Wind and solar benchmarks for a 1.5°C world
This report presents a detailed methodology for determining the amount of wind and solar capacity that is required for a country to align with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C temperature goal. While the focus
Germany
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Effects of sample size on estimation of rainfall extremes at high temperatures
<p>High precipitation quantiles tend to rise with air temperature, following the so-called Clausius–Clapeyron scaling. This CC-scaling relation breaks down, or even reverts, for very high temperatures.
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German prosecutors investigate ex-VW chief over emissions scandal
German prosecutors have opened an investigation into the former Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn over allegations of market manipulation in relation to the company’s diesel emissions scandal.
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Rapid attribution of the May/June 2016 flood-inducing precipitation in France and Germany to climate change
<p>The extreme precipitation that would result in historic flooding across areas of northeastern France and southern Germany began on May 26th when a large cut-off low spurred the development of several
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Germany gets tough on emissions
Germany on Tuesday demanded tougher rules on controlling diesel car pollution in Europe as it blamed auto manufacturers other than Volkswagen of using defeat devices to pass emission tests. German Transport
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Germany's K+S says Kassel prosecutors drop pollution case
German potash and salt miner K+S said on Tuesday that public prosecutors in the city of Kassel, where the company is headquartered, had dropped investigations into suspected water pollution because they
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Germany wants stricter EU rules for car emissions
Germany wants stricter European Union rules on emissions from motor vehicles, the transport ministry said on Monday, confirming a report by the financial daily Handelsblatt. The proposal came after
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Germany ends row with states over green energy roll-out
Chancellor Angela Merkel hammered out the framework for a deal with state premiers on Wednesday on reforms to Germany's renewable energy law aimed at curbing the costs and controlling the speed of the future roll-out of green power sources. After a meeting with the leaders of Germany's 16 states that stretched into the early hours of Wednesday, the government agreed to limit the expansion of onshore wind at 2.8 gigawatts in capacity per year, equivalent to about 1,000 wind turbines. In addition, only a certain amount of new capacity will be permitted in north Germany to avoid overburdening the electricity grid. "We have come a long way," Merkel told reporters following the meeting. Saxony-Anhalt Premier Reiner Haseloff spoke of a "breakthrough," while his counterpart in Bremen, Carsten Sieling, said they had covered 90 percent of the ground. Generous green subsidies have led to a boom in renewable energy, such as wind and solar power. But the rapid expansion has pushed up electricity costs in Europe's biggest economy and placed a strain on its grid. The latest reforms are aimed at slowing the growth in renewables, which accounted for around a third of Germany's electricity last year. With the government sticking to its target for an increase in the share of renewable sources to 40 to 45 percent of total electricity production by 2025, it will have to put the brakes on growth to avoid overshooting. One of the biggest sticking points in the talks were plans to limit the amount of onshore wind, with critics saying that would endanger Germany's long-term energy goals and put jobs in the sector at risk. The government also wants to move away from guaranteed set payments to a competitive auction system where green energy producers only receive payments for their power if they win a tender. According to the proposals, an upper limit of 600 megawatts will be placed on solar power expansion. Installations that are smaller than 750 kilowatts of capacity will continue to receive support so as not to discourage rooftop solar panels. The government and states failed to agree on upper limits for biomass, which is important in the southern state of Bavaria, while questions remain over the future expansion of offshore wind plants. The government now hopes to approve the proposals in the Cabinet in coming weeks. The draft law is due to come into force at the start of 2017.
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Germany agrees to plug nuclear liability loophole
The German government passed a regulation on Wednesday that aims to ensure utility companies remain liable for the costs of shutting down nuclear power plants even if they split up. Germany decided
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Europe flooding: Five dead as waters rise in Germany and France
At least five people died on Wednesday in flooding across France and Germany, authorities say. Search teams in the Bavarian town of Simbach am Inn found the bodies of three people who had been trapped
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Residential road traffic noise and high depressive symptoms after five years of follow-up: Results from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study
<p>Traffic noise affects a large number of people, particularly in urbanized areas. Noise causes stress and annoyance, but less is known about the relationship between noise and depression. The researchers