#europe waste to energy industry

[mordormr]

Turning Trash into Treasure: Europe's Waste-to-Energy Market Heats Up

Europe has long been a leader in environmental consciousness, and waste management is no exception. Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technology offers a sustainable solution by converting non-recyclable waste into usable energy. Mordor Intelligence predicts the European WtE market will reach a substantial USD 27.29 billion by 2029, growing at a steady CAGR of 5.54% during the forecast period (2024-2029). Let's delve into the forces driving this transformation:

Turning a Corner on Waste Management:

Reducing Landfills: WtE plants significantly reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, conserving valuable land resources.

Energy from Waste: WtE facilities generate electricity and heat from waste, contributing to energy security and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Meeting Sustainability Goals: WtE aligns with Europe's ambitious environmental goals by promoting a more circular economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Advanced Technologies Pave the Way:

Modern WtE Plants: Modern facilities boast advanced emission control systems that minimize environmental impact.

Efficiency Enhancements: Continuous advancements improve efficiency in waste treatment and energy generation.

Focus on Sustainability: The industry strives for sustainable practices throughout the WtE process, including waste pre-treatment and post-combustion processes.

A Diverse Market with Regional Variations:

Established Leaders: Countries like Germany, France, and Sweden have a long history of WtE adoption, with well-developed infrastructure.

Emerging Markets: Eastern European countries are increasingly recognizing the benefits of WtE and investing in this technology.

Public Acceptance: Public perception of WtE facilities is evolving as awareness of environmental benefits grows.

Challenges and Opportunities:

High upfront costs for plant construction, competition from other waste management solutions, and concerns about air emissions remain challenges. However, the increasing focus on circularity, stricter regulations on landfill disposal, and rising energy costs present significant opportunities for the WtE market.

[probablyasocialecologist]

The main effort in a process of planetary degrowth must be made by the countries of the industrialized North (North America, Europe, and Japan) responsible for the historical accumulation of carbon dioxide since the Industrial Revolution. They are also the areas of the world where the level of consumption, particularly among the privileged classes, is clearly unsustainable and wasteful. The “underdeveloped” countries of the Global South (Asia, Africa, and Latin America) where basic needs are very far from being satisfied will need a process of “development,” including building railroads, water and sewage systems, public transport, and other infrastructures. But there is no reason why this cannot be accomplished through a productive system that is environmentally friendly and based on renewable energies. These countries will need to grow great amounts of food to nourish their hungry populations, but this can be much better achieved—as the peasant movements organized worldwide in the Vía Campesina network have been arguing for years—by a peasant biological agriculture based on family units, cooperatives, or collectivist farms. This would replace the destructive and antisocial methods of industrialized agribusiness, based on the intensive use of pesticides, chemicals, and genetically modified organisms. Presently, the capitalist economy of countries in the Global South is rooted in the production of goods for their privileged classes—cars, airplanes, and luxury goods—and commodities exported to the world market: soya beans, meat, and oil. A process of ecological transition in the South, as argued by ecosocialists, would reduce or suppress this kind of production, and aim instead at food sovereignty and the development of basic services such as health care and education, which need, above all, human labor, rather than more commodities.

Michael Löwy, Nine Theses on Ecosocialist Degrowth

[thekingofwinterblog]

Tolkien's crowns.

You know something that really annoys me about the Tolkien movie adaptions?

Crowns.

Like a lot of things Jackson did, he basically crafted something completely new out of the bare bones we get from some descriptions, for better or worse, but the Crowns are another matter, because not only did Tolkien give very clear descriptions, and even drew the two most notable ones(the crowns of the dwarves and gondor)that appeared over the course of Lotr and the Hobbit, both had very, very clear cut meanings and symbolism behind them, that tied them to their real life origins.

The crowns of the dwarves of Erebor and Moria look like someone took their helmets and filed down the sides so only the skeleton remained, to varying degrees of success.

But you know what tolkien used?

In the books, Tolkien's dwarves uses crowns speciffically modeled after the crown of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.

Why?

Well if you know anything about said empire, and the actual inspiration for Tolkien's dwarves, the picture is a bit clearer.

See Tolkien specifically modeled his dwarfs, their history of losing a homeland, desire for a new one, and their proud, industrious culture of craftsmen and skills of making money on a mixture between the Norse mythical dwarves, and the Jews in the long centuries after the Romans kicked them out of their original homeland.

Now with this in mind, Tolkien choosing to model the Dwarves crown on the Austrian one is him specifficaly choosing a real, Germanic crown as the inspiration... As well as a nod to the fact that the Austria-Hungarian empire was legendary for his time(The time Tolkien grew up in) as a progressive haven for jews, probably the best in Europe.

An empire, that was also destroyed by fires of war, just Moria and Erebor.

In other words, there is so much symbolism here that is completely and totally stripped away by the helmet crowns the movies gave them.

Hell, even the original hobbit animated movie got this right, while Jackson did not, as they basically just made the crown the austrian one, just a bit more exagerated.

Meanwhile, there is the crown of gondor, which completely missed absolutely everything tolkien tried to do with the Gondor crown.

It's a crown that fits perfectly with the rest of the city, this is truly a crown of the Gondor that the movies portrayed.

Meanwhile, Tolkiens Winged silver crown... Does not.

Even within the context of the fact that the books gondor is an early medieval(as it does not have plate armor at all) styled kingdom in terms of armor and clothing design, the crown does NOT fit in the slightest.

And that's the point.

The original crown of Gondor was a simple war Helm of the day that Elendil wore, and the later one that Aragorn wore was a more fancy replica of that helmet.

It is outdated by thousands of years, a relic of an elder time that was long lost even when Gondor's lost it's Kings in the first place. It's not supposed to fit in.

Also the fact that Elendil wore this, and it was considered just fine, tells us a lot about Gondor's fashion and style of arms during the closing days of the second age.

However, then we get into the deeper meaning behind the crown and where it was inspired from.

Gondor's winged crown was very deliberately inspired and based on the crowns of ancienct egypt, which was one of the main inspirations for Gondor and(to a lesser extent) arnor.

Just like Egyot there were two kingdom, an upper and a lower one, though in middle earth it was instead called the northern and southern ones.

Just like egypt, Gondor's entire socity and political and economic strength was based around their massive river that ran through the realm.

Just like Egypt, one of the biggest problems the gondorian elites had was their obsession with grand mousoleums and graves for their elites, focusing far more on the dead rather than their living children, and wasting who knows how much coin, manpower, energy and resources on such rather than just burying them in thr ground.

Basically the same problem egypt had building stupidly expensive superstructures for their dead in the form of pyramids, rather than something actually useful.

Then there is the fact that just like how lower and upper egypt combined their regalia together(as in they fused the two crowns into one, bigger one), Aragorn very deliberately made the royal regalia of the reunited Kingship BOTH his ancient and out of place winged crown, and the Silver scepter of Annuminas, the royal symbol of Arnor, combining the two of them together into one office.

[one-coming-is-enough]

Hey Jesus. Any advice for writing a resume? I'm trying to get a new job so I want to have a good one.

Actually, yeah. I do have some advice. I've been looking over resumes for a minute because, uh, Heaven always needs new employees.

Be specific about numbers and achievements. "I collected and processed a total of 700,000 damned souls during all 7 years of the Black Plague project in Europe" is a lot better than "I followed up on deliverables to produce a quality product."

Jargon is super obnoxious, but it shows people that you can communicate in the preferred terms of your field. Brush up on industry terms and know how to use them, and be able to define them in your own words. I know what people mean when they say "The white light at the center of the universe that is the Source of all love, knowledge, and energy," but if you can just say "Pleroma" I know that I don't have to waste my breath explaining basic concepts to you. We can use three syllables instead of struggling to communicate.

Don't be shy about your personal skills or hobbies or volunteer projects, but put them in their own section as certifications or special projects or skills or something. If you can translate "Dungeons and Dragons" to "Weekly team strategy and problem-solving training exercise meetings" you can figure this part out.

Have a cover letter template that you can tailor to an individual company's needs. Work on a few paragraphs that you can plug stuff into, then put where you need to add details in brackets. Always include one if there's space. Writing a cover letter from scratch every time you apply to something is a giant pain if you're doing mass applications.

Err on the side of professionalism whenever possible. Proofread exhaustively and check with a style guide. Have an email that's basically your name for work. Keep it to one page. Make it look a little snappy, but only a little. Put things in their own section in ways that show you know how to use a word processing program for more than just typing (well-justified columns, for example). Extremely professional font. Different industries and companies might have slightly different standards for things, but whatever you do don't skimp on the effort and small details. Do NOT put in the random stuff you like unless you're sure it will increase your potential value to the company.

Good luck! You're going to need it if you're asking Jesus Christ for help with your resume, frankly. I had one job, carpenter, and as I believe you know I was not very good at it. I have never had to apply for a single job in my life.

(I'm always happy to help with whatever I can, but frankly I've been expecting a lot more theological questions.)

[dariaslore]

Hi, I see it is in trend to have your own Winx AU these days and I mean, who can blame us? (Y'all doing a great job guyss💕). I may have one too and I finally decided to share some lore.

I did worldbuilding on some of the planets, but first a short intro.

Magic Dimension

The Magical Dimension is organized into planets, but these are more like continents or or very big states. Thanks to magic, various points of communication have been created, there can be official portals, in fact they have created pillars that keep them always open by exploiting the magic of the planets themselves, sea portals, ecc. In short if you don't have a ship nor you have energy and skills to waste in teleportation, you can travel between planets by using these portals, all you need to do is to pay a little fee.

The most prominent planets are Domino, Solaria, Linphea, Callisto, Andros, Eraklyion, Zenith, Melody, Whisperia, Magix and then Earth. These 11 planets are kinda like the 19th Century Europe of the Magic Dimension, geographically really close to each other and always fighting and trying to gain the upper hand.

Domino, Solaria, Eraklyion (half-decayed), Whisperia all have 4 an imperialist pasts, especially Domino. Domino loves conquest and before its fall, it was the richest and most powerful planet in the entire Dimension. Every each planet has been under Domino's influenced sometime in its secular history. Both Solaria and Eraklyion want to be the new Domino, Whisperia (The planet of Witches, one of the few planets to have not been created by The Great Dragon, but The Phoenix) just wants to mess around and has a taste for chaos.

Beyond them there are other prosperous and wealthy planets, but decidedly more discreet and with no delusions of grandeur.

Let's start with the first planets were going to talk about:

SOLARIA: How to get along with Witches☀️

Territory: The whole of Solaria is shaped like a spiral, lapped by the sea from both inside and outside. The outer skeleton of the spiral consists of small mountains. The inner part of the spiral is mostly flat. It may resemble a Nautilus.

Despite year-round sunshine and nonexistent rainfall, Solaria had a varied expanses of fields, flowers, low shrubs and flashes of small forests. Water comes from the mountains and collects in small streams and in many underground aquifers and gorges.

The spiral is divided into 3 coils, the innermost and most fertile are the 1st and 2nd coils. The 3rd loop, the outermost, is way more rocky and desertic.

The inner coasts on the 1st and 2nd spirals are beautiful, endless expanses of sand and between these 2 spirals the Solaria Reef opens up in the middle of the Solaria Sea. The outer shores are rocky of almost gray/white stone. At the end of the 3rd loop, you can see stacks in the sea: the moonstones.

There are 3 suns, Solas, Icarus and Albus, and 2 moons, Koray and Kale. The 2 moons are the most visible in the 3rd spiral, where they dominate night and day in the sky. In the 1st and 2nd spheres they are less visible.

Climate: Year-round sunshine, mild temperatures, neither too hot nor cold. It almost never rains.

Population: Solaria has a very compact population where fairies and witches seem to live together almost in peace. Ofc there are the classic squabbles, but they are very dumb all based either on clothing or prejudices and dumb stereotypes, which both witches and fairies have. This is due to the dual nature of the planet, both planet of light, sun, and planet of moon.

The three main cities are Surya, Teoma and Aku, on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd spira respectively.

Surya is the capital, royal city, political and administrative center, and has a prevalence of light magic users. Teoma, center of commerce, famous for entertainment, nightlife and one of the fashion and movie industry capitals of the Magic Dimension. Aku, the city of the moon, is where the majority of witches live. Witches in Solaria take the name of enchantresses, and they mostly have light-related powers despite being witches (Chimera and Cassandra are great examples. These bitches are two enchantresses). Aku is home to the Beta Academy, and while sun-related spells are preserved on Surya, Aku has archives of moon-related spells. It is a predominantly academic city, and has its own small Inner Council and its own autonomous government, with an attached aristocracy. Stella's mother, Luna, is an enchantress and she is from Aku. In Aku Luna is still referred to as the Queen of Solaria and she is the ruling monarch de facto of Aku and its county.

Solarians are generally very open, sociable, but at the same time a bit narcissistic and self-centered. Often obsessed with themselves and vanity, they would all love to be famous, making Solaria the planet of gossip, reality TV, and tabloids. Of note is their ubiquitous sincerity and sense of style.

Domino and Solaria have always been allies as two neighbors with common boundaries, never betraying each other and thick as thieves. They both exert their influence on lesser planets. The County of Aku also gets along with Whisperia and have rich commercial and cultural exchanges.

The general architectural style is rooted in Rococo pageantry, the royal palace is full of mirrors, and the cities of Surya, Aku and Teome are chock-full of fountains, gardens, water features and fine palaces of marble and white stone. Gold abounds on Teome and Surya, whilst Aku is stuffed with silver at every single corner.

Language: Solese. Very melodic language, it could be ascribed as a mixture of French and Spanish. Obv the standard language of Magix is spoken.

Politics: Monarchy. Solaria loves Radius, long live their king. Radius is a quiet, moderate king and with the aid of his crew of ministers keeps the rest of the Solarian monarchy in check and tries to get everyone to get along. However, each city in Solaria has its own small council by election, in the case of Teoma and Surya these councils constit of the mayor of the city and his men. In Aku things are a bit different, the city has a mixture of aristocrats and common people with long historical roots, and so it has retained a certain independence from the central power. Radius knows that Aku has different needs as The Moon City and he respects that, posing more as an overseer than a monarch. The sovereign of Aku is de facto Queen Luna, Stella's mother.

Solaria is a rich planet, the economy is rampant and the entertainment and fashion industries are a mainstay. The lifestyle of many Solarians is lavish and they do not hesitate to indulge in a few vices.

Religion and Co : The focus is placed on the 3 suns and their behavior; they are true deities and livelihood of the planet along with the 2 moons. The Great Dragon is also a central figure.

Much attention is placed on crystals and their meanings and properties. Cuisine? Rich, expensive and sweets are a blast: land of gluttons.

[quotient-12-3]

Toyota's Impact on the Global Automotive Market

Introduction:

 Toyota's Effect on the Worldwide Auto Market

Toyota, a name inseparable from unwavering quality. Development, and supportability. Has left a permanent imprint on the worldwide auto market. From its unassuming starting points in Japan to becoming one of the biggest vehicle producers on the planet. Toyota has reliably set industry norms and affected worldwide car patterns. This article investigates Toyota's effect on the worldwide car market. Featuring key advancements. business methodologies. And its obligation to manageability.

Toyota: A Tradition of Development

Toyota's process started in 1937, and from that point forward. The organization has been at the front of auto advancement. One of its most huge commitments to the business is the improvement of the Toyota Creation Framework (TPS). A progressive assembling process that underscored productivity. Quality, and waste decrease. TPS presented the idea of "without a moment to spare" creation. Which limited stock expenses and further developed creation speed, setting another norm for the business.

This way to deal with assembling changed Toyota into a worldwide force to be reckoned with as well as impacted incalculable different automakers. The standards of TPS have been embraced around the world, shaping the reason for lean assembling rehearses across different ventures.

Toyota: The Introduction of the half breed Unrest

The effect of the Prius reached out past Toyota's item arrangement. It provoked different automakers to foster their half breed and electric vehicles, speeding up the shift towards greener innovations. Today. Toyota keeps on driving in mixture innovation, with a great many crossover vehicles sold universally, adding to diminished outflows and fuel utilization

Worldwide Extension and Market Authority

Toyota's worldwide extension technique plays had a significant impact in its effect on the car market. By laying out assembling plants in key districts around the world. Toyota has had the option to adjust to nearby market needs, diminish creation costs, and keep up with its strategic advantage. The organization's obligation to quality and development deserves it a dependable client base across the globe.

In business sectors like North America, Europe. and Asia. Toyota has reliably positioned among the top automakers as far as deals and piece of the pie. Its different item setup, which incorporates all that from minimized vehicles to extravagance vehicles and business trucks, permits Toyota to take special care of many shopper inclinations and requirements.

Obligation to Supportability and Development

Toyota's impact on the worldwide car market reaches out past its vehicles; the organization is likewise a forerunner in maintainability drives. Toyota's obligation to lessening its ecological effect is apparent in its drawn out procedure, known as the "Toyota Natural Test 2050." This aggressive arrangement expects to accomplish zero fossil fuel byproducts all through the vehicle lifecycle, from creation to end-of-life reusing.

To accomplish this objective, Toyota is putting vigorously in innovative work of elective energy sources, including hydrogen power modules and electric vehicles. The organization has previously taken huge steps with the presentation of vehicles like the Mirai, a hydrogen energy component vehicle, and the continuous improvement of electric vehicles (EVs) as a feature of its more extensive system.

Molding the Fate of Versatility

Toyota isn't just centered around creating vehicles yet in addition on forming the fate of versatility. The organization is effectively associated with creating independent driving innovation, associated vehicles, and savvy transportation frameworks. Toyota's vision for what's in store incorporates making a reality where vehicles are more secure, more productive, and consistently coordinated into the more extensive transportation environment.

Toyota's interest in independent vehicles, especially through its auxiliary, the Toyota Exploration Organization (TRI), features its obligation to advancement. The organization's attention on computerized reasoning, mechanical technology, and high level materials research is driving the improvement of cutting edge vehicles that will reclassify the manner in which individuals travel.

Difficulties and Flexibility

Like any worldwide company, Toyota has confronted its portion of difficulties. The 2008 worldwide monetary emergency, cataclysmic events like the 2011 seismic tremor and tidal wave in Japan. And the later semiconductor deficiencies have tried Toyota's versatility. In any case, the organization's powerful production network the executives, versatile business methodologies. And obligation to constant improvement have permitted it to really explore these difficulties.

Toyota's capacity to rapidly recuperate from mishaps and keep developing has supported its situation as a forerunner in the worldwide auto market. The organization's emphasis on long haul supportability, consumer loyalty, and mechanical progression guarantees that it stays a prevailing power in the business.

[beardedmrbean]

ESSEN, Germany (AP) — For most of this century, Germany racked up one economic success after another, dominating global markets for high-end products like luxury cars and industrial machinery, selling so much to the rest of the world that half the economy ran on exports.

Jobs were plentiful, the government's financial coffers grew as other European countries drowned in debt, and books were written about what other countries could learn from Germany.

No longer. Now, Germany is the world’s worst-performing major developed economy, with both the International Monetary Fund and European Union expecting it to shrink this year.

It follows Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the loss of Moscow's cheap natural gas — an unprecedented shock to Germany’s energy-intensive industries, long the manufacturing powerhouse of Europe.

The sudden underperformance by Europe's largest economy has set off a wave of criticism, handwringing and debate about the way forward.

Germany risks “deindustrialization” as high energy costs and government inaction on other chronic problems threaten to send new factories and high-paying jobs elsewhere, said Christian Kullmann, CEO of major German chemical company Evonik Industries AG.

From his 21st-floor office in the west German town of Essen, Kullmann points out the symbols of earlier success across the historic Ruhr Valley industrial region: smokestacks from metal plants, giant heaps of waste from now-shuttered coal mines, a massive BP oil refinery and Evonik's sprawling chemical production facility.

These days, the former mining region, where coal dust once blackened hanging laundry, is a symbol of the energy transition, dotted with wind turbines and green space.

The loss of cheap Russian natural gas needed to power factories “painfully damaged the business model of the German economy,” Kullmann told The Associated Press. “We’re in a situation where we’re being strongly affected — damaged — by external factors.”

After Russia cut off most of its gas to the European Union, spurring an energy crisis in the 27-nation bloc that had sourced 40% of the fuel from Moscow, the German government asked Evonik to keep its 1960s coal-fired power plant running a few months longer.

The company is shifting away from the plant — whose 40-story smokestack fuels production of plastics and other goods — to two gas-fired generators that can later run on hydrogen amid plans to become carbon neutral by 2030.

One hotly debated solution: a government-funded cap on industrial electricity prices to get the economy through the renewable energy transition.

The proposal from Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck of the Greens Party has faced resistance from Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat, and pro-business coalition partner the Free Democrats. Environmentalists say it would only prolong reliance on fossil fuels.

Kullmann is for it: “It was mistaken political decisions that primarily developed and influenced these high energy costs. And it can’t now be that German industry, German workers should be stuck with the bill.”

The price of gas is roughly double what it was in 2021, hurting companies that need it to keep glass or metal red-hot and molten 24 hours a day to make glass, paper and metal coatings used in buildings and cars.

A second blow came as key trade partner China experiences a slowdown after several decades of strong economic growth.

These outside shocks have exposed cracks in Germany's foundation that were ignored during years of success, including lagging use of digital technology in government and business and a lengthy process to get badly needed renewable energy projects approved.

Other dawning realizations: The money that the government readily had on hand came in part because of delays in investing in roads, the rail network and high-speed internet in rural areas. A 2011 decision to shut down Germany's remaining nuclear power plants has been questioned amid worries about electricity prices and shortages. Companies face a severe shortage of skilled labor, with job openings hitting a record of just under 2 million.

And relying on Russia to reliably supply gas through the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea — built under former Chancellor Angela Merkel and since shut off and damaged amid the war — was belatedly conceded by the government to have been a mistake.

Now, clean energy projects are slowed by extensive bureaucracy and not-in-my-backyard resistance. Spacing limits from homes keep annual construction of wind turbines in single digits in the southern Bavarian region.

A 10 billion-euro ($10.68 billion) electrical line bringing wind power from the breezier north to industry in the south has faced costly delays from political resistance to unsightly above-ground towers. Burying the line means completion in 2028 instead of 2022.

Massive clean energy subsidies that the Biden administration is offering to companies investing in the U.S. have evoked envy and alarm that Germany is being left behind.

“We’re seeing a worldwide competition by national governments for the most attractive future technologies — attractive meaning the most profitable, the ones that strengthen growth,” Kullmann said.

He cited Evonik’s decision to build a $220 million production facility for lipids — key ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines — in Lafayette, Indiana. Rapid approvals and up to $150 million in U.S. subsidies made a difference after German officials evinced little interest, he said.

“I'd like to see a little more of that pragmatism ... in Brussels and Berlin,” Kullmann said.

In the meantime, energy-intensive companies are looking to cope with the price shock.

Drewsen Spezialpapiere, which makes passport and stamp paper as well as paper straws that don't de-fizz soft drinks, bought three wind turbines near its mill in northern Germany to cover about a quarter of its external electricity demand as it moves away from natural gas.

Specialty glass company Schott AG, which makes products ranging from stovetops to vaccine bottles to the 39-meter (128-foot) mirror for the Extremely Large Telescope astronomical observatory in Chile, has experimented with substituting emissions-free hydrogen for gas at the plant where it produces glass in tanks as hot as 1,700 degrees Celsius.

It worked — but only on a small scale, with hydrogen supplied by truck. Mass quantities of hydrogen produced with renewable electricity and delivered by pipeline would be needed and don't exist yet.

Scholz has called for the energy transition to take on the “Germany tempo,” the same urgency used to set up four floating natural gas terminals in months to replace lost Russian gas. The liquefied natural gas that comes to the terminals by ship from the U.S., Qatar and elsewhere is much more expensive than Russian pipeline supplies, but the effort showed what Germany can do when it has to.

However, squabbling among the coalition government over the energy price cap and a law barring new gas furnaces has exasperated business leaders.

Evonik's Kullmann dismissed a recent package of government proposals, including tax breaks for investment and a law aimed at reducing bureaucracy, as “a Band-Aid.”

Germany grew complacent during a “golden decade” of economic growth in 2010-2020 based on reforms under Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in 2003-2005 that lowered labor costs and increased competitiveness, says Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg bank.

“The perception of Germany's underlying strength may also have contributed to the misguided decisions to exit nuclear energy, ban fracking for natural gas and bet on ample natural gas supplies from Russia,” he said. “Germany is paying the price for its energy policies.”

Schmieding, who once dubbed Germany “the sick man of Europe” in an influential 1998 analysis, thinks that label would be overdone today, considering its low unemployment and strong government finances. That gives Germany room to act — but also lowers the pressure to make changes.

The most important immediate step, Schmieding said, would be to end uncertainty over energy prices, through a price cap to help not just large companies, but smaller ones as well.

Whatever policies are chosen, “it would already be a great help if the government could agree on them fast so that companies know what they are up to and can plan accordingly instead of delaying investment decisions," he said.

[sarkos]

In conversations with colleagues, fellow entrepreneurs and even musicians over the past decade, Daniel Ek would often abruptly shift the subject to something that really bugged him: health care. “I was like adamant to fix it,” Mr. Ek, the Spotify chief, told DealBook. He saw the industry as a bloated and inefficient colossus in need of disrupting. The problem: Mr. Ek had neither a plan, nor the time or money to do much about it. He was busy taking on Apple, YouTube and Amazon Music in the streaming wars. In his spare time, Mr. Ek pored over medical journals. And he routinely measured his vital statistics with a Fitbit, an Apple Watch or Wii Fit tracker — the more data, the better to see how his body held up against the rigors of running a business. He thought that such tracking might hold some clue to living longer and healthier. “I was just toying around with ideas in health care,” he added. That all changed in 2018. Spotify went public, making Mr. Ek a billionaire. It was time to turn his side focus into his next venture, he decided. He knew whom to contact: Hjalmar Nilsonne, a Swedish tech entrepreneur who Mr. Ek had met the year prior at the Brilliant Minds event, an annual gathering Mr. Ek started. Mr. Nilsonne was passionate about upending the status quo, too. At the time, he was focused on climate change and his start-up, Watty, which aimed to strip waste out of the energy grid. At first, Mr. Nilsonne rebuffed Mr. Ek’s proposition. But Mr. Ek eventually won him over. (It helped that Watty was running out of money, and it was eventually sold to a German company.) Mr. Ek, a former computer coder, and Mr. Nilsonne, an engineer, zeroed in on building a better diagnostic tool. Their aim: disease prevention, and prolonging life. The company they founded, Neko Health, opened its doors in Stockholm last year, and it is set to open in London, its second market, this summer. Longevity has become a kind of obsession with tech moguls. Sam Altman, Peter Thiel and Mr. Ek are among those who believe bright ideas, the right tech and bundles of capital can help humans live longer. Mr. Ek, 41, has invested millions personally and through his investment firm, Prima Materia, in such start-ups around Europe. Neko Health is the only one for which he’s taken the title of founder.

Spotify’s Daniel Ek Wants to Democratize Full-Body Scans - The New York Times

Imagine being so rich and able-bodied you can’t imagine inventing a health panopticon will have any unintended consequences.

(Admittedly,being a longevity obsessed billionaire who owns a company called “Prima Materia” would seem unbelievable in a JRPG, but we’re in the worst cyberpunk now,)

[sharpened--edges]

To see past the purely numerical calculations of the impending troubles of ‘overpopulation’ and through to the sociocultural realities they hide rather than reveal, we need first to note that the places where the ‘population bomb’ is expected to explode are in most cases the parts of the planet where the population is currently the least dense. Africa, for instance, has 55 inhabitants per square mile, while there are on average 261 people per square mile living in the whole of Europe, even when the steppes and the permafrosts of Russia are included, 857 per square mile living in Japan, 1,100 in the Netherlands, 1,604 in Taiwan and 14,218 in Hong Kong. As recently pointed out by the deputy chief editor of Forbes magazine, if the whole population of China and India moved to continental USA, the resulting population density wouldn’t exceed that of England, Holland or Belgium. And yet few people consider Holland an ‘overpopulated’ country, while no end of alarms are heard about the overpopulation of Africa or of the whole of Asia apart from the few ‘Pacific Tigers’.

To explain the paradox, the analysts of population trends point out that there is little connection between density of settlement and the phenomenon of overpopulation: the degree of overpopulation ought to be measured in reference to the number of people to be sustained by the resources a given country owns and the capacity of the local environment to sustain human life. But, as Paul and Ann Ehrlich point out, the Netherlands can support its record-breaking density of population precisely because so many other lands cannot . . . In 1984–6, for instance, Holland imported about 4 million tons of cereals, 130,000 tons of oils and 480,000 tons of peas, beans and lentils, all valued relatively cheaply on the global commodity exchanges, which enabled it to produce commodities for export itself, like milk or edible meat, which attracted notoriously high prices. Rich nations can afford a high density of population because they are ‘high entropy’ centres, drawing resources, most notably the sources of energy, from the rest of the world, and returning in exchange the polluting, often toxic waste of industrial processing that uses up, annihilates and destroys a large part of the worldwide supplies of energy.

Zygmunt Bauman, Wasted Lives: Modernity and Its Outcasts (Polity, 2004), pp. 42–3.

[nordic-noire]

Mobilization, one year in...

In September of 2022, Vladimir Putin ordered the first mobilization for his war against Ukraine. One year later, having lost Kharkiv and the right bank of the Dnipro in Kherson, Russia finds itself in an unsatisfactory quagmire. Its dug-in reserve military is unable to either pull back or force Kyiv to negotiate with Putin.

Due to his initial refusal to mobilize, his career military has been all but culled in Ukraine.

In 2022 Russian strategic forces, military instructors, aerospace forces and navy all deployed invaluable specialists into infantry roles, killing off decades of institutional knowledge and instructors.

The sacrifice was for nothing, as Putin was forced to order several mobilizations regardless.

The damage done to the professional military likely further hindered the training of conscripts, with many experienced instructors either killed or in combat.

In the bigger picture, Russia is forced to focus almost exclusively on the Ukraine war with no feasible end in sight. Before the war, the Russian military-industrial complex was one of the most important economies in the country, as well as the Kremlin's tool for soft power projection. Due to poor performance and uncertainty of when Russia will be able to fulfill its contracts, former Russian clients are starting to look elsewhere.

Putin is also unable to fulfill any of his security obligations to his wavering allies. Emboldened by Russian weakness, Azerbaidžan was able to finally force the Armenian separatists of Nagorno-Karabakh to surrender, even opening fire and killing Russian soldiers who had previously guaranteed the region's security. Russia, for fear of further provoking Türkiye to supporting Ukraine, could do nothing.

For Putin, the war turned out to be a career-defining strategic blunder. His attention is fixated entirely in Ukraine, with all of his previously stated objectives falling apart.

Effectively, Russia is locked in a war economy, slowly grinding its equipment and manpower away while all the West has to do is keep Ukraine in the fight with surplus equipment.

Russia is forced to ignore most or all of its previously stated war objectives, enabling NATO expansion in the Baltic sea.

Putin was forced to abandon his initial goal of regime change early on in the war as the Russian military was unable to take over the country.

Tied down in Ukraine, Russia is gradually losing its influence, even in the post Soviet space. Russian former clients seek alternative security arrangements.

With the war being a strategic defeat, all that remains for Putin is to hold on to whatever land he has stolen and try to keep it. For Ukraine, the war remains tragic, with its exhausted forces locked in an attritional battle. While the balance of power has shifted dramatically since Russia's supposed superiority in early 2022, Russia has the manpower to waste to keep fighting for years.

Casualty estimates are difficult as both sides have a vested interest in downplaying casualties and exaggerating them for the enemy.

After the capture of Bakhmut, Prigozhin claimed 22,000 Wagner fighters to have been killed, with 60,000 wounded. This does not account for any Russian army casualties in the battle.

Medusa used the spike in recorded cases for deceased male inheritance claims that by May 27, 2023, 40,000 - 55,000 Russian men had been killed in Ukraine.

As of September 2023, Russia has been visually confirmed to have lost over 12,000 pieces of heavy equipment, including over 2,300 main battle tanks.

Russia continues to lose vastly more men in a short period of time than the US lost in over a decade in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

Both sides are now gearing up for an attritional fight, focusing on drones and long-range stand off weaponry, with Europe again emphasizing the importance of air defence to protect Ukrainian energy infrastructure during winter. Regardless of what happens, neither side seems willing to negotiate. Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please.

'Russia has the manpower to waste to keep fighting for years.'

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Will Brazil Destroy the Amazon to Save the Climate?

Brazil’s mineral wealth could power the energy transition, but mining is a very dirty business.

Whether it was gold, diamonds, or iron, the history of Brazil has been shaped for centuries by the hunt for minerals. Colonial fortune hunters and their legions of pick-and-pan-wielding slaves dredged up 800 to 850 tons of gold in the 18th century alone, filling the coffers of the Portuguese crown. In the early 1800s, gold financed the war chest of the Brazilian independence movement.

The search for minerals expanded in the 20th century, turning Brazil into a mining colossus. The country still draws waves of “adventurers, madmen, and starvelings,” as French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss called prospectors. Many scour the Amazon for paydirt, so much the worse for the world’s largest rainforest and the Indigenous communities that depend on it for survival.

But the coming treasure hunt may trump them all. The 21st century’s prizes are cobalt, lithium, nickel, niobium, and the other critical strategic minerals of which high-tech gadgets and green energy technology are built. To produce an equal amount of power, photovoltaic generation consumes 40 times more copper than fossil fuel combustion and wind power up to 14 times more iron, according to a forthcoming Igarapé Institute report. To meet the burgeoning global demand for green energy technologies—including a massive switch to electric batteries—the World Bank estimates that 3 billion tons of critical strategic minerals will be needed by 2050.

That this scramble for resources is centered on the Amazon lays bare an uncomfortable truth: Climate policy and environmental protection are not the same thing, and as the energy transition gathers pace, that trade-off is becoming increasingly evident. Indonesian rainforests have been cleared for palm oil plantations producing biofuels, and West African forests are felled for wood pellets to heat green homes in Europe. Open-pit mining is one of humanity’s most ruinous industries, razing everything in its path—while toxic runoff, tailings, and waste products can poison rivers and wreak havoc for miles.

How Brazil handles the energy transition’s burgeoning hunger for resources will help determine whether our policies to save the planet will leave us with a planet left to save.

Continue reading.

[probablyasocialecologist]

At a societal level, most people grasp the importance of plants to their lives and the ecosystems they inhabit. The success of humans as a species is inextricably interwoven with the success of plant life on Earth. Without the growth of ancient forests, the biosphere in which we live would not have enough oxygen-rich air for humans to have evolved. Without the cultivation of plants for food, humans could not have settled, built shelters and developed rich and diverse cultures. In practical terms, too, building with plants makes a lot of sense. They grow back and are relatively easy to cultivate, harvest and process into useful materials. Their inherent fibrous structures give our buildings integrity. Trees, processed into timber, work extremely well in both compression and tension. Hollow straws and grasses hold air within them, making them great insulators. The lignin in many different plants can act as a natural binder when heated, meaning that you can essentially squash them, heat them and they stick together into useful sheet materials. Mixed with different binders like clay and lime, they can be given resistance to fire, insects and mould. Bio-based materials are also hygroscopic – meaning that they hold and release moisture. The fact that they can absorb humidity from a room helps to regulate damp and prevent mould from growing. That they are moisture permeable means that water vapour trapped in walls, from rain ingress or generated through leaks, always has somewhere to go. Contemporary buildings, on the other hand, are essentially wrapped in plastic sheets, trapping in moisture and resulting in poor indoor air quality.

Some of the best examples of bio-based buildings are hiding in plain sight in villages, towns and cities across the globe, having withstood decades, sometimes centuries of wear and tear. Timber-framed barns, reinforced with hazel wattle and clay daub can be found dotted across the British countryside. The technique of cob building, using loadbearing clay and straw, was very commonly used in the south-west of England in the 19th century, and many of those cob buildings still stand in Devon and Cornwall today. They are finished in a lime render and look from the outside like any other stone or brick building.

That these techniques have not become more widespread is, at first glance, surprising. The local materials and skills used to build with them were relatively low cost, and when well maintained, extremely durable. The critical thing about these materials, however, is how they were intrinsically linked to land, and specific geographies or bioregions. Industrialisation brought with it a change in agricultural practices and land ownership. Bio-based materials were conventionally derived from agricultural waste; long wheat straw was for example used for thatching, until modern chemical fertilisers that help the wheat grow more quickly weakened the structure of the straw, making it too brittle. Water reed, also used in thatching and as a render substrate, was once abundant in wetlands, but these were drained over the course of the 19th century to develop more arable farmland, cutting by approximately 90 per cent the amount of land on which the reed could grow.

Industrialisation also brought about the development of contemporary insulations, designed initially to prevent energy loss from high-energy machinery and factory spaces. Materials such as concrete and steel, which enabled the quick assembly of spaces of production, ultimately sought markets in domestic construction too. These materials were produced at an unprecedented scale and advertised as technologically advanced, in need of little or no maintenance: symbols of a bright future in which being cold, damp and living with fire risk were a thing of the past. And as these materials became more and more popular, regulatory frameworks began to be designed around them, with lawmakers falling victim to aggressive lobbying and marketing campaigns. Today, testing and certification, mortgages and insurances in the UK and beyond are generally designed around contemporary building systems, and materials which have proven their efficacy over decades of service are considered risky, fringe and ultimately more costly.

The petrochemical and mineral materials we have been building with since the Industrial Revolution require an enormous amount of energy to be extracted and processed. The cement industry, for example, is responsible for about eight per cent of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions – far more than global carbon emissions from aviation. We cannot continue to build using materials that generate enormous outflows of emissions and have to be shipped across great distances. We need to use materials that are lower in embodied carbon: bio-based materials, derived from plants which can regenerate sustainably and sequester carbon into our buildings.

[tritonmarketresearch]

Biomass Power Market to Grow at CAGR of 6.08% from 2022 to 2028

Triton Market Research presents the Global Biomass Power Market report segmented by Application (Industrial, Commercial, Residential), by Feedstock (Municipal Solid Waste, Biogas, Liquid Biomass, Solid Biomass), by Technology (LFG, Co-firing & CHP, Gasification, Combustion, Anaerobic Digestion), by Geographical Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa), discussing Market Summary, Competitive Landscape, Market Drivers, Market Challenges, Market Opportunities, Industry Outlook, Research Methodology & Scope, and Global Market Size, Forecasts, & Analysis (2022-2028).

According to estimates from Triton Market Research, the Global Biomass Power Market is likely to grow with CAGRs of 6.08% (by revenue) and 6.51% (by volume) in the forecast period from 2022 to 2028.

Request Free Sample Report:

https://www.tritonmarketresearch.com/reports/biomass-power-market#request-free-sample

Growing environmental concerns regarding carbon emissions due to the increasing use of conventional fuels for power generation and transportation have resulted in nations across the world switching to cleaner and more effective energy sources. This, in turn, has shifted the focus on biomass for power generation, which is expected to benefit the global market growth.

Renewable power sources, such as wind and solar, act as substitute technologies for biomass power. Due to increased R&D, as well as the availability of financial incentives globally, these alternatives have emerged as superior options. This, however, has had a negative impact on the adoption of biomass for power generation, thus hampering the studied market’s growth.

The Asia-Pacific leads the global biomass power market, accounting for the highest revenue share in 2021. The availability of financial incentive schemes for the adoption of renewable power sources in a majority of the countries in this region is a key factor driving market growth. Also, the implementation of programs for cofiring biomass with coal-based power plants is anticipated to augment the studied market’s growth in this region.

Thermax Ltd, Suez SA, Orsted, Ramboll Group, Veolia Environnement SA, Xcel Energy Inc, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Ameresco Inc, E.ON Energy, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Valmet Oyj, General Electric Company, and Vattenfall AB are some of the noteworthy players in the biomass power market.

The biomass power market is characterized by high capital investment. It requires the presence of high-end laboratories, technological expertise, and high capital cost for R&D, which act as a hindrance to new players aspiring to set foot into the market.

Besides, major global players, such as General Electric Company and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, have a strong market presence and technical expertise in biomass power technologies and components, which helps them capture greater shares in the market. This enhances the industry rivalry among the companies operating in the biomass power market.

 Contact Us:

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Phone: +44 7441 911839

[rametarin]

this all sounds good until you remember China was always a global producer of CFCs, and they only ramped up production AFTER the rest of the world got reigned in to stop using them or face sanctions. And to this day, 60% of the source, that's 6/10, 3/5ths, of the entire world's supply of CFCs producted industrially that today are killing the ozone layer still, come from China. The problem is still more than half what it used to be. The hole in the ozone layer over antarctica is still there. It hasn't entirely gone, because that action only cared about certain countries. And it wasn't a matter of shortsightedness; it could've mandated globally and enforced those rules for developers into the future. It chose not to and chose the language on purpose.

They only cared about the ones coming from the west, tho.

And similarly, Russian stockpiles of nuclear weapons haven't diminished so much as they've just failed and needed to be decommissioned. They still have an absolutely bewildering, hilarious amount of nukes. MAD was imposed as doctrine solely to make sure if Russia struck first, there'd be no juice worth the squeeze, for there'd be nothing left in the orchard. The nuclear weapon treaties haven't really changed much, just given a false sense of security.

In the famous Chicken Ukraine speech by George H. W. Bush (the earlier Bush than G. W), in that era, when the Soviet Union fell, they'd agreed to limit their tanks and APCs to about 20,000 apiece to prevent massive military buildup and panic, given how the SU at that point was mass producing good-enough (shitty) tanks and other vehicles to flatten other parts of Europe in lightning artillery war. So what happened to the tens of thousands of military machines after this treaty was signed? Were they dismantled?

No, the SU moved them, "East of the Ural Mountains" to further parts of the SU and claimed that the treaty didn't reach them there, for some arbitrary reason, and mothballed them. This surplus is today being used to fight in Ukraine.

The hole in the ozone layer is still a thing, thanks to China. And yet, like dealing with a Karen's Golden Childe, suddenly the big thing and bad behavior that Needs To Stop Immediately(tm) becomes a quiet issue that the supposed lawbringers and peacekeepers aggressively silence or refuse to act on, when it's their precious overgrown babby causing the problems.

Miraculous how similarly, these folks so opposed to nuclear war and nuclear weapons went on anti-nuclear power tirades in the 60s-90s, while at the same time calling for carbon and other pollutant free sources of energy. Even banning the reusability of nuclear waste to deal with it quicker and get more use out of each gigantic concrete and steel drum of gray metal, so we can't both decontaminate and exercise the energy out of it quicker, we just have to let it exist as space and wasted potential.

They closed Yucca Mountain because after hemming and hawing, determined even after extensive testing and proven methods, they "couldn't guarantee the water table." They try and loophole and technicality out nuclear power plants, and prevent new ones from being built.

And yet these people do not call for international actions or sanctions on Russia, China or other countries that objectively do contribute to all these problems they believe are both pertinent domestically and absolutely urgent internationally. Almost as if they cared less about the problem, as much as tying western hands together so they weren't allowed to operate in as efficient or industrial a manner.

Look at the way the Greens of Germany practically bent the country forwards and presented Russia its asshole for that natural gas pipe and oil. Where regulations and safety precautions are a great big XAXAXAXAXA, compared to Germany and the EU, with its own safety protocols and standards that can sometimes strangulate development and productivity. Forcing them to buy power from Russia, at great expense to its own security, and giving Russia a diplomatic "do what we say or we shut off your power" switch.

Gadflies and Gaslights.

[energyandpowertrends]

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Market: Regional Insights and Market Projections

The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Market size was valued at USD 563.1 Million in 2023 and is expected to grow to USD 25371.51 Million by 2031 and grow at a CAGR of 60.93% over the forecast period of 2024–2031.

Market Segmentation

By Fuel Type

Biofuel:

SAF derived from biological sources such as agricultural residues, waste oils, and non-food crops. Biofuels dominate the SAF market due to their proven technologies and scalability in commercial aviation.

Hydrogen Fuel:

Emerging as a potential zero-emission fuel, hydrogen can be used in fuel cells or burned directly in modified jet engines. Its development is in the nascent stages, with significant R&D investments.

Power to Liquid Fuel:

Also known as e-fuels, these are synthesized from captured carbon dioxide and renewable electricity. They offer a promising pathway for reducing lifecycle carbon emissions.

Gas-to-Liquid (GTL):

Derived from natural gas or biogas, GTL fuels provide a cleaner burning alternative. They are gaining traction in regions with abundant gas resources.

By Biofuel Manufacturing Technology

Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FT):

Converts biomass, waste, or biogas into liquid hydrocarbons. This technology is suitable for large-scale production and offers high-quality jet fuel.

Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA):

The most widely adopted technology, HEFA produces SAF from waste oils, fats, and greases. It is commercially viable and approved for blending with conventional jet fuel.

Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ):

Converts ethanol or butanol into jet fuel. It provides a sustainable option for regions with established bioethanol industries.

Others:

Includes technologies like pyrolysis and catalytic hydrothermolysis, which are in the developmental stages and hold future potential for SAF production.

By Biofuel Blending Capacity

Below 30%:

SAF blends below 30% are commonly used in the aviation sector due to current certification limits and infrastructure compatibility.

30% to 50%:

Represents an increasing focus on higher blend ratios to achieve greater carbon reductions while ensuring fuel performance and safety.

Above 50%:

High blend ratios, including 100% SAF, are in the experimental phase and are expected to gain regulatory approval over the forecast period.

By Platform

Commercial Aviation:

The largest consumer of SAF, with airlines increasingly adopting sustainable fuels to meet regulatory requirements and reduce their carbon footprints.

Military Aviation:

Military applications are exploring SAF to enhance energy security and reduce logistical challenges, particularly in remote or strategic locations.

Business & General Aviation:

Business jets and private aviation sectors are adopting SAF as part of their corporate sustainability initiatives.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV):

Emerging as a potential market for SAF, especially for military and commercial drone operations.

By Region

North America:

The United States and Canada lead the SAF market in North America, driven by regulatory frameworks like the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and initiatives such as the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge.

Europe:

The European Union’s stringent carbon reduction targets and initiatives like the ReFuelEU Aviation proposal are propelling SAF adoption. Countries like the UK, Germany, and France are key players.

Asia Pacific:

Rapidly growing aviation markets in China, India, and Japan are investing in SAF infrastructure to meet increasing demand while addressing environmental concerns.

Latin America:

Countries like Brazil are leveraging their strong biofuel industries to produce SAF, particularly through ethanol-based technologies.

Middle East & Africa (MEA):

The region is exploring SAF as part of its diversification efforts in the energy sector, with airlines like Emirates and Etihad participating in SAF trials.

Key Market Drivers

Environmental Regulations and Carbon Reduction Goals:

Regulatory bodies like ICAO’s CORSIA and the EU’s Fit for 55 are driving SAF adoption by imposing stricter carbon emissions limits on the aviation sector.

Technological Advancements:

Innovations in SAF production technologies, including advanced biofuels and e-fuels, are reducing production costs and enhancing fuel quality.

Increasing Airline Commitments:

Major airlines are committing to net-zero emissions targets, driving the demand for SAF as part of their sustainability strategies.

Government Incentives and Investments:

Subsidies, tax credits, and direct investments in SAF production facilities are boosting market growth.

Market Outlook and Forecast

The global sustainable aviation fuel market is poised for rapid growth, driven by increasing demand for cleaner energy in aviation and supportive regulatory frameworks. By 2031, the market is expected to witness widespread adoption across all platforms, with advancements in production technologies and infrastructure playing a crucial role.

Read Complete Report Details of Sustainable Aviation Fuel Market 2024–2031@ https://www.snsinsider.com/reports/sustainable-aviation-fuel-market-3331

Conclusion

Sustainable aviation fuel represents a critical solution for decarbonizing the aviation sector. The market’s growth will be fueled by regulatory support, technological advancements, and increasing commitments from industry stakeholders. As SAF technologies mature and production scales up, the aviation industry will be better positioned to achieve its sustainability goals.

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SNS Insider is a global leader in market research and consulting, shaping the future of the industry. Our mission is to empower clients with the insights they need to thrive in dynamic environments. Utilizing advanced methodologies such as surveys, video interviews, and focus groups, we provide up-to-date, accurate market intelligence and consumer insights, ensuring you make confident, informed decisions.   Contact Us: Akash Anand — Head of Business Development & Strategy info@snsinsider.com  Phone: +1–415–230–0044 (US) | +91–7798602273 (IND)