceedings have not yet been concluded, the decision of the OVG allows RWE to start preparations for demolition work on Heukamp’s property with immediate effect. At any time, the company could enforce the eviction of the village, where a growing number of activists live alongside Heukamp, by police.  Lützerath has a special significance for the climate movement. The German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) has calculated that the end of the village would also mean the end of Germany’s contribution to meeting the 1.5 degree limit. If opencast mining expands to Lützerath and the coal underneath is used to generate electricity, the CO₂ budget would be more than used up. freitag.de

Record investments in the energy transition necessary: 5.7 trillion dollars would have to be invested annually to achieve the energy transition globally by 2030. This is the calculation of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena). According to a current analysis by the governmental organisation, this amount would be necessary to achieve the goal agreed at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees compared to the pre-industrial era, if possible. spiegel.de

McDonalds wins in Tübingen: The tax on disposable packaging in force there since the beginning of the year is „ineffective“. This was the decision of the Mannheim Administrative Court (VGH) following a complaint by the Tübingen McDonald’s branch. This is a defeat for the nationally known mayor of Tübingen, Boris Palmer. Palmer is not alone: in 1998, the Federal Constitutional Court overturned a local packaging levy imposed by the city of Kassel. At the time, the court ruled that the levy violated the concept of the federal Recycling Management Act, which aims at voluntary measures. Palmer’s administration therefore tried to prove with an expert opinion that federal law no longer precluded a local packaging tax. However, the city was unsuccessful at the VGH. The VGH allowed an appeal to the Federal Administrative Court. The city council of Tübingen will now decide on this, because an appeal would have a suspensive effect – and the packaging tax would remain in force for the time being. taz.de

BOOK TIP OF THE WEEK:

Letzte Generation – Das Klimamanifest

The climate crisis is the greatest threat to humanity. However, our society has developed into a sluggish, lazy mass. We have to take the personal responsibility that politicians like to insist on from the supermarket to the street. But the organic cucumber alone will not save our lives. Rebellion will. This manifesto is a call to citizens to become aware of their power and to remind governments of their task: to build perspectives, not to obstruct them. It is the simple, vocal wish for a future. Activist Paula Dorten talks about her fears and dreams. Meteorologist Marcus Wadsak uses scientific facts to explain why we are running out of time and why the climate crisis will change our lives forever. We still have the opportunity to shape this change. It is humanity’s last chance not to let this generation be the last. braumueller.at

German Armed Forces: Not using their potential for climate change. klimareporter.de
LNG terminals: Utilities are already securing seats – EnBW is now also betting on LNG. wiwo.de
Digital twins: The EU is having two digital images of the Earth developed to simulate natural disasters and climate change. heise.de
Not in my backyard: With great regularity, plans for new railway lines, runways, nuclear power plants or landfills meet with opposition from local residents. faz.net
Energy crisis: Revives the discussion about a speed limit. tagesspiegel.de
Sustainable products: Should become the norm in the EU. reyclingmagazin.de
Relief demanded: 8,000 works councils want more relief for workers. igmetall.de
Dependency on raw materials: A new study shows the full extent of the dilemma: The dependency of the German economy on Russia is far greater than merely in energy matters. handelsblatt.com
Mosquitoes: In early March, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave British biotech company Oxitec permission to release another 2.4 billion of its genetically modified mosquitoes by 2024. derstandard.at
Brunsbüttel LNG terminal: Operation Tesla speed, a Bundestag resolution could speed up construction. ndr.de

The seventeeen goals Magazin tells inspiring stories about how people move the world and shows how everyone can make a contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

PODCAST OF THE WEEK:

Dry, dry, German spring

At the beginning of the year it often rains less and less because of the climate crisis. Where there is drought, where the water table is falling, and more on Berlin’s water problem. March 2022 was one of the driest ever and sunnier than any other March before, at least since this data has been collected. Why, due to the climate crisis, the year is starting out drier and drier, what this means for soils and plants when the rain fails to fall, what the impact of the falling groundwater table is and how, in view of the drought in Germany, countermeasures can be taken, is what Fred Hattermann of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research talks about in the podcast. tagesspiegel.de

MOBILITY:

How electronic components drive innovation: Sustainable mobility concepts are currently more important than ever – to protect the climate and to become less dependent on fossil fuels. The ball is now in the court of innovation-driving companies to make the future greener for everyone. businessinsider.de

How the East Frisian island of Baltrum manages without car traffic: There are no cars on the island. This is a great incentive for tourists, causes uncertainty among locals now and then and could be a model for many a community. derstandard.de

Greenpeace cost comparison: Despite temporary tax cuts on fuel prices, new internal combustion vehicles are cost traps.Germans‘ affection for their own cars seems to be crisis-proof: Despite sharply fluctuating crude oil and rising CO2 prices, motorists cling to their diesels and petrol engines or swap them for new oil-burners. 2.6 million new cars were registered last year, 85 percent internal combustion engines, every fourth of them a particularly climate-damaging SUV. Thus, between 1960 and 2022, the number of cars on Germany’s roads increased tenfold, and now stands at around 67 million. Is the turn of the century coming? Do the controversial Russian oil and the war in Ukraine, which is also financed with it, now provide the decisive arguments to get rid of one’s own car? In Berlin and Brandenburg alone, nine out of ten cars run on diesel and petrol from Russian oil. In addition, it is worth taking a look at low-cost alternatives: Greenpeace has calculated how much singles, couples and families can benefit from doing without the expensive, climate-damaging combustion engine. greenpeace.de

Flight taxi start-up Lilium postpones market launch: The Corona pandemic and problems with the licensing authorities are forcing the flight taxi start-up Lilium to deviate from its schedule. Contrary to plans, the company will not be able to start operations in 2024. The company does not want to compromise on safety. n-tv.de

Implementation of the nine-euro ticket possible in the short term: The 9-euro monthly ticket for local public transport planned by the federal government could be offered in just a few weeks. „We are doing everything we can to ensure that it comes in May, but it may be June,“ said Lars Wagner, spokesman for the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV). The industry is working flat out on the details. The ticket is to be offered as uniformly as possible throughout Germany. To achieve this, 450 companies and 60 transport associations must reach an agreement. As part of the federal government’s relief package, the SPD, the Greens and the FDP announced last week that a monthly ticket for the price of 9 euros would be introduced temporarily for local public transport. Because it is to be available for three months, the parties came up with the misleading name „9 for 90“ ticket – but 90 days cost 27 and not 9 euros. taz.de

More than 40 ­percent ­less ­emissions through ­electric light vehicles­: Researchers have calculated how large the CO2 savings potential of small electric vehicles actually is. Around 57 tonnes of CO2 could be saved annually with these vehicles. They came to this conclusion in a recent study by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), which was conducted on behalf of the Light Electric Vehicle Association. The term Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) is used to describe e-bikes, e-load bikes, e-scooters, electric motorbikes and scooters, but also small, three- and four-wheeled cars. dlr.de

One billion for noise protection: From 2011 to 2021, 61.06 million euros were invested in passive noise protection measures and 939.84 million euros in active noise protection measures for noise remediation in the existing network of Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG), according to the Federal Government. This is stated in the government’s answer (20/1169) to a small question by the AfD parliamentary group (20/919). From 1999 to 2015, 1,529 kilometres of track had been noise-reduced – from 2015 to 2021, the figure was 11,050 kilometres. In the case of noise remediation, the federal government finances 100 per cent of the eligible costs of active measures, such as the construction of noise barriers, and 75 per cent of the eligible costs of passive measures, such as soundproof windows, according to the „Guideline for the Promotion of Measures for Noise Remediation on Existing Railway Lines of the Federal Government“. For the planning and administrative costs, a supplement of 18 per cent is granted on the eligible construction costs.

HYDROGEN:

Costs of hydrogen: Many studies have so far assumed that the production costs for green hydrogen could fall to as low as 2 euros/kg. This benchmark is significant because it is lower than the cost of so-called blue hydrogen, which is produced by methane reforming of natural gas and in which the released carbon is captured – for example via carbon capture and storage (CCS). If the costs were to fall below 2 euros, green hydrogen would even be able to compete with fossil hydrogen – with this so-called grey hydrogen, the CO₂ produced during methane reforming is not captured. chemietechnik.de

Eon is betting on green hydrogen from Australia: The company announced on Tuesday that it wants to market green hydrogen from Australia on a large scale. Together with the Australian company Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), the Essen-based energy group wants to bring up to 5 million tonnes per year of green hydrogen to Europe by 2030. That is one third of the total hydrogen portfolio that FFI says it wants to build up by 2030. The first hydrogen from Down Under is expected to arrive in Europe in 2024. Eon and FFI initially signed a corresponding declaration of intent. Feasibility studies are to follow as a further step. FFI is part of the Australian mining company Fortescue Metals Group. vdi-nachrichten.de

Oman: Hydrogen Rise and and Jindal Shadeed Iron&Steel plan pioneering green hydrogen project to produce environmentally friendly steel in Sohar, Oman. fairewirtschaft.de

Morocco: Morocco’s latest ambition: to become a world market leader in the production of green hydrogen – and that should also help Germany with the energy transition. This is the idea behind the German-Moroccan hydrogen agreement. The Kingdom is more than willing – especially after the diplomatic crisis between Berlin and Rabat was officially settled at the beginning of the year. The joint project is also in the interest of Moroccan energy policy, says Badr Ikken of the governmental Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN). swr.de

Biohydrogen: In the Black Forest, the energy recovery of wood waste to hydrogen is being tested. fair-economics.de

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis: The war in Ukraine is a wake-up call to fundamentally reorganise our energy policy. If we learn the right lessons now, there is a chance to untie the „Gordian knot“ and meet our CO2 targets. euractiv.de

Expansion of hydrogen infrastructure: H2 Mobility Deutschland has been able to secure 110 million euros in funding. The investment will be used to expand the existing filling station network and build new hydrogen stations. springerprofessional.de

Asked about e-fuels: The CDU/CSU parliamentary group would like to know what measures the Federal Government is taking to specifically promote the market ramp-up of the production of synthetically produced fuels (e-fuels) at national and European level. In a small question (20/1203), the MPs also ask about production methods and sources which, in the view of the Federal Government, could be the basis for e-fuels. The question also asks how many sites and plants for the production of synthetic fuels currently exist in Germany and at which sites and plants e-fuels have already been produced in the past five years.

LAST WEEK IN THE BUNDESTAG

Climate protection governance is flawed – says the Federal Court of Auditors: The Federal Court of Auditors is sharply critical of the governance of climate protection in Germany. This is „inadequate“, the auditors write in a report available as information pursuant to section 99 of the Federal Budget Code (20/1150). The inadequate control leads to serious consequences, as the auditors explain: The climate protection programmes that have already been adopted are in danger of coming to nothing, as the goals set are clearly not being achieved. From the auditors‘ point of view, all climate protection measures must now be put to the test. In addition, the Court calls for monitoring of measures, better interministerial climate governance and climate tracking in the budget. According to the court, the new federal government should ensure that future climate protection programmes only contain measures that „demonstrably and economically“ contribute to a reduction of greenhouse gases. With regard to the existing programmes, the auditors criticise, among other things, the lack of specifications for almost all climate protection measures adopted since 2015 as to how much greenhouse gas is to be saved. On the other hand, the Court criticises that only a few of the projects contained in the climate protection programmes to date have actually led to savings. more on Bundestag.de

Tabular listing of German development cooperation programmes: Berlin: (hib/JOH) The Federal Government presents the programmes of German development cooperation in tabular form in an answer (20/1036) to a minor question (20/615) by the AfD parliamentary group. For the period before the entry into force of the Joint Procedural Reform 2017 (GVR 2017), which the MPs also asked about, the Federal Government explains that a differentiated presentation of the programme proposals could only be achieved with a considerable amount of work, „which would clearly exceed the level of reasonableness“.

Coal phase-out 100 million for structural change: Funding programmes and model projects have been set up as part of the coal phase-out and the structural change it has initiated in the affected coalfields. Following a first call for funding under the programme „Municipal Model Projects for the Implementation of Ecological Sustainability Goals in Regions of Structural Change“ (KoMoNa), 56 projects (47 individual projects and nine collaborative projects, eight of them with two collaborative partners and one with three collaborative partners, thus a total of 66 applications) are expected to be approved with a funding amount of about 42 million. euros. This is the result of an answer (20/1171) given by the federal government to a small question (20/800) on „Preferential use of funding and its use in the context of structural change“ by the Left Party. Of the 56 projects, eleven projects with about 10.5 million euros are in Brandenburg, 23 projects with about 16 million. Euros to North Rhine-Westphalia, 17 projects with about 12 million Euros to Saxony and five projects with about 3.5 million Euros to Saxony-Anhalt. According to the Structural Strengthening Act, KoMoNa would receive a total of 100 million euros in funding until 2038. The Left Party MPs wanted to know to what extent the model projects and programmes had been used so far, and if so, to what extent. The MPs also asked about the consequences of bringing forward the coal phase-out to 2030 for structural change and whether the government planned to bring forward funding for this. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Change replied that the government was currently examining how the structural strengthening measures in the coal regions could be brought forward or accelerated in view of the coal phase-out „ideally“ being brought forward to 2030. At this point in time, no statement can be made on concrete measures.

Würgassen indispensable as nuclear repository: The construction of the interim nuclear waste storage facility in Würgassen is necessary, according to a federal government answer (20/1163) to a minor question by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group (20/858). The interim storage facility is needed to package the low and intermediate level radioactive waste from all over Germany into „precisely fitting batches“ for final disposal in the Konrad mine near Salzgitter. For the operation of the repository, it is necessary to „store waste packages that exactly match each other in the respective batches“, writes the Federal Government. The Federal Government therefore considers the need for a staging facility for the Konrad repository to be „technically proven“; in the 2018 coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and the SPD, the construction of the facility was described as „indispensable“ for the speedy emplacement operation. It enables „efficient just-in-time delivery“ and storage in multiple shifts. In this way, the storage period can probably be shortened by ten years, the Federal Government continues.

Wind power significantly reduces greenhouse gases: onshore and offshore wind power plants have avoided around one hundred million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in Germany in 2020. This is stated in an answer (20/1227) of the Federal Government to a small question (20/985) of the AfD parliamentary group on onshore and offshore wind power plants in Germany. Thus, the federal government explains that as a result of the construction, maintenance, repair and overhaul of onshore wind turbines, around 1.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents were emitted in 2020. On the other hand, greenhouse gases amounting to approximately 81 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents could have been saved by displacing fossil power generation. The construction, maintenance, repair and overhaul of offshore wind turbines emitted around 270 thousand tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2020, the response continues. By displacing fossil power generation, greenhouse gases amounting to approximately 21.3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents were avoided in the same period. The Federal Government puts the total number of onshore wind turbines (as of 31 December 2021) at 28,860. Most of them are located in Lower Saxony (6,254), Brandenburg (3,967) and North Rhine-Westphalia (3,571). At sea, there are 1,499 turbines in Germany. Of these, 1,268 are in the North Sea and 231 in the Baltic Sea.

LITERALLY

When a product is in short supply, consumption must be curbed. Grain belongs first and foremost on the table – and without the diversions via the feed trough. For a slaughtered pig to provide one calorie, it must consume three calories of plant food while alive. Sixty per cent of the maize produced worldwide is fed to animals, and the situation is similar for wheat in the EU.

Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation, she did not want to tell anyone what to eat, but she did want to point out an important connection: It would greatly help the grain supply in developing and emerging countries in the medium and long term if we in the rich countries ate less animal products. If we were to reduce pork production in Germany by 30 percent, arable land of one million hectares would be freed up – about one tenth of the arable land in Germany. Five million tonnes of grain could be grown on it. That won’t happen overnight. But in the longer term it would improve the supply situation. We must prevent even more people from going hungry because of sharply rising grain prices. A poor supply situation with basic foodstuffs can destabilise states. We have seen this with the rising bread prices in the Arab region in the past decade. rnd.de

AFRICA

Enlargement of the East African Community: Last Tuesday, at the 19th Extraordinary Summit of the East African Community (EAC), the Democratic Republic of Congo was officially confirmed as the seventh member. The EAC also includes Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose country currently holds the presidency of the international community, spoke of a „historic day in the history of the EAC“. The admission of the second largest country on the African continent and an expansion of the market of the East African Community to almost 300 million people could, according to expert estimates, increase the export volume by almost 240 million US dollars annually, from which the member states Rwanda and Uganda in particular would benefit. With this step, the EAC achieves a geographical expansion from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic and hopes to strengthen its international negotiating power.

North Africa trip of the US Secretary of State: After his trip to Israel and the West Bank, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will fly to Morocco and Algeria on Monday.  In Morocco, Blinken will meet  with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. The talks will also focus on the disputed Western Sahara, the former Spanish colony that the Trump administration has officially recognised as part of Morocco under the fundamentally new Abraham Agreement when Rabat normalises relations with Israel in December 2020. Morocco has also so far shied away from condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In Algeria, Blinken will meet President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra. Algeria is a leading supplier of natural gas to Europe and plays a crucial role after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last month prevented the opening of a major new natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. africanews.com

Ukraine war: The neutral continent: Why Africa finds it hard to condemn the attack on Ukraine. Russia has been heavily involved in Africa in recent years. Is Moscow’s commitment now paying off? nzz.ch

Glimmer of hope after Corona easing: Omicron wave in Africa ebbs, infection figures fall. Africa is getting ready for the return of tourists. But many challenges remain – for example in South Africa. dw.com

Kenya: 16-year-old Rahmina Paulette from Kenya is a climate activist. Together with other young activists, she campaigns against pollution in Lake Victoria. Paulette attended the United Nations COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, last November. Now her attention turns to COP27, which will take place in Egypt later this year. „Today we are holding the global climate strike where we will be holding a campaign here in Kenya Kisumu called ‚Let Lake Victoria Breathe Again‘ and another campaign called ‚Food at COP‘ aimed at promoting local vegetables to be served at COP 27. Our motto is people, not profit, meaning we care about people’s health while providing environmental solutions without looking at economic gains,“ she says. africanews.com

Egypt: The dream of greening the desert lives on. To feed the growing population and reduce grain imports, Egypt wants to develop new areas in the desert. However, many large-scale state projects have failed. The water shortage is only one problem. nzz.ch

Angola: Five months before the elections, arrests of opposition members are increasing in Angola. The opposition says that the threat of electoral defeat is making the government nervous. And the opposition is more united than ever. dw.com

Forced marriage: When girls have to flee from their own family. Every year, thousands of girls are forcibly married in Burkina Faso. Many suffer in silence. Some can save themselves in a women’s shelter and get a perspective there. spiegel.de
Zimbabwe: By-elections have brought success for new opposition force. The „Citizens Coalition for Change“ performs successfully. The country could be facing troubled times again. taz.de
South Africa: Unemployment rate reaches historic high of 35.3 % in Q4 2021. africanews.com
Tunisia: President announces dissolution of parliament. The power struggle in Tunisia thus comes to a head. The suspended parliament met for the first time since it was ousted and revoked President Kais Saied’s reorganisation of the state. The latter reacted immediately. dw.com

Central African Republic: New Russia in the Tropics. The Central African Republic is Russia’s most important partner in Africa. Russian influence goes far beyond the Wagner mercenary force. taz.de

MORE KNOWLEDGE

ESA observes plastic waste in the sea: Every year, ten to 14 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans. The rubbish does not always collect visibly on the water surface or is washed ashore. Researchers who want to develop solutions to the plastic problem are thus faced with a basic dilemma. „The available data is very rudimentary. We know what happens to maybe one per cent of the plastic that ends up in the ocean,“ says flow expert Anton de Fockert. The European Space Agency ESA, together with numerous project partners, wants to change this. A call in 2020 has resulted in more than two dozen projects working specifically on detecting floating rubbish from above as part of the Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP). In order to detect it and observe it on its journey around the globe, satellites are to be used in the future in addition to aircraft and drones. derstandard.at

Urban Evolution – how can land in the city be better used?  While on the one hand sustainable solutions in cities are in demand, land consumption in urban areas is increasing. We can find potentials for growing food and luxury foodstuffs and processing them in cities, and this in confined spaces.  The „urban gardening“ movement has shown possibilities in recent years. The real estate service provider Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) has now produced a concept paper „Urban Evolution“ together with the Swiss strategy boutique Arthesia. The focus of the considerations: Vertical Farming and Neomanufacturing. The former allows the vertical cultivation of food to use the floor space many times more efficiently. Neomanufacturing, meanwhile, softens the strict separation of the city’s use sectors. It thus offers the opportunity to re-locate small businesses in residential areas and enhances this neighbourhood through a broader mix. An important prerequisite for both, he says, is the digitalisation of the economy and society. tagesspiegel.de , original paper

How can offshore wind turbines be disposed of on the high seas? In ten years at the latest, the dismantling of wind turbines in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea will pose major challenges. Scientists have now produced a handbook that evaluates different procedures in terms of costs, environmental compatibility and occupational safety. „Every wind farm is different, so there can’t be one optimal solution for dismantling,“ says project manager Silke Eckardt. In 2010, the first German offshore wind farm, Alpha Ventus, was connected to the grid north of Borkum. In the German North Sea and Baltic Sea, 1,500 wind turbines are in operation. Due to the difficult weather conditions at sea, their service life is limited to 20 to 25 years. By then at the latest, they will have to be partially or completely dismantled and disposed of – but possibly earlier, in order to install more modern turbines with greater output at the same location. spiegel.de

Textiles: Fast fashion, i.e. extremely cheap clothing, is to be phased out by 2030. faz.net
Viniculture: Climate change threatens Riesling, but women vintners have a recipe. stern.de
Mangrove forests: Are hotspots of biodiversity and allies in the climate crisis. faz.net
Alps: With rising temperatures, forests are expanding ever higher – and rapidly. rnd.de

THE LAST:

How AI creates the perfect beer: How do you brew the perfect beer? The company One Logic has analysed a whole lot of data and created a beer from it. The name comes from an AI. The One Logic employees analysed the data and looked for beers that would taste good to an assumed target group of around 30-year-old people in the vicinity of the company’s locations in Frankfurt, Munich and Passau. In cooperation with the Hallertau contract brewery Urban Chestnut, the makers now looked for the right beer. The brewer took the in-house Zwickel as a basis, but supplemented it with a little more original wort and green hops – which, according to the analysis, the intended target group prefers. NLP (Natural Language Processing) analysis came into play in the name search. This showed that the name should preferably consist of two words with four syllables, and the analysis also provided information on tonality and the number of vowels. heise.de

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