Climate activists have occupied a gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany, and are skateboarding inside. The demonstrators, who oppose the use of fossil fuels, say the Nord Stream 2 will be more detrimental to the environment than the authorities claim. Police say at least five people are occupying the pipes near Wrangelsburg in northern Germany. The network will double the amount of gas that can be transported directly to Germany from Russia.
BBC 16th May 2019 read more »
Global investment in coal tumbles by 75% in three years, as lenders lose appetite for fossil fuel. Since it powered us into the industrial revolution, coal-fired energy has become the single biggest driver of man-made climate change and its use across the world is still increasing. But while dependence on coal remains high, with coal-fired power plants currently fuelling around 38 per cent of global electricity, a new report indicates the demise of coal is already well underway. The International Energy Agency’s new world investment report released this week, reveals the companies funding coal-fired power stations appear to be making significant recalculations about the long-term viability of these plants. This is shown by a collapse in Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) for coal plants, which have tumbled by 75 per cent in three years. The report says a total of 236 gigawatts of coal plants are under construction worldwide. In 2015, FIDs signed off 88 gigawatts for construction, but this fell to 22 gigawatts in 2018.
Independent 16th May 2019 read more »
