NEWSROOM
60% of Europe’s power came from renewables in early 2024, as green transition gathers pace…
Renewable sources provided 60% of Europe’s power demand in January and February 2024, up 12% from the year before, according to energy thinktank Ember. Total clean energy generation for the period was a record 516.5 terawatt hours (TWh), whilst fossil fuels fell to 351TWh. Across 2023, fossil fuel generation fell by 19%, in what the organisation called an “unprecedented collapse.” Among renewable sources, nuclear and hydropower saw the most demand in the first two months of the year. The growth of hydropower has been accelerated by large scale hydro projects across the continent, with the world’s largest tidal power project now earmarked for the River Mersey in Liverpool.
Atlantic salmon return to northern England, following weir removal…
Atlantic salmon have returned to the spawning waters of the River Derwent in the heart of Derbyshire for the first time in 100 years, following a protracted period of decline during the Industrial Revolution. The river, once home to bustling factories and mills, had its flow interrupted by various weirs and dams, reducing the number of fish species able to migrate freely. The Wild Trout Trust led an initiative to remove a weir at Snake Lane, allowing salmon to recolonise the headwaters of the Derwent. Similar projects are underway across the UK, with increasing numbers of salmon being reported across the waterways.
Climate protests increase public concern about climate change, according to German study…
Climate protests are effective at increasing public concern for climate change, according to a study published in Nature. The study’s researchers surveyed tens of thousands of Germans over four years, and found that concerns about the climate rose by an average 1.2% in the days following prominent protests. They also found that protests do not negatively affect concern for climate change, regardless of age, gender, education, or political orientation. The authors argue that the research proves “protests do not merely preach to the converted.” The article was published just two days before the climate movement’s most prominent activist, Greta Thunberg, was arrested at a protest against fossil fuel subsidies in the Hague.
Pope Francis stands with Peruvian villagers in land battle with Catholic group…
In a surprise move, Pope Francis has sent a message of support to a group of indigenous farmers in the San Juan Bautista de Catacaos community in Peru. The farmers accused the powerful Catholic lay group, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, of conducting a protracted eviction campaign against them, involving a string of lawsuits beginning in 2014. In a message published on Saturday, the Pope urged the farmers to “defend your land, and don’t let them steal it.” The message came as the Vatican concludes an investigation into the Sodalitium, following accusations of abuse and financial mismanagement. Against a backdrop of ongoing violent evictions of indigenous groups across the continent, the farmers’ lawyer, Carlos Rodriguez, thanked the Pope for recognising the group as “defenders of their land”.
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