Climate

The EU Commission is set to introduce the so-called "Data Carbon Tax" on April 1, 2026. This tax on 'dark data'—such as old emails or duplicate photos—is designed to offset the surging energy consumption of AI data centers powering ChatGPT, Gemini, and similar applications. In the future, users who fail to clean up their data within specified deadlines must expect financial penalties or even the mandatory deletion of their cloud storage. However, a little more tidiness can't hurt ;)

A new study by Anker based on real usage data from Germany shows that balcony solar systems are economically worthwhile in most cases. The equation becomes more complicated when storage solutions are involved because of higher costs and shorter warranty periods.

A new and pressing environmental concern has surfaced due to the rapid growth of satellite and rocket launches. These satellites later burn up in the sky, introducing pollutants that may affect Earth’s ozone layer and atmospheric chemistry.

Scientists discovered that parts of Antarctica’s ice sheet have retreated by more than 40 kilometers over the past three decades. Using satellite radar data, researchers found that warmer ocean waters are weakening the ice from below. This shift could influence future sea-level rise.

Every year, top climate scientists coordinate and synthesize research to review the strongest scientific evidence on how the Earth is changing. The latest report shows that the planet is warming faster and that stronger, coordinated efforts are needed to mitigate the damage.

Researchers found that clearance of small areas of tropical forests results in more than half of the net carbon losses across the Tropics. This means that the small actions actually matter. The discovery could be useful in guiding targeted intervention strategies.

A major Chinese shipbuilder aims to revolutionize maritime trade with a zero-emission, nuclear-powered vessel capable of carrying 25,000 containers, though regulatory hurdles remain.

As the planet brightens under city lights and screens, moonlight’s ancient rhythm is fading. Scientists warn that artificial light is disrupting the lunar clock shared by humans, corals, and other species; reshaping sleep, reproduction, and migration across the natural world.

Together with the Berlin-based BBF Group, the Fraunhofer Institute has unveiled the first lightweight prototypes of a highly efficient small wind turbine. With a low startup threshold, the turbines are well suited for areas with limited wind, offering a sustainable energy solution for homes, businesses and remote locations.

Apple has removed all “carbon-neutral” branding from the Apple Watch Series 11, Watch Ultra 3, and M4 Mac mini. The move follows a German court ruling and upcoming EU regulations targeting greenwashing claims, forcing Apple to scale back its marketing despite continuing internal carbon reduction efforts.

The project would power up to 350,000 homes and had all foundations installed, as well as 45 out of the 65 turbines. The project was halted citing national security concerns.

SolarStratos achieved an altitude of 9,521 metres using a double electric motor aircraft, which took advantage of warm air thermals and a lithium-ion battery to fly over the Valais Alps. The aircraft had 22 square metres of solar cells, which helped recharge the batteries.

Greenland’s most active glacier releases more than 300,000 gallons (1,136 cubic meters) of fresh water into the sea every second during peak summer melt. Scientists, using a supercomputer-driven ocean ecosystem model, have discovered that this water helps pull up nutrients that could support a major part of the ecosystem, especially during times of supposed nutrient depletion.

IKEA has released the Bergvattnet Water meter for shower in various European countries over the last few weeks. Described as a smart shower monitoring solution, the gadget is designed to help users make their showers more efficient. On the large display, you can see the volume of water used and the water temperature, and it can also track shower duration.

Enel used 762 battery packs from Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Nissan to build an energy storage system for the Aeroporti di Roma. According to Enel, this kind of project can be modular and scalable to reuse car batteries.