to the German edition
Microbeads and glitter banned with immediate effect: This Sunday, the first EU regulation to curb microplastics came into force. Small plastic beads in cosmetics as well as loose glitter will no longer be available in shops from then on. Further bans are to follow step by step over the next few years. Creams and peelings containing plastic microbeads will no longer be available for purchase as of this Sunday. Also no longer available: loose glitter, i.e. glitter dust as used in nail studios, but also for carnival or Halloween costumes. spektrum.de , mdr.de
2023 will most likely be the hottest year ever: According to the US climate agency NOAA, the current year will be the warmest on a global scale since records began, with a probability of more than 99 percent. For the period January to September, 2023 has already set the record, NOAA announced. According to the report, June, July, August and September each recorded the hottest monthly value. The warmest year to date was 2016. weather.com
Up to 9.7 per cent of economic output
The energy crisis is driving state subsidies to record levels. Actually, the traffic lights wanted to reduce subsidies – and thus have more money for climate protection. But now the energy crisis could double federal financial aid to more than 200 billion euros. spiegel.de
Poor households suffer more from the energy crisis: Since Russian natural gas gradually disappeared with the Ukraine war, many people in Germany have experienced an explosion in energy prices – with the simultaneous perceived injustice that socially weaker households are suffering particularly badly from the costs. A survey by the German Council of Consumer Advisors confirms how real the perceived additional burden is. Together with the survey institute Forsa, the advisory body of the Federal Government had collected precise data from more than 4,400 households. According to this, households have had to pay an average of 52 euros more per month for electricity and heating since March 2022 – an increase of one third. For households with medium incomes, the additional burden is 57 to 60 euros per month, for wealthy households around 50 euros. klimareporter.de
Proposal for a new forest law: Everything is currently in question in the forest: how it can be preserved in the face of climate change, how money can be earned from it in the future and what its wood should be used for. In view of these challenges, the old forest laws at the state and federal level no longer fit and are being amended. The responsible Ministry of Agriculture is currently working on a proposal for a new Federal Forest Act, which will soon be sent to the ministries involved and go into consultation with the associations. In order to advance the discussion, the four environmental associations DNR, DUH, Nabu and WWF made their own proposal for a Federal Forest Act in Berlin on Wednesday. They focus on the forest as a habitat and as a water and carbon dioxide reservoir. taz.de , verbaende.com (Nabu) . verbaende.com (forest owners‘ counter-opinion)
Steffi Lemke wants to release wolves for shooting more quickly: Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke wants to allow faster shooting of individual wolves in Germany. In Berlin, she presented her proposals on how to deal with wolves in the future, after farmers had complained about increasing damage. According to the proposals, in future it will be allowed to shoot a wolf within a radius of 1,000 metres from the site of a wolf kill for 21 days from the time of the kill. „Where wolves kill sheep, (…) we have to shoot these wolves because they have learned that they are easy prey,“ said the Green politician. However, several preconditions must be met. There will still be no „shooting of wolves without any reason“, Lemke said at a press conference on Thursday, because this is neither compatible with national nor with European law. zeit.de, fair-economics.de(background information), zeit.de (The Germans and the wolve)
The earth is too dry – the water cycle is coming apart at the seams: The earth’s water cycle is a fascinating system. A look at our planet shows that neither water is being lost nor is new water being added. But due to climate change and human activities, the distribution is shifting – and this is leading to global problems, as the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) now also notes in a new report. „Globally, we have less water in reservoirs and we have lost groundwater,“ said WMO head Petteri Taalas in Geneva. This cannot yet be quantified, he said. According to the WMO, usable data on water reserves have only been available since 2002. Since then, the trend has been downward, as can be read in the report „State of Global Water Resources 2022“. fair-economics.de, spiegel.de
BOOK TIP OF THE WEEK:
Meine Nachhaltige Küche
111 ideas & lifehacks for little money
Eating environmentally friendly and healthy food and furnishing the kitchen sustainably sounds exhausting – and above all expensive? „Not at all,“ says Alexandra Achenbach. She knows that if you buy consciously, do a lot of your own cooking, cook according to the season and use energy wisely, you can really save money – and do something good for the environment at the same time.
111 LIFEHACKS AROUND A GREEN KITCHEN:
– Tips and tricks for saving energy
– Smart storage and shopping tips
– DIY instructions from limescale
remover to crocheted dish sponge
– Delicious recipe ideas from muesli bars to pesto made from carrot greens
– Clever use of leftovers from regrow garden to worm composter
World Bank: Cancels funding for Oder expansion after construction halt. zeit.de
EU: Will continue to allow glyphosate – that’s how dangerous it is. focus.de
Countries reconsider energy turnaround: OPEC expects rising oil demand. n-tv.de
Exxon: The oil company invests 60 billion dollars in fossil despite climate crisis by buying competitor Pioneer. derstandard.at
Lobbying: The EU has declared war on disposable packaging like French fry bags and burger boxes. Corporations fight back with questionable methods. kleinezeitung.at
Germany’s associations: Want to save EU building directive. euractiv.de
SPD Vice: Limitation of rights to sue for expansion of renewables. fair-economics.de
The seventeen goals magazine tells inspiring stories about how people move the world and shows how everyone can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
PODCAST OF THE WEEK:
„One billion for energy research“
This time, Dr Daniel Pröfrock, a scientist who is part of what is currently probably the largest climate protection project in Germany, will be our guest. The German government is investing one billion euros in the H2Mare project. The goal: to produce green hydrogen with offshore wind power and thus become less dependent on fossil energy imports from abroad. Dr Pröfrock provides insights into what the chances are of achieving this goal and why humanities scholars sometimes see things differently. helmholtz.de
COMMENT OF THE WEEK:
An end to unrestrained growth
from Uwe Bork
The legendary Tin Lizzy was a slim girl. Ford’s Tin Lizzy, the first affordable automobile, weighed only 540 kilos in its slimmest form. Today, SUVs easily exceed the two-tonne limit and look like sumo wrestlers among judo fighters compared to the over 100-year-old T models. Sure, the bareness of early vintage cars would drive even the most fanatical car apologists into the thin upholstery of buses and trains. Nevertheless, our cars, created as if under the use of anabolic steroids, have the best chance of a top place in the charts of worldwide aberrations. There they would meet the seemingly dirt-cheap T-shirts that travel halfway around the world to fill the shelves of our discounters, intercontinental holiday trips to islands that the rising sea level threatens to wash over soon, and plastic bottles that are as indestructible as otherwise only nuclear waste from nuclear power plants at risk of GAU. …
In view of migration movements, economic crises and climate catastrophes, we will increasingly have to think globally, but whether it also makes sense to produce globally in order to increase profits can be safely doubted. This has nothing to do with hostility to progress; the scrawny tin dolly is rightly no longer rolling off the production line. But what if today a start-up developed a kind of T-Model 2.0? If creatives used centrally developed technology to decentralise? Wouldn’t that be a really welcome form of dialectics?
Small is beautiful, small is beautiful? Perhaps. But above all it is more sustainable – and therefore better. deutschlandfunkkultur.de
MOBILITY:
Number of long-distance commuters rises significantly: There are more and more commuters in Germany. Their number has risen by around 700,000 within a year, as the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) announced on Thursday. As of 30 June 2022, 20.3 million employees subject to social insurance contributions did not work in the municipality in which they lived. The commuter share of employees subject to social security contributions rose slightly: by half a point to 60 per cent. The statistics do not indicate which means of transport commuters use. spiegel.de
No agreement on 49 Euro ticket: The federal states are still willing to finance the expected additional costs for the Deutschlandticket next year – the federal government so far is not. The Conference of Transport Ministers (VMK) in Cologne ended on Thursday without an agreement on the matter. merkur.de, lok-report.de (Verbändestellungnahme)
Habeck on the road by bike: Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) likes to ride his bike – not only at home in Schleswig-Holstein or on summer tours during the election campaign, but also in everyday life in Berlin. And he apparently likes (or is forced) to ride fast. businessinsider.de
Climate-neutral ships are running out of fuel: The UN maritime organisation IMO has moved the climate targets for ship fuel forward by 50 years. But so far there are hardly any alternatives to marine diesel. handelsblatt.com
Breaking the supremacy of the car: What the federal government plans for road traffic. For example, the decision on traffic restrictions such as speed limits is to rest with the municipalities in the future. Cities and municipalities will thus be able to decide whether new cycle paths or bus lanes are to be built. Play streets, pavements and speed bumps can also be ordered more easily. In such zones, cars would only be allowed to drive at walking speed. stern.de, fr.de
Greek island becomes an Eldorado for e-mobility: Smart, sustainable and open to change: this is how the island of Astypalea can be described. Covering an area of just 96 square kilometres, it offers ideal opportunities to make green transformation a reality in a small space. capital.de
HYDROGEN:
Green hydrogen is much more expensive than thought: Hydrogen from renewable energy is considered by important industries to be the only solution against CO2 emissions. But strategists have apparently underestimated the costs. The first projects are in danger. Instead of three euros per kilogram, prices for green hydrogen would probably be between five and eight euros from 2030. The daily hydrogen price index Hydex also currently fluctuates between four and eight euros per kilogram. Some industry participants even report prices of up to ten euros to the Handelsblatt. The first projects are already being put to the test. „If nothing happens here, many of these projects will not be implemented,“ Burchardt also believes. That would be disastrous news for the energy transition. handelsblatt.com
Instead of a battery on an e-bike: These already run on hydrogen:A French company has developed the first freely saleable hydrogen bicycle that can absorb enough hydrogen for a distance of 150 kilometres in just two minutes. Even though it would be an alternative to e-bikes with batteries, there is still one problem: the lack of infrastructure. efahrerchip.de
US government supports hydrogen centres with seven billion dollars: Whether in Texas, California or on the East Coast: Joe Biden’s government wants to turn seven regions into hydrogen production sites – and is making an enormous amount of money available for this. spiegel.de
Battery innovation: Efficiently storing electricity and producing hydrogen. ftd.de
Germany could import hydrogen from these countries: Sustainably produced hydrogen and its derivatives play a central role in the energy transition. Therefore, the demand for hydrogen is gigantic. The German government now expects several hundred million tonnes per year. But where will the hydrogen and its derivatives come from? It is clear that local production in Germany will not suffice. According to estimates by the energy scale-up Eternal Power, Germany will have to import almost 80 % of the green hydrogen it needs in future. On behalf of the H2Global Foundation, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) has now investigated the countries from which Germany’s imports could come. The cheapest hydrogen is available in Australia and Brazil. spingerprofessional.de
Study: Energy suppliers see little business potential for hydrogen until 2025. energie.de
LAST WEEK IN THE BUNDESTAG:
Statement on the criticism of the Länder on the Cannabis Act: In a briefing (20/8763), the Federal Government responds to amendments proposed by the Bundesrat to the Cannabis Act (20/8704). The draft law on the controlled use of cannabis provides for the legalisation of the possession and consumption of cannabis under certain conditions. bundestag.de
Federal Government – Keeping backup power plants on standby has proven its worth: On 8 July 2022, the German Bundestag, with the consent of the Bundesrat, enacted the Act on the Standby of Replacement Power Plants to Reduce Gas Consumption in the Electricity Sector in the Event of an Impending Gas Shortage by Amending the Energy Industry Act and Other Energy Industry Regulations. The amendments to the Energy Industry Act (EnWG) introduced by the Act, in particular the newly created sections 50a to 50i EnWG, were aimed at averting the market distortions caused by the Russian attack on Ukraine and the resulting threat of a gas shortage in Germany and in Europe. According to the Federal Government’s briefing (20/8500) on the measures taken under section 50j(1) of the Energy Industry Act, both instruments – the temporary expansion of the electricity generation supply by plants from the grid reserve as well as the temporary expansion of the electricity generation supply by plants from the supply reserve – will lead to a noticeable reduction of natural gas generation in Germany as well as in the interconnected European electricity grid in the coming winter. According to the report, the avoidance of natural gas power generation would be greatest if both instruments worked together. bundestag.de
LITERALLY:
I grow my flowers completely organically. I grow them by hand. This is completely contrary to the flower industry, which is 90 per cent import-based. Flowers are mass-produced. I work against this fast and dirty industry. I guess that’s what makes me a kind of activist. On average, it takes me nine months to get a bouquet from seeds. Some flowers I even grow for three years. That’s why my work is also called the „Slow Flower Movement“.
Masami Charlotte Lavaults, activist, Slow Flower Movement is an initiative that promotes transparency and sustainability in cut flower production. Its members include flower breeders, florists and gardeners. The aim is to grow flowers regionally and as sustainably as possible, without pesticides. The climate in Northern Europe is a challenge, of course, because there are many cold months. So their challenge, like everywhere else in agriculture, is to secure their income over the summer months. If any unforeseen events happen, such as heavy hail, storms, frost or a slug infestation, most of the flowers may be destroyed, but that’s life. Annoying, but I can’t help it. vogue.de
AFRICA:
Energy agency: EU should support green cooking in Africa: Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), is urging the EU to support a green cooking initiative in Africa at the upcoming world climate summit. In an interview with Euractiv, he said this was „the most important issue“ for the continent. euractiv.co.uk
South Africa – Danger for the Jackass Penguin: Overfishing, climate change and the destruction of breeding grounds threaten the population of the African Jackass Penguin. Scientists warn on „African Penguin Awareness Day“ that it could become extinct. tagesschau.de
The autonomous tricycle: Bingwa is the new hype in Uganda: the vehicle is locally manufactured, can generate electricity and pump water. It succeeded without foreign investors. taz.de
Development Ministry gives more money for social security in the Sahel: The German government will spend more money on expanding social security systems in the crisis-ridden countries of the Sahel region. To this end, support for the work of the UN Children’s Fund Unicef and the World Food Programme WFP there will be increased by 40 million euros, the Development Ministry announced last week in Berlin. This brings the total German commitment to social protection in the Sahel region to around 340 million euros since 2019. rnd.de
How Kenya is becoming a renewable energy wonderland: Kenya generates almost 90 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, and the potential seems huge. At the same time, the state could soon export more oil. How does that fit together? spiegel.de
Heavy fighting in eastern DR Congo: A conflagration threatens: militias open the fight against the M23 rebels supported by Rwanda. Intervention troops from Burundi are present but do not stop them. taz.de
MORE KNOWLEDGE:
Digitalisation can save up to 163 megatonnes of CO2: Germany could save 163 megatonnes of CO2 by 2050 through consistent digitisation, according to a recent study by eco in cooperation with Arthur D. Littl. While politicians are still looking for ways and means to help Germany achieve the climate targets of the Paris Agreement by 2050, the German Internet Industry Association – eco – and Arthur D. Little (ADL) seem to have found a set screw in a recent study: Consistent digitalisation. The study „Digital Transformation for More Sustainability: Positive Effects of Digital Technologies and Infrastructures on the Climate Footprint of the Economy and Society“ concludes that Germany could save no less than 163 megatonnes of CO2 by 2050 through the consistent introduction and use of digital technologies and services. This corresponds to around 20 percent of the total emissions forecast for Germany in 2050. The authors of the study identified a further savings potential of 104 megatonnes for the area of data storage and transmission. Overall, a reduction of CO2 emissions by 30 percent is possible by 2050. computerwoche.de , eco.de on the study
Solar boom with dark sides: Even though more new solar power plants are being built in Germany than ever before, this is mainly due to dumping prices for solar panels in China. In addition, wind power is not yet developing as hoped. The European solar manufacturers have therefore recently written an incendiary letter to the EU Commission and the EU Parliament: „If nothing happens now, there is a great risk that European solar producers will have massive problems in the next few months, and some will even go bankrupt,“ it says. The letter was signed by 40 companies, including Meyer Burger and Heckert Solar. „The entire European solar industry has been the victim of an unprecedented price war for several months now,“ says Meyer Burger CEO Klaus Erfurt. klimareporter.de
Are raw materials from the seabed salvation or doom? The deep sea is home to manganese nodules that contain valuable metals for industry. However, their extraction involves great ecological and economic risks – and is politically controversial. Metals such as cobalt, nickel and copper are needed for the energy transition to be implemented in a reasonably realistic way. Without them, no smartphone will run and no electric car will run. These raw materials are also in demand for batteries, solar cells, wind turbines and now even armaments. Manganese nodules usually contain these metals, sometimes also rare earths – they are stored in the deep sea. Because a potential business worth billions is at stake, the geopolitical tug-of-war over the nodules has intensified considerably. But environmental concerns weigh heavily – corporations such as Google, VW and Microsoft, which in principle have great interest in such metals, have announced that they will refrain from raw materials from deep-sea mining as long as the ecological effects have not been clarified. derstandard.at
CO2 footprint: This bank terminates accounts of climate sinners. schwaebische.de
Barbados: „Debt-for-climate“ swap. latina-press.com
Mass tourism: They simply don’t want tourists any more: Residents of numerous holiday resorts are now downright fighting back against the visitors. stern.de
CALENDAR:
#22 Berlin Climate Talk: Fair. And not a degree more!
Date, time: Monday, 16 October 2023, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., followed by a get-together. Place: Catholic Academy Berlin, Hannoversche Straße 5, 10115 Berlin Participation: Please register here The Climate Alliance Germany, Fairtrade Germany and the Forum Fairer Handel invite you to a discussion in Berlin on World Food Day.
- Dr Bärbel Kofler, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
- Kathrin Henneberger MdB, Alliance 90/The Greens
- Andrea Fütterer, Chairperson, Forum Fairer Handel
- Anika Schroeder, Climate Change Expert, Misereor
- Dr Christoph Hoffmann MdB, Free Democrats – FDP
The event will be moderated by journalist Caspar Dohmen.
The climate crisis is turning everything upside down – the way we live, grow food, trade. And it is unjust because it hits hardest those who have contributed least to it. To preserve livelihoods and food security around the world, we need a radical rethink. We need new and more equitable partnerships between those who produce food and those who buy and sell it. Smallholder farmers, who are particularly vulnerable to climate-related weather extremes, need support in solidarity. It is high time for climate justice!
THE LAST:
Climate crisis „not gender neutral“ – majority of states have no plan to protect women:
Women are hit particularly hard by the effects of climate change, during pregnancy, through violence or lack of medical assistance. But few states have a concrete plan on how to mitigate these effects, a new UN study shows. The climate crisis is affecting gender equality – in a negative way. Out of 119 states, only 38 are considering measures to mitigate the gender-specific effects of the climate crisis. The climate is setting us back in the fight for gender equality,“ says Angela Baschieri, policy advisor at the UNFPA and responsible for climate issues. She co-authored the report. „Our concern is that climate policy recognises the differential impacts on women and takes them into account when designing policy.“ stern.de
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All images, unless otherwise stated: pixabay.com
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