Europe Bets on Biogas and Biomass, Creating High Risks and Costs in Spain

Original source: Era Necesario
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Could Europe's pursuit of "green" energy solutions be creating new environmental and economic problems for some of its members, while others benefit? This analysis suggests a complex reality behind the sustainability labels.

Europe Bets on Biogas and Biomass, Creating High Risks and Costs in Spain

Europe is pushing biomass and biogas as energy solutions, presenting them as sustainable. However, this strategy involves the massive use of organic waste, including animal carcasses and sewage sludge, creating high environmental contamination risks from bacteria, antibiotics, and heavy metals. Furthermore, it is argued that these technologies are inefficient and economically unviable without subsidies due to high transport and processing costs.

"Germany has decided that Spain is literally going to become Europe's dumping ground and slaughterhouse, to ferment it here."

▶ Watch this segment — 56:06

Report Warns Seven of Nine Critical Planetary Boundaries Have Been Exceeded

A recent analysis reveals that seven of the nine fundamental planetary boundaries crucial for Earth's stability have been transgressed. The most overshot boundary is that of "novel entities," which includes a vast range of toxic chemical substances such as plastics, heavy metals, and radioactive elements dispersed in the environment. Closely following in severity is the integrity of the biosphere, affected by the rapid destruction of ecosystems essential for life.

"The only two limits that are currently well are, on one hand, the atmospheric aerosol loading... and the only one that currently seems safe... is stratospheric ozone."

▶ Watch this segment — 2:54

Global Temperatures Soar: Spain Could Reach 50 Degrees Celsius by 2037

Average temperature curves of the Earth's atmosphere show accelerated global warming, with 2023 closing at 1.48 degrees Celsius above 19th-century levels. This trend suggests that the Iberian Peninsula, in particular, will experience more pronounced warming than the global average, with a projected increase of 2.7 degrees if the planet reaches a 1.5-degree rise, significantly exceeding the world average.

"With 2 degrees of warming, we will have temperatures of 50 degrees in some parts of the summer, especially in southern Spain, which are temperatures incompatible with human life."

▶ Watch this segment — 6:48

Reduction in Sulfur Dioxide Emissions in China Quadruples Earth's Radiative Imbalance

Earth's radiative imbalance has quadrupled, equivalent to the accumulation of energy from twelve Hiroshima-scale bombs per second. This alarming increase, which accelerates global warming, is primarily attributed to the reduction of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions in China, an unexpected consequence of its anti-pollution measures implemented to control uncontrolled coal burning.

"Right now, the radiative imbalance has quadrupled, meaning we are now accumulating an amount of energy equivalent to the explosion of 12 Hiroshima-scale bombs every second."

▶ Watch this segment — 16:04

Projections: 60% of the Planet Could Become Uninhabitable by 2060 with a 3-Degree Increase

The latest climate projections indicate that Earth will permanently exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold this year. It is estimated that, if current trends continue, a 2-degree increase will be reached by 2037, leading to temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius in certain areas of Spain during the summer. These extreme conditions would make life unsustainable in vast regions.

"3 degrees of global warming implies that 60% of the planet becomes uninhabitable, and that includes the entire Iberian Peninsula because temperatures here in summer would reach 60°C."

▶ Watch this segment — 17:53

Oil Exploration Investment Falls 50% Since 2014 Due to Geological Depletion

Global investment by oil companies in the search and development of new deposits has drastically decreased by 50% since 2014, after having quintupled their spending between 2000 and 2014. This reduction is not due to a shift in environmental awareness, but rather to the lower quality and profitability of the remaining deposits. Companies like Repsol and Cepsa have ceased their oil exploration operations, focusing on existing reserves.

"The reason is that the remaining types of deposits are increasingly poor, have worse yields, and it's not as easy to make money from them."

▶ Watch this segment — 21:24

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Summarised from Era Necesario · 1:21:31. All credit belongs to the original creators. Streamed.News summarises publicly available video content.