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☆ Russia launches barrage of 99 drones and missiles on Ukraine’s energy system, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Moscow launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure Friday, with a mass barrage of 99 drones and missiles hitting regions across the country, Ukraine's armed forces said. Ukraine's state-owned grid operator, Ukrenergo, said Friday's attack deliberately targeted thermal and hydroelectric power plants across central and western regions. Five people, including a 5-year-old girl, were wounded during the attack in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, said local Gov. He later said that another man had been killed and one more injured in a separate drone attack Friday. Vyacheslav Gladkov later said on social media that one man had died as the result of a separate drone attack which struck an apartment block.

Persons: Ihor Klymenko, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Serhii, Vyacheslav Gladkov Organizations: Kyiv, Gov, Polish Armed Forces, NATO, Russia's Ministry of Defense, Regional Gov Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Kyiv, Russian, Belgorod, Dnister, Novodnistrovsk, Moldova, Odesa, Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Warsaw, Braila county, Romania

☆ Water trickling and taps running dry are part of daily life in South Africa’s biggest city
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Sarah Dean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

It’s ironic, because Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city, has plenty of water at the moment — authorities and water companies just can’t seem to get it to where it’s needed. South Africa is naturally dry, and the climate crisis has hit the nation many times with crippling drought. “But there have been multiple times where we’ve been without water for five, seven days,” he said. Ravin Singh founded the Water Crisis Committee civic group last September, after his neighborhood northeast of downtown Johannesburg was suddenly hit with prolonged outages. Now Joburgers also talk about “water shedding.”But Singh concedes that people could be doing more to lower water consumption, voluntarily.

Persons: Duane Riley, we’ve, I’ve, ” Riley, Joburgers, ”, Riley, “, Ravin Singh, Singh, “ Young, ” Singh, Senzo Mchunu, Mchunu, Rand Water Organizations: Johannesburg CNN, South Africa’s, CNN, Getty, Water, Sanitation, Johannesburg Water, Rand, Cape Town Locations: Johannesburg, South, Africa, Southern Africa, Soweto, Kensington, Blairgowrie, AFP, City, Ekurhuleni, South Africa, African, Cape

☆ Russian missiles that Patriots have beaten before are slipping through cracks in Ukraine's defenses
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to suggest that his country still needs more of the advanced air-defense systems. Rescue team works at a site of residential buildings destroyed by a Russian missile strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on March 22, 2024. AdvertisementKyiv maintains a formidable arsenal of air-defense assets alongside the Patriots, which includes Soviet-era systems and others provided by the West. But Ukrainian officials, including Zelenskyy, have repeatedly said that the existing capabilities are not enough to protect the country from unrelenting Russian bombardments.

Persons: —, Denys Shmyhal, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Stringer, Zelenskyy, Adrienne Watson, Michal Dyjuk Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Business, Telegram Channel, Ukraine's, Dnipro, Telegram, AP Ukraine, Kharkiv, REUTERS, Patriots, National Security, Patriot, U.S, AP, US, Pentagon Locations: Russia, Kyiv, Ukraine, Moscow, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Russian, Warsaw, Poland

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s cybersecurity agency has launched a program aimed at boosting election security in the states, shoring up support for local offices and hoping to provide reassurance to voters that this year's presidential elections will be safe and accurate. Officials with the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency planned to introduce its new election security adviser program Thursday to the National Association of State Election Directors and on Friday to the National Association of Secretaries of State. For state and local election officials, the list of security challenges keeps growing. The CISA program includes 10 new hires, all of whom join the federal agency with extensive election experience. CISA Director Jen Easterly announced plans for the program at a July meeting of the state election directors in South Carolina.

Persons: Jen, Cait Conley, ” Conley, Keith Ingram, Spencer Wood, David Stafford, “, ”, Lori Augino, CISA, Al Schmidt, Karen Brinson Bell, Brinson Bell Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, National Association of State, National Association of, State, Ohio, State’s, North Carolina State Board Locations: New Hampshire, Fulton County , Georgia, Russia, South Carolina, Texas, Escambia County , Florida, Washington, ”, “

LUANG PRABANG, Laos (AP) — Landlocked Laos doesn't have the famous beaches of its neighbors to attract tourists, but instead relies on the pristine beauty of its mountains and rivers and historical sites to bring in visitors. The crown jewel is Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where legend has it that Buddha once rested during his travels. Nestled among the mountains of northern Laos, Luang Prabang was the capital from the 14th to the 16th century before it was moved to Vientiane. “This dam won't generate a lot of power for Laos, it's going to power new shopping malls in Bangkok,” Eyler said of the Luang Prabang project. “In isolation, the potential transboundary harmful effects due to the Luang Prabang hydropower project may not be substantial," the river commission said.

Persons: Buddha, it's, ”, Brian Eyler, Stimson, Eyler, ” Eyler, Philip Hirsch, “, you've, ” Hirsch, Vietnam —, Barbara Curti Organizations: UNESCO, Asia Program, Sustainability, ” UNESCO, Associated Press, Ministry of Information, Foreign Ministry, Heritage, Monitor, Sydney University, CBA, Commission Locations: LUANG PRABANG, Laos, Prabang, Southeast Asia, Washington, Luang Prabang, Luang, Paris, New Delhi, Vientiane, Vietnam, China, Kunming, Thailand, Stimson, Bangkok, British, Cambodia, Asia, asia

KHAVDA, India (AP) — Rising from the bare expanse of the large salt desert that separates India from Pakistan is what will likely be the world's largest renewable energy project when completed three years from now. The solar and wind energy project will be so big that it will be visible from space, according to developers of what is called the Khavda renewable energy park, named after the village nearest to the project site. Shifting to renewable energy is a key issue at the ongoing COP28 climate summit. Once completed, it will supply 30 gigawatts of renewable energy annually, enough to power nearly 18 million Indian homes. Given this, Virmani said there is enough land in Kutch for various renewable energy projects.

Persons: ”, KSRK Verma, Khavda, Verma, “ It’s, Vneet Jaain, Adani, Gautam Adani, Adani Green, ” Ajay Mathur, Mathur, Abi T Vanak, Vanak, Sandip, Virmani, Hirelal Rajde, “ Organizations: Associated Press, Adani Green Energy Limited, Adani, Adani Group, Hindenburg, Group, International Solar Alliance, Ashoka Trust for Research, Twitter, AP Locations: KHAVDA, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Rann, Kutch, India’s Gujarat, China, United States, Bengal, Ahmedabad, Jaain, U.S, Mundra, Gujarat, Europe, Africa, Bengaluru, Denmark, Khavda

☆ I'm a millennial who left Florida. Between the unbearable heat and the polarizing political climate, 'everything was making me think I should jump out of this.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Harmony Boyd, 28, moved from Plantation, Florida, to a suburb of Boston in September 2022. I do not think that there is a viable long-term future for anybody living in Florida right now. Everything was making me think I should jump out of this before it is too late for me to leave. Florida felt too ephemeral. The things I miss in Florida are a lot of stuff that are not really there anymore.

Persons: Harmony Boyd, Boyd, —, it's, I've, Chelsea, they're Organizations: Service, Nazi, Trump, Palatka Lean, Chelsea, Boston Locations: Plantation , Florida, Boston, Florida, It's, Massachusetts, Chelsea , Massachusetts, Plantation, Fort Lauderdale ., America, Palatka, North America, Chelsea, Lauderhill , Florida

Speaking to parliament, Scholz went into Germany's recent history of the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine and soaring energy prices to extend a suspension of self-imposed borrowing limits to tackle a crisis that has knocked his coalition. A constitutional court ruling nearly two weeks ago blocked the government's plans to reallocate unused pandemic funds towards green initiatives and industry support, raising fears Germany's economy could be further weakened. Scholz's assurances that his government would solve the budget crisis with care were met with jeers and laughter from the opposition Christian Democrats (CDU), whose lawsuit against the government had sparked the earlier court ruling. He underscored support for Ukraine, after the recent budget turmoil raised questions over how much military aid Berlin was willing to commit. "It is also clear that we must not let up in our support for Ukraine and in overcoming the energy crisis.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Christian Lindner, Robert Habeck, Friedrich Merz, Scholz, Germany's, Berlin, Scholz's, " Merz, Andreas Rinke, Christian Kraemer, Miranda Murray, Rachel More, Matthias Williams, Kirsti Knolle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Climate, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, Bundestag, Christian Democrats, Ukraine, Finance, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Ukraine, Germany, East Germany

DETROIT (AP) — The former owner of a Michigan dam is on the hook for roughly $120 million sought by the state for environmental damage when the structure failed after days of rain in 2020, a judge said. But it's not known how the state will ever collect: Lee Mueller has filed for bankruptcy protection in Nevada. After three days of rain, the Edenville Dam collapsed in May 2020, releasing a torrent that overtopped the downstream Sanford Dam and flooded the city of Midland, located about 128 miles (206.00 kilometers) northwest of Detroit. Wixom Lake, a reservoir behind the Edenville Dam, disappeared. The state insists that the Edenville Dam collapsed as a result of poor maintenance and a lack of critical repairs.

Persons: it's, Lee Mueller, ”, Troy Fox, Paul Maloney, Mueller, Phil Roos, Ed White Organizations: DETROIT, District, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Locations: Michigan, Nevada, Sanford, Midland, Detroit, Wixom Lake

☆ Make America Build Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +37 min

America is the sixth-most-expensive place in the world to build subways and trolleys. The solutions will cost trillions of dollars and require a pace of building unseen in America since World War II. Perhaps the single most pressing question we face today is: How do we make America build again? "For this class of projects, federal environmental laws are more the exception." The prospect of overhauling our hard-won environmental laws might feel like sacrilege to anyone who cares about the Earth.

Persons: Anne, Marie Griger's, Griger, —, They're, Obama, I'm, we've, We've, I'd, It's, Matt Harrison Clough, Jamie Pleune, AECOM, Joe Biden's, There's, David Adelman, David Spence, Spence, James Coleman, NECA, Coleman, everyone's, Danielle Stokes, Nobody, Bill McKibben, Mother Jones, McKibben, Michael Gerrard, Columbia University —, they've, David Pettit, it's, Zachary Liscow, That's who's, Adam Rogers Organizations: RES Group, Environmental, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, Land Management, Forest Service, University of Utah, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Brookings, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, White, University of Texas, Greenpeace, Natural Resources Defense Council, Act, NEPA, Berkeley, University of California, University of Southern, Southern Methodist University, Ecosystems Conservation, GOP, Biden, Motorola, Telecommunications, Conservatives, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, University of Richmond, UC Berkeley, USC, Star, Sabin, Climate, Columbia University, Natural Resources Defense, Republicans, Democrats, Management, Budget, Yale Law School Locations: Panama, Colorado, . California, Los Angeles, San Francisco, China, America, Washington, , Wyoming, Nantucket, New England, San Francisco ., University of Southern California, California, New York, Florida, Southern California, Las Vegas

Nearly a third of that renewable energy should come from wind and solar power, said the report by researchers of Berlin-based Agora Energiewende. In 2021, they had installed a total of just 11.9 gigawatts of solar energy and 1.5 gigawatts of wind energy. As of the end of 2022, the U.S. had installed capacity of more than 144 GW of wind power and 110 GW of solar photovoltaic power. The report calls for a “paradigm shift” to speed up the transition to wind and solar power. At the same time, power grids need to be upgraded to allow for the variability and unpredictability of wind and solar power, it said.

Persons: —, Mathis Rogner, Antonio Guterres, Kanika Chawla, Chawla Organizations: United Nations, Agora, Agora Energiewende, U.S ., Sustainable Energy, U.K, AP Locations: HANOI, Vietnam, Berlin, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, China, India, Southeast Asia, Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Taiwan, U.S, Korea, . South Korea

Scientists say such extreme weather is becoming increasingly common globally because of climate change, which also intensifies the effects of El Nino. Never before has Lake Titicaca dried up like it is now. Experts say many of the factors contributing to the shrinking of Lake Titicaca could be linked to climate change. In global terms we have climate change, and phenomena such as El Nino and La Nina, which cause floods and droughts." Back at Lake Titicaca, Fredy Aruquipa, the person in charge of monitoring the lake's water level, watches it decline daily.

Persons: Alex Flores, Claudia Morales, Manuel Flores, El, Flores, Xavier Lazzaro, Rodney Camargo, La Nina, Fredy Aruquipa, Monica Machicao, Sergio Limachi, Isabel Woodford, Adam Jourdan, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, El, Friends, Nature Foundation, El Nino, La, Thomson Locations: Lake Titicaca, Bolivia, South, El Alto, El Nino, Titicaca, United States, Asia

☆ Laos is spiraling toward a debt crisis as China looms large
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nyshka Chandran | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An alarming debt crisis has unfolded in Laos in recent years, raising worries about the tiny nation's obligation to its biggest creditor — China. China became the largest foreign investor in Laos in late 2013 and since then, its influence has only continued to skyrocket. Laos borrowed billions from President Xi Jinping's government to finance railways, highways and hydroelectric dams, depleting its foreign reserves in the process. It's widely feared the country may be on the brink of economic collapse if the economic crisis spins out of control. But without a clear-cut debt reduction deal with China, Laos' financial hardships will not likely ease, analysts warn.

Persons: Xi Jinping's, kip Organizations: Initiative, U.S ., Asian Development Bank Locations: Vientiane, Laos, China, Beijing

☆ Greenland’s northern glaciers are in trouble, threatening ‘dramatic’ sea level rise, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —At the top of the world, northern Greenland’s huge glaciers — long thought to be relatively stable — are in trouble, a new study shows. As the ocean warms, Greenland’s last remaining ice shelves are rapidly weakening, destabilizing the nearby glaciers and threatening potentially “dramatic” consequences for sea level rise, according to the study published Tuesday in Nature Communications. When they melt and weaken, more of the land-based ice is able to slide into the ocean, adding to sea level rise. Since 1978, the ice shelves supporting northern Greenland’s glaciers have lost more than 35% of their total volume, according to the study. After the collapse of the Zachariæ Isstrøm glacier’s ice shelf in 2003, the ice discharge into the ocean doubled, according to the study.

Persons: Greenland’s, ” Romain Millan, “, Millan, ” Millan, Copernicus, Thomas Traasdahl, Ritzau Scanpix, Sophie Nowicki, Nowicki, ” Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, Grenoble Alpes University, Copernicus Sentinel, ESA, Getty, University at Buffalo Locations: Greenland, France, ”, AFP, Antarctica

☆ Coal free by 2070? India’s push toward renewables won't stop coal reliance for the next two decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The country's leaders have been optimistic about its path to net zero, making bold claims that 50% of its power generation will come from renewables by 2030, and 100% by 2070. "This heightened power demand necessitates a reliable, cost-effective, and consistent power generation source, which coal currently fulfills," he highlighted. Nearly 10% of the country's electricity demand comes from space cooling and this will increase ninefold by 2050, the IEA said. Unreliable renewablesDespite being able to produce cheap wind and solar energy, only 22% of India's power generation is met by renewables. These complexities render it challenging to rely solely on renewables for consistent and dependable power generation," Narayan said.

Persons: Money Sharma, Anil Kumar Jha, Jha, Neshwin Rodrigues, Prakash Singh, Sooraj Narayan, Wood, Sooraj Narayan Wood Mackenzie, Narayan, Sumant Sinha, Sinha, CNBC's, Wood Mackenzie's Narayan Organizations: Afp, Getty, Coal, CNBC, National Thermal Power Corporation, International Energy Agency, Ministry of Coal, Jha, Bloomberg, Investment, Invest India, Nurphoto Locations: Uttar Pradesh, India, Coal India, Dadri, Asia, Uttarakhand, Kerala

☆ Abandoned golf courses are being reclaimed by nature
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Golf courses, despite occupying large green spaces, are not necessarily good for the environment. Santa Barbara's Ocean Meadows golf course has been returned to its wetland state, which doubles as a flood defense for the city. Rivers and streams are often diverted or altered to make way for a golf course, but conservationists want them to flow freely. In other areas of the country, local councils are repurposing unprofitable municipal golf courses to create more natural spaces. A golf course turned nature reserve, Yalukit Willam can now be enjoyed by the Melbourne residents.

Persons: ”, Guillermo Rodriguez, “, ” California's, Larsen, Rodriguez, TPL, Public Land Rodriguez, Mike Johnson, Frodsham, Michael Owen, “ It’s, Neil Oxley, Boon Organizations: CNN, The Trust, Public, Trust, Public Land, San, Rancho Cañada, Summit Metro Parks, Wildlife, Liverpool, Woodland Trust, Hull, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Hove City Council, Bayside City Council Locations: California, ” California's San Geronimo, San Geronimo , California, San Geronimo, California’s Marin County, Meadows , California, Santa Barbara, Meadows, Santa, Cañada , California, Monterey, Carmel, Ventana, Fort Ord, Rivers, Valley , Ohio, Akron , Ohio, Ohio’s, Cheshire, Liverpool, Erewash Borough, Brighton, Willam, Australia, Melbourne, Elwood, Bayside

The search for Robert Card, 40, of Bowdoin, involved both old-fashioned footwork and advanced technology, but for almost two days after the shooting there was still no sign of Card by air, water or land. Maine's wildlife game wardens were among the officers taking part in the water search. “That AI technology can be used to search the video faster," Carter said. SEARCHING BY AIRColder temperatures expected this weekend would have made it easier to use thermal search equipment, Sauschuck said during the afternoon press conference. “Helicopters and drones, given how wooded it is there, using infrared technology can help you look through the canopy,” Carter said.

Persons: outdoorsman, Robert Card, Bowdoin, Mike Sauschuck, Sauschuck, Ryan Smith, David Carter, ‘ I’ve, ’, ’ ”, Carter, “ It’s, ” Carter, “ It's, “, ”, Michael Balsamo Organizations: Maine Public, U.S . Coast Guard, Maine's Department of Public, Michigan State University, FBI, “ Helicopters, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries, Wildlife, Canada Border Services Agency, Lewiston Police Department, Analysis, Associated Press Locations: Maine, Androscoggin, Lisbon Falls , Maine, Kennebec, U.S, State, New York

[1/5] Chinese President Xi Jinping greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as they attend the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF), to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, October 18, 2023. Putin and other foreign leaders sat with key Chinese officials from the 25-member Politburo on the front row, as Xi delivered his opening speech. The forum centres on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a grand plan launched by Xi in 2013, that envisioned building global infrastructure and energy networks connecting Asia with Africa and Europe through overland and maritime routes. Western scepticism of Xi's grand plans stems from suspicions over the way it would extend China's global influence, analysts say. Xi is pushing to make the Belt and Road smaller and greener, moving away from big-ticket projects like dams to high-tech ones such as digital finance and e-commerce platforms.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Edgar Su, Xi, Putin, BRI, Viktor Orban, Haji Nooruddin Azizi, Antoni Slodkowski, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Initiative, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, Forum, EU, Washington, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Rights BEIJING, Tiananmen, Asia, Africa, Europe, China, Western Europe, United States, Ukraine

[1/5] Chinese President Xi Jinping greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as they attend the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF), to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Edgar Su Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against decoupling from China as he opened the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) forum in Beijing on Wednesday, criticizing Western efforts to reduce dependence on the Chinese economy. The trade disruptions of the pandemic years have also added urgency to the desire to limit their dependence on China. WESTERN SCEPTICISMWestern scepticism of Xi's grand plans stems from suspicions over the way it would extend China's global influence, analysts say. Xi is making the Belt and Road smaller and greener, moving away from big-ticket projects like dams to high-tech ones such as digital finance and e-commerce platforms.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Edgar Su, Xi, Putin, BRI, Viktor Orban, Haji Nooruddin Azizi, Azizi, Xi's, Antoni Slodkowski, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Initiative, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, EU, Washington, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Rights BEIJING, China, Asia, Africa, Europe, Tiananmen, Taiwan, Western Europe, Afghanistan, Northern

[1/4] Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 16, 2023. Ten years on, the most senior EU leader expected to attend the third Belt and Road (BRI) Summit this week is Hungary's populist Viktor Orban, who will join guests including Russia's Vladimir Putin and a minister of the Afghan Taliban. Other analysts say economic slowdown both in China and globally, and rising commodity prices, have also cast a pall over the initiative. Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization think tank, said the BRI had "greatly pushed forward global awareness about the infrastructure deficit". "It's not perfect, but it’s a process, and people are gradually realising it's so important: we need to build infrastructure.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Ken Ishii, Putin, Orban, Britain's, Viktor Orban, Russia's Vladimir Putin, Xi, Jinping, Matthew Erie, they've, Raffaello Pantucci, Ruby Osman, Tony Blair, Osman, Wang Huiyao, Wang, Joyce Zhou, Vineet Sachdev, Antoni Slodkowski, Don Durfee, Robert Birsel Organizations: Beijing Capital International Airport, Forum, REUTERS Acquire, Initiative, University of Oxford, Reuters, Washington, American Enterprise Institute, S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Tony, Tony Blair Institute for Global, Global Development Initiative, Monetary Fund, Sri, Center for, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Italy, Xi's, BEIJING, Western Europe, EU, Taiwan, United States, Ukraine, Erie, CHINA, America, Africa, Russia, Kazakhstan, Congo, Singapore, China's, Argentina, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Center for China

[1/4] Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 16, 2023. Ten years on, the most senior EU leader expected to attend the third Belt and Road (BRI) Summit this week is Hungary's populist Viktor Orban, who will join guests including Russia's Vladimir Putin and a minister of the Afghan Taliban. Such Western doubts have coincided with Xi's assertive leadership and a deterioration in ties over trade, human rights, COVID-19 and Taiwan. Other analysts say economic slowdown both in China and globally, and rising commodity prices, have also cast a pall over the initiative. "It's not perfect, but it’s a process, and people are gradually realising it's so important: we need to build infrastructure.

☆ Wild beavers return to west London for first time in 400 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Callum Sutherland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Wild beavers have returned to London’s Ealing district after an absence of 400 years. A family of five Eurasian beavers – a breeding pair and their three offspring – were transported from Scotland and released today at the Paradise Fields wetlands area, in Ealing, west London. The Ealing Beaver Project hopes the beavers can help reduce the risk of flooding, as well as engaging people in nature. “It’s good for humans, it’s good for nature, it’s good for our city.”His Rewild London Fund provided almost £40,000 ($49,000) in funding for the project. In March 2022, beavers were released in Enfield, north London, and last month it was announced that a baby beaver had been born there, the first beaver birth in London for hundreds of years.

Persons: London ., Sadiq Khan, “, James Stacey, Sean McCormack, ”, McCormack Organizations: London CNN, Ealing Beaver Project, London, Beavers, Fund, Ealing Wildlife Group, “ Beavers Locations: Ealing, Scotland, London, ”, Greenford, “ Greenford, Devon, England, Enfield

The flood began shortly after midnight Wednesday, when the waters of a glacial lake overflowed, cracking open the biggest hydroelectric dam in Sikkim state. Political Cartoons View All 1202 ImagesIt wasn’t clear what triggered the deadly flood in the mountainous Sikkim state, the latest to hit northeast India in a year of unusually heavy monsoon rains. The design and placement of the 6-year-old Teesta 3 dam, the largest in Sikkim state, were controversial from the time it was built. Disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in India’s Himalayan region during the June-September monsoon season. In February 2021, flash floods killed nearly 200 people and washed away houses in Uttarakhand state in northern India.

Persons: Prem Singh Tamang, Lhonak, Storm Daniel, ___ Hussain Organizations: Police, Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, International Center, Integrated, Development Locations: GANGTOK, Sikkim, India, Himachal Pradesh, Nepal, Derna, Libya, Uttarakhand, Gauhati

☆ Mining Old Sites Can be a Shortcut to More Copper for the Energy Transition
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Yusuf Khan | Mari Novik | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

In the U.S. and beyond, some are jumping ahead by targeting a new but also old source—closed mines, also known as brownfield sites. In the mountains of northern Norway, Bluelake is seeking to reopen the Joma mine that closed 25 years ago because of low copper prices. “Røyrvik has a valued tradition of mining in the old times,” said Hans Oskar Devik, the leader of the local government. Despite the challenges, brownfield mining is also being seen as a way to help ensure mineral security in the U.S., especially in areas such as defense and energy. Preview SubscribeWhen MP bought its brownfield site in 2017, it had a mining permit but was in a state of disrepair, with the pit itself flooded.

Persons: Arne Hanssen, Bluelake, Bluelake Mineral’s, Arne Hanssen Bluelake’s, Peter Hjorth, ” Hjorth, Joma, “ Røyrvik, ”, Hans Oskar Devik, Maahke Joma, Joma —, Snorre, NRK Joma, wasn’t, James Litinsky, Litinsky, ” Litinsky, Jeremy Richardson, Richardson, Yusuf Khan Organizations: P Global Market Intelligence, Perpetua Resources, Materials, California -, Municipal, Bluelake, NRK, Resources, Defense Department, McKinsey Lyon, Business, Rocky Mountain Institute Locations: Røyrvik, Trøndelag county, Norway, U.S, Sweden, Perpetua, Idaho, Arizona, California, California - Nevada, Germany, Italy, Boise, United States, China

Mining operations account for some 4%-7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to global consulting firm McKinsey & Company. But some miners are moving to reduce use of fossil fuels in extracting and refining, partly due to pressure from downstream customers that want more sustainable supply chains. Located beside a crystal-blue lake in the lush jungle of Sorowako, South Sulawesi, Vale Indonesia — a subsidiary of Vale international — runs its smelters entirely from hydroelectricity. Other companies and countries around the world also are reducing use of fossil fuels in their mining operations. But now, having that infrastructure means big savings at a time when global energy prices are high.

Persons: Michael Goodsite, “, Joko Widodo, Widodo, “ Ford, ” Christopher Smith, Febriany Eddy, Eddy, it’s, ” Eddy, Aimee Boulanger, there’s, they’ve, ” Goodsite Organizations: McKinsey & Company, Vale, Companies, University of Adelaide, Volvo, Mercedes, Hyundai, Apple, Ford Motor Co, Vale Indonesia, Associated Press, Initiative for, Mining Assurance, —, AP Locations: SOROWAKO, Indonesia, Indonesian, Sulawesi, Sorowako, South Sulawesi, Indonesia —, Chile, Raglan, Canada, Australia, ” Indonesia, Vale Indonesia, China, United States

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