( Clean Energy Wire ) – The “increasingly tangible” threat of climate change and other risks at a global scale, such as the coronavirus pandemic or geopolitical tensions in many regions, are spurring a sense of “collective helplessness” in societies around the world, the Munich Security Conference’s (MSC) 2022 report has found. “Liberal democracies appear […]
Germany’s First Battery-Powered Train Plies Regional Routes on Way to Green Rails
( Clean Energy Wire ) – Together with French manufacturer Alstom, German railway company Deutsche Bahn is going to start trial runs with the country’s first battery-powered passenger train. Test operation of the so-called Battery Electric Multiple Unit (BEMU) from Alstom would begin in late January on regional routes in the southern German states of […]
Climate Emergency Pushing White Christmas out of Germany
( CleanEnergy Wire) – Global warming is making white Christmas a thing of the past in Germany, the country’s national weather service DWD has said. Comparing the years 1961 to 1990 with the period between 1991 and 2020, the meteorologists found that the chance to see a full snow cover between December 24 and 26 […]
German Scientists: Without Drastic Climate Action, World could be headed to Dangerous 7.2° F. extra Heating
By Benjamin Wehrmann | – ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Current emissions reduction efforts around the world are insufficient to limit global warming to up to 2 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, Germany’s Meteorological Service (DWD) has said. Despite globally reduced mobility and depressed industrial production due to the coronavirus […]
Germany’s Crypto-Neo-Nazi AfD Party calls for end to all climate action efforts
( Clean Energy Wire ) – The right-wing nationalist AfD party has called for an end to all major climate action efforts Germany has committed itself to and wants to abandon both the Paris Climate Agreement and the European Green Deal. One year before the general election in autumn 2021, the party that holds 12.6 […]
Greta Thunberg and Youth to Angela Merkel: ‘Abandon Fossil Fuel Industry’
By Benjamin Wehrmann ( Clean Energy Wire) – Greta Thunberg and fellow activists have met German Chancellor Angela Merkel to exchange views on the fight against climate change. The campaigners said the 90 minute meeting’s atmosphere was friendly, but also added that “we look at the situation from different perspectives.” Merkel’s spokesman said the EU’s […]
Coal Plummets 30% in Germany as Renewables Gain during Covid-19 Slowdown
( Clean Energy Wire) – An abrupt halt to economic activity and greatly reduced mobility in reaction to the coronavirus outbreak have let Germany’s energy consumption plummet in the first half of 2020. While all fossil fuels and especially coal experienced a sharp drop in demand, energy produced with renewables increased its share and absolute […]
In 2020, Wind and Solar could cover nearly Six Months of Germany’s Annual Power Demand
(Clean Energy Wire) – The amount of electricity produced with renewable energy sources in Germany within one year could theoretically power the country for 172 days, energy provider E.ON has calculated. Germany’s “Green Energy Day” thus would be on 20 June in 2020 – 47 percent of the whole year, and more than two weeks […]