The International Energy Agency (IEA) regularly conducts in-depth peer reviews of the energy policies of its member countries. This process supports energy policy development and encourages the exchange of international best practices and experiences. Since the last IEA review in 2015, Spain has solved a long-standing issue of tariff deficits …
Today’s wind turbines have colossal blades that spin at speeds of more than 200mph (320 km/h). While some might consider them majestic structures, others argue they are a threat to bird life and a noisy blight on the landscape. Now a Spanish company has come up with a solution to …
Hundreds of millions of acres of forest could be lost in the next two decades in less than a dozen global hotspots for deforestation, conservationists have warned. Research by wildlife charity WWF has identified 11 “deforestation fronts” where 80% of projected global forest losses by 2030 could occur. Up to …
Air pollution is a suspected developmental neurotoxicant. Many schools are located in close proximity to busy roads, and traffic air pollution peaks when children are at school. We aimed to assess whether exposure of children in primary school to traffic-related air pollutants is associated with impaired cognitive development. Original Source
New EU rules that would allow member states to ban or restrict the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops in their territory have moved a step closer, following their formal adoption by the European Council. Under existing rules, member states can only ban or restrict the use of a genetically …
To Madrid dwellers, the almost permanent pall of traffic fumes hanging over the city is known as “the beret”, a kind of grimly ironic statement on what has become a tradition in a city where there is more than one car for every two of its 3.2 million inhabitants. But …
A controversial mine which caused one of Spain’s biggest ever environmental disasters is set to reopen, the government has announced. Los Frailes mine in Aznalcóllar, near Seville, will resume operations 17 years after a tailings dam burst, dumping five million cubic metres of toxic sludge into the Guadiamar river. The …
Solar energy is set to become the cheapest source of electricity in many parts of the world within the next 10 years, with the cost of photovoltaics continuing to decline. In fact, in some parts of the world, solar energy would become cheaper than the heavily subsidised fossil fuel energy, …
(Reuters) - A magnitude 5 earthquake shook central and eastern Spain on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake's epicentre was close to the town of Ossa de Montiel, 170 km (105 miles) south of Madrid, at a depth of about 15 km, according to Spain's National Institute of …
This index report ranks countries based on their economic output per unit of energy consumed. Commissioned by Philips, the energy productivity index was authored by The Lisbon Council, Ecofys and Quintel Intelligence. Next to ranking the current performance of countries, the report also presents scenarios for the European Union and …
The objective of the present work is to analyse how changes in wave patterns due to the effect of climate change can affect harbour agitation (oscillations within the port due to wind waves). The study focuses on 13 harbours located on the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean) using a methodology with …
In four European cohorts, we investigated the cross-sectional association between long-term exposure to air pollution and intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (CIMT), a pre-clinical marker of atherosclerosis.
Europe could have saved itself $100 billion by installing solar power panels in sunnier countries and wind turbines in windier places, the World Economic Forum's "Future of Electricity" platform said in a report released on Tuesday. The report, written with consultancy Bain, added that another $40 billion could have been …
The state-owned Power Development Board (PDB) is set to sign a contract with two companies from Spain and South Korea for the construction of the 400MW gas-based combined cycle Bibiyana South Plant in Habiganj. “We will sign the companies [Isolux Ingenieria SA of Spain and Samsung C&T; Corporation of South …
Green spaces have been associated with both health benefits and risks in children; however, available evidence simultaneously investigating these conflicting influences, especially in association with different types of greenness, is scarce. The researchers aimed to simultaneously evaluate health benefits and risks associated with different types of greenness in children, in …
Green spaces have been associated with improved mental health in children; however, available epidemiological evidence on their impact on child behavioral development is scarce. In this study the researchers investigated the impact of contact with green spaces and blue spaces (beaches) on indicators of behavioral development and symptoms of attention …
Traffic noise has been associated with prevalence of hypertension, but reports are inconsistent for blood pressure (BP). To ascertain noise effects and to disentangle them from those suspected to be from traffic-related air pollution, it may be essential to estimate people’s noise exposure indoors in bedrooms. The objective of the …
A deadly new disease has emerged that is wiping out amphibians, scientists report. A number of viruses have been found in northern Spain that are killing frog, toad and newt species. Infected animals can suffer from ulcers on their skin and die from internal bleeding. Researchers fear the strains, which …
The emergence of infectious diseases with a broad host range can have a dramatic impact on entire communities and has become one of the main threats to biodiversity. Here, we report the simultaneous exploitation of entire communities of potential hosts with associated severe declines following invasion by a novel viral …
It’s an unfashionable thing to admit, but sometimes what happens in the European Parliament really matters. This week, unnoticed by almost everyone, MEPs will consider proposals by the European commission and member states to overturn a ban on the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe. But it’s a …
The death toll from the Ebola virus outbreak has risen to 4,447, with the large majority of victims in West Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. WHO assistant director-general Bruce Aylward also said there could be up to 10,000 new cases a week within two months if efforts were …
