The Independent

Good news for British climate action

Renewable power set to overtake fossil fuels in the U.K. this year for the first time

While particularly windy periods have meant certain days in the last few years have been dominated by renewable power as turbines lit up the grid, this is the first time through an entire calendar year that renewable energy will be greater than power generated from burning oil, gas and coal. The shift is driven largely by a decline in production from coal, gas, and oil, as well as growing wind, solar, and biomass power, according to think tank Ember.

Wind turbines amid clouds

Seven countries now generate 100% of their electricity from renewable energy

Albania, Bhutan, Nepal, Paraguay, Iceland, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo produced more than 99.7% of the electricity they consumed using geothermal, hydro, solar or wind power. Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) also revealed that a further 40 countries generated at least 50% of the electricity they consumed from renewable energy technologies in 2021 and 2022.

Person having blood drawn

Breakthrough Alzheimer’s blood test could detect disease 15 years before symptoms emerge

A recent trial of 786 people – conducted by Dr. Nicholas Ashton at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and colleagues – found the new test to be as accurate at detecting the signs of Alzheimer’s as painful lumbar punctures, and better than a range of other tests currently being worked on. Experts say it could pave the way for national screening programs for people 50 and over, and that current treatments could work better with the cases picked up earlier.

Artist's concept of a solar power satellite in place

First ever space-to-Earth solar power mission succeeds

A landmark test of beaming solar power to Earth from a satellite has concluded successfully after a year-long mission. Led by scientists at the California Institute of Technology, the mission completed all three of its primary experiments to test key technology for such an endeavor. They included a new origami-inspired solar panel structure, different cell designs, and a microwave transmitter.

Los Planes de Renderos

El Salvador to use energy from volcanoes for bitcoin mining

Hours after becoming the first nation to authorize bitcoin as a legal tender, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele instructed a state-owned geothermal electric company to plan to use renewable geothermal energy from the country’s volcanoes for mining for the cryptocurrency.

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