In brief | 19 August '24

Euractiv: Expert: EU, Greece should change mentality to face future wildfires

By only focusing on firefighting without a prevention-focused holistic approach, it will be hard for the EU countries to face future wildfires, an expert from Greece, where thousands of hectares of forest were again burned in a couple of days, told Euractiv.

Bloomberg: Storms threaten Greece and Balkans as heat sears Spain

Thunderstorms over Greece and the Balkans risk both flooding and lightning strikes that could trigger more wildfires, while heat continues to sear southern Spain.

Bloomberg: Hungary allows nuclear plant to exceed Danube temperature limits

Hungary relaxed regulations governing its sole nuclear power plant, giving it the option to operate at full capacity even if the cooling water released back into the Danube river exceeds temperature limits.

European Commission: Degraded ecosystems to be restored across Europe as Nature Restoration Law enters into force

The regulation sets binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems, particularly those with the most potential to capture and store carbon and to prevent and reduce the impact of natural disasters. The law came into effect on Sunday (18 August).

Paul Scherrer Institute: Where should hydrogen be produced in the future?

Two factors proved decisive: Where can the huge demand for green electricity needed for electrolysis be met most efficiently – thanks to an abundance of alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar? And where is there enough suitable land to build the necessary production facilities?

Reuters: China's biodiesel producers seek new outlets as hefty EU tariffs bite

The EU will impose provisional anti-dumping duties of between 12.8% and 36.4% on Chinese biodiesel from Friday (16 August), hitting over 40 companies, in an export business that was worth $2.3 billion last year.