Robert Hodgson

BBC Archive 1945: Richard Dimbleby describes Belsen Richard Dimbleby describes the scenes of almost unimaginable horror that greeted him as he toured Belsen concentration camp shortly after its liberation by the British in April 1945.

Exemplary reporting from 1945, all the more chilling for its restraint. www.bbc.com/videos/c87z7...

Brussels jettisons EU green ideals to secure India trade agreement | Euractiv Rump deal with world’s most populous country is bereft of climate chapter

Another aspect of the EU Green Deal reversal: trade policy no longer to be used 'pour encourager les autres'. Read this take on the EU-India free-trade deal by Euractiv's @nkurmayer.bsky.social www.euractiv.com/news/brussel...

My colleague @steporciello.bsky.social seems to have got a long-overdue conversation going with this Christmas holiday feature. It's an idea so simple even [ ... ] could understand it. (And let's not forget about solar thermal either - it's not only about PV.)

Ho ho. Not an argument, just a statement of fact. Not saying it's likely. As far as being booted out by Republicans goes, experience so far would suggest he's probably right.

In the Senate, by my calculations, 20 would need to vote with the Democrats and indies to kick him out. A higher bar, admittedly...but there are the mid-terms.

I read that as "mortality"..! Actually, only a handful of Republican representatives would need to decide a red line has been crossed and screw their courage to the sticking place to impeach the president.

Brussels pitches 'North Star' for EU power grid planning to rein in electricity prices | Euractiv Nationally minded grid planning is being blamed for the EU’s widening cross-border cable gap

One question on #GridsPackage would be:

Do all highways follow the North Star?

[here, what it is about
www.euractiv.com/news/brussels-pitches-north-star-for-eu-power-grid-planning-to-rein-in-electricity-prices/ by @nkurmayer.bsky.social ]

We're hiring! Euractiv is looking for an experienced environment policy reporter jobs.euractiv.com/jobs/energy-... Deadline 19 October.

EU funds bitcoin mine in Congo jungle with development aid Over more than a decade, the EU spent millions on largely unsuccessful projects in a nature reserve in eastern Congo, led by a Belgian prince. These include a safari lodge in a war zone and a hydroele...

"This is what the Global Gateway is about". www.ftm.eu/articles/bit...

Far-right Patriots for Europe move to kill EU's 2040 climate bill - Euractiv “It’s obvious that after having two legally binding targets for 2030 and 2050 this new target is not needed,” Knotek told Euractiv

If there were any doubts about the Patriots for Europe group's intentions for the EU's 2040 emissions target after they grabbed control of the file, they're buried now. @barbarabm.bsky.social and @anetazach.bsky.social‬ have the details. www.euractiv.com/section/eet/...

An incomparably more informed and expert take can be found here: bsky.app/profile/duyc...

So there we have it: the UN Court holds that failure to implement the Paris Agreement (i.e. strive to arrest global heating at 1.5 degrees) can be construed as a violation of human rights.

“States must therefore take their obligations under international human rights law into account when implementing their obligations under the climate change treaties and other relevant environmental treaties.”

"[T]he adverse effects of climate change may significantly impair...such human rights as the right to health, the right to an adequate standard of living, which...encompasses access to food, water and housing...privacy, and the rights of women, children and indigenous people.”

"Rather than being entirely discretionary, as some participants argue, NDCs must satisfy certain standards under the Paris Agreement."

THE HAGUE – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivers its Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change The International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivers its advisory opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change.

#ICJ is delivering its 'Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change': parties to the #ParisAgreement must pledge "highest possible ambition" in emissions cut pledges (NDCs). webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1c...

"Mounted on poles above homes, solar panels have become a common sight across the country of 240 million people, with the installation cost typically recovered within two to five years."

guy tapping head, saying, 'can't leak the MFF, if there is no MFF to leak'

The von der Leyen method: an update

#MFF EU budget anticipation at fever pitch in Brussels; presentation in parliament's BUDG committee already delayed 1.5 hrs (now 2pm, link below); hacks more choleric than usual over lack of communication from Berlaymont; @euractiv.com is your best bet. multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/webstream...

Is a monster web of ocean currents headed for collapse? The race is on to find out Research ships rarely brave the Greenland Sea in winter. Early this year, scientists ventured into the ice-covered waters to capture crucial data about the planet’s future.

"A glimmer of hope."
Several research programs are trying to find out whether the #AMOC is heading for a tipping point.
Chief scientist Kjetil Våge on the norwegian icebreaker Kronprins Haakon: "We need to do what we can to try to prevent that.”
Good Nature feature! 🌊
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

🇱🇹, 🇱🇻, 🇪🇪 & 🇵🇱 are further strengthening their cooperation in the field of energy security. Today, during the #EU Energy Council #TTE meeting in #Luxembourg, the four countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the cooperation on the protection and resilience of critical energy infrastructure.

💦 The EU #Water Resilience Strategy has a good focus, including on implementation & enforcement of EU's #WFD. We like this dear @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu + @jessikaroswall.ec.europa.eu. And we're here to help, by providing data etc. CC @nabu.de @bund.net @bundwasser.bsky.social @eeb.org #EUGreenDeal

2 July is a big day for energy, environment and transport policy fans: @ec.europa.eu plans to table the 2040 GHG reduction target proposal, an Action Plan for the EU chemicals industry, and a Master Plan (no less) for the high-speed rail network. ec.europa.eu/transparency...

It should be up to at least 282 now.

Spain / blackout. Would any power grid/market specialists like to suggest what might be going on behind this chart..?

Europe prepares for attacks on power grid while battling soaring costs The EU has identified building up its power grid as an essential, and somewhat neglected, element in its efforts to move away from fossil fuels and cut energy bills – but it is also waking up to the n...

This one's trending on the Euronews website, I'm told. www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

I've been talking to ENDS Europe podcast about deregulation, the ongoing attack on NGOs and dangerous times for European democracy.

embed.acast.com/$/6789360270...?

Ursula von der Leyen in Copenhagen:

"To all the people of Greenland – and of Denmark as a whole – I want to be very clear that Europe will always stand for sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The critical minerals consensus—i.e. that some raw materials are so essential that all tactics, including war, are justified to obtain them—is hegemonic. The results could be deadly.

This consensus shuts down debate: Critical for whom, obtained at whose expense? My latest in @financialtimes.com

The ‘critical minerals’ rush could result in a resource war Labelling justifies a preference for strong-arm tactics over co-operation

Read here www.ft.com/content/b370...