European Union

Germany gets 20% of its Electricity from the Sun: July marks third monthly Solar Power output Record

By Edgar Meza | – Referencing: Germany’s “PV Magazine”. Photovoltaic systems in Germany generated a new record level of electricity in the month July 2022, the pv magazine reported. Solar PV arrays produced 8.23 terawatt hours (TWh) of power, accounting for roughly one fifth of the country’s net electricity generation and also marking the third […]

Celtic Religion

In Celtic Culture, August 1 is a Harvest Feast for the Sun-God, Lugh, and its Traces are All Around Us

Hugh J. Curran

Orono, Maine (Special to Informed Comment) – We are approaching August 1 which, in Scottish and Irish tradition, is the Feast of Lughnasadh (La Lunasa), also known as Lammas Day. It is one of the four most important festival days in Celtic countries and was originally meant to celebrate Lugh’s birth. Lugh (pronounced Lu or […]

Climate Crisis

Germany: Löwenbräu, other Beer Brands to be Made with Wind and Solar as Russian Gas Turns Unreliable

Clean Energy Wire

By Hannah Naylor | – inFranken.de / Süddeutsche Zeitung ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Bavarian breweries concerned about possible gas shortages are developing contingency plans to avoid a complete halt of beer production, reports regional news website inFranken.de. Munich breweries are considering switching to other energy sources, such as oil or renewables, but these […]

European Union

European Union sues Hungary over anti-gay Law – what it could mean for LGBT Rights in Europe

The Conversation

By Koen Slootmaeckers, City, University of London | – (The Conversation) – The European commission is taking legal action against Hungary at the European court of justice (ECJ), escalating a longstanding dispute over the country’s anti-LGBT laws. This is an unprecedented step for the EU, but it isn’t a sure win for LGBT rights in […]

Germany

Quest for Energy Independence set to boost Germany’s Energy Transition

Clean Energy Wire

By Sören Amelang | – ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Germany’s push for energy independence triggered by the Ukraine war could boost the country’s emission reduction efforts in the medium term, as well as economic growth and employment, says a report by Allianz Trade. “The race to energy sovereignty sparked by Russia’s invasion of […]

China

In Saudi Arabia, Biden Plays Defense against Russia, China, Iran

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Although President Joe Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia was ostensibly about petroleum and attempting to lower gasoline prices in the US, it doesn’t seem to me that that rationale entirely explains Biden’s about-face on Saudi Arabia. For one thing, Biden must have been told that Saudi Arabia does not have […]

Germany

Germany’s renewables output climbs to 49% of power demand in first half of 2022

Benjamin Wehrmann

( Clean Energy Wire ) – Renewables provided nearly half of Germany’s electricity in the first six months of 2022, according to preliminary data released by energy industry association BDEW and research institute ZSW. Solar panels, wind turbines, biogas plants and other installations covered 49 percent of electricity demand, six percentage points more than during […]

European Union

As Biden sends more Troops to Eastern Europe, how do US Commitments now Compare to those of the Cold War?

The Conversation

By Christoph Bluth, University of Bradford | – (The Conversation) – US president Joe Biden is beefing up the US military presence in eastern Europe as a reaction to the Ukraine war. Biden plans to redeploy troops from Germany to Poland and Romania and send more destroyers to strengthen Nato’s naval presence on its southern […]

Climate Crisis

European Union Ministers Agree on Climate Bills, the De Facto End of Gasoline Cars by 2035

Kerstine Appunn

By Kerstine Appunn | – ( Clean Energy Wire) – EU member states have approved the end of fossil fuelled passenger cars in 2035 and found compromises on emissions trading and a “Social Climate Fund”. The fund will be used to cushion the impacts of a new price on CO2 in the transport and heating […]