All posts tagged: charge

Which regions lead the charge?

Which regions lead the charge?

The UK has made remarkable strides in renewable energy, reaching its cleanest point ever in 2024. A record 45% of electricity was generated from renewable sources, marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s journey toward sustainability. Over the past decade, carbon emissions have plummeted, with emissions per unit falling by two-thirds, from 150 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2014 to under 40 million tonnes in 2024. But which regions are leading the UK renewable energy revolution? A new analysis by Confused.com Energy has unveiled which parts of the UK are spearheading the transition to clean energy. Scotland: The renewable energy powerhouse Scotland leads the UK renewable energy potential, scoring an impressive 7.6/10. With a robust onshore wind capacity factor of 37.3%, second only to Northern Ireland, Scotland generates over 11GW of wind power, representing 39% of the UK’s total capacity. While solar power plays a smaller role, with systems running at just 16% efficiency, Scotland’s overall renewable achievements are staggering. In 2022, the nation hit a major milestone by generating 113% of its electricity needs …

Europe leads the charge in polar research with new Swedish hub

Europe leads the charge in polar research with new Swedish hub

In a landmark move, the European Union is establishing the European Polar Coordination Office (EPCO) in January 2025. Located in Sweden’s Arctic region, this initiative underscores the EU’s dedication to understanding and addressing the impacts of climate change on the planet’s polar ecosystems. Operating from Umeå University’s Arctic Centre, EPCO will act as a hub for coordinating European polar research and facilitating collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and local communities. The new office builds on the achievements of EU-PolarNet 2, which concluded in 2024 and will manage the EU Polar Cluster – a network of projects focused on polar science. By aligning polar research priorities with climate challenges, EPCO aims to enhance Europe’s leadership in studying these high-latitude regions. The fragile polar ecosystems The Arctic and Antarctic are warming at rates far exceeding the global average. In the Arctic, temperatures are rising three times faster, resulting in extensive ice loss. This phenomenon not only disrupts local ecosystems and communities but also has global implications, including rising sea levels and extreme weather patterns. EPCO’s research agenda will …

The GOP Is Treating Musk Like He’s in Charge

The GOP Is Treating Musk Like He’s in Charge

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Yesterday, a tantrum from the world’s richest person swayed events in Congress. First, Elon Musk launched a blizzard of X posts denouncing a bipartisan spending bill designed to keep the government open. Calling the bill “criminal,” Musk threatened: “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in two years!” Panic ensued among the notoriously skittish congressional GOP, who quickly bowed to their master’s voice. Musk, of course, is not actually the president-elect. He received approximately zero percent of the votes in last month’s election. But for a few hours this week, Musk didn’t just act as if he, and not Donald Trump, will soon hold the reins of government power; the GOP also responded as if he will. As Russell Berman noted in The Atlantic earlier today, Republicans …

Jurors In Daniel Penny Trial Say They Can’t Reach Unanimous Verdict On Manslaughter Charge

Jurors In Daniel Penny Trial Say They Can’t Reach Unanimous Verdict On Manslaughter Charge

Authored by Michael Washburn via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), A judge on Dec. 6 directed the jury in the Daniel Penny trial to continue deliberating after jurors said they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the top charge of manslaughter. Daniel Penny arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Jan. 17, 2024. Frank Franklin II/AP Photo Penny was charged with manslaughter in the second degree and criminally negligent homicide in last year’s subway choking death of Jordan Neely. “At this time, we are unable to come to a unanimous vote on Count One, manslaughter in the second degree,” the jurors said in a note to the judge. The jurors had been deliberating since Tuesday. In response, Judge Maxwell Wiley directed the jurors to keep deliberating in an attempt to reach a unanimous decision in what is known as an Allen charge. The defense had objected to the issuing of an Allen charge and asked the judge to order a mistrial, saying, “We are concerned that the giving of an Allen …

CEO in Charge of Saudi Arabia’s 100-Mile Skyscraper Out After Allegations of Mass Employee Death

CEO in Charge of Saudi Arabia’s 100-Mile Skyscraper Out After Allegations of Mass Employee Death

This career casualty is nothing compared to Neom’s death toll. Natural Selection The head of the world’s largest and most ambitious construction project has stepped down amid jaw-dropping claims about its death toll. As the Wall Street Journal reports, Nadhmi al-Nasr, the CEO of Saudi Arabia’s futuristic city project Neom — which includes The Line, a planned pair of skycrapers that would be 100 miles in length — has abruptly departed the role he’s held since 2018. This exit comes after a new Channel 3 documentary alleged that more than 21,000 foreign workers had died during its construction, a figure that doesn’t even seem to include the number of indigenous people displaced and disappeared during Neom’s construction. Sources familiar with the executive shakeup confirmed to the newspaper that he had left the position in recent days, though it remains unclear why exactly the Neom CEO left and whether it had to do with the recent allegations. In an email viewed by the WSJ, Neom’s board named Aiman al-Mudaifer, a real estate executive with the Saudi kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, as …

Team preview: Yamal, Rodri key to Spain championship charge at Euro 2024 | UEFA Euro 2024 News

Team preview: Yamal, Rodri key to Spain championship charge at Euro 2024 | UEFA Euro 2024 News

⚽ Spain – Key Euros Stats ⚽ Euro appearances: 11Euro titles: 3Best finish: Winners (1964, 2008, 2012)Euros record: W21 D15 L10Goals scored: 68Biggest win: 5-0 (vs Slovakia at Euro 2020)Player to watch: Lamine YamalWorld ranking: 8thTeam nickname: La Roja (“The Red One”) Group fixtures: 15 June: Spain vs Croatia (Olympiastadion, Berlin, 6pm local/16:00 GMT) 20 June: Spain vs Italy (Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, 9pm local/19:00 GMT) 24 June: Albania vs Spain (Dusseldorf Arena, Dusseldorf, 9pm local/19:00 GMT) How to follow our Euro 2024 coverage: UEFA Euro 2024 on Al Jazeera The meekness of Spain’s dramatic exit from the 2022 Qatar World Cup has overshadowed what’s been a relatively successful period for the star-studded team. Spain reached the semifinals of Euro 2020, where they were knocked out on penalties by eventual champions Italy. In June 2023, they won the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Nations League – their first title since the team’s memorable Euro 2012 triumph. The Nations League victory was significant for three main reasons. First, beating Croatia in the final on penalties exorcised …

California Will Add a Fixed Charge to Electric Bills and Reduce Rates

California Will Add a Fixed Charge to Electric Bills and Reduce Rates

Utility regulators in California on Thursday changed how most residents will pay for energy by adding a new fixed monthly charge and lowering the rates that apply to energy use. Officials said the shift would reduce monthly bills for millions of residents and support the use of electric vehicles and appliances that run on electricity, rather than fossil fuels. The decision by the California Public Utilities Commission will apply to the rates charged by investor-owned utilities, which provide power to about 70 percent of the state. Starting next year, most customers of those companies will be required to pay a $24.15 monthly charge. Low-income customers will pay $6 to $12 a month. Regulators said the revenue from the fixed charge would be paired with a roughly 20 percent reduction in rates assessed by how many kilowatts of energy were used per hour by a home or business. (The average American home uses around 1,000 kilowatt-hours in a month.) California’s residential electric rates, which averaged 31.2 cents per kilowatt-hour in February, are the highest in the …

Being in two places at once could make a quantum battery charge faster

Being in two places at once could make a quantum battery charge faster

These futuristic batteries could eventually charge electric vehicles at a fraction of today’s speeds da-kuk/Getty Images Quantum batteries could one day charge electronics much quicker than standard ones thanks to the odd quantum phenomenon of being able to be in two places at once. Electrochemical batteries, including those that power remotes and cars, store energy from chemical reactions between metals. But quantum batteries would be built from quantum bits, or qubits, and extract energy from quantum processes, such as those involved in moving particles of light or atoms. Physicists expect that full-fledged… Source link

How Fat Leonard compromised admirals in charge of Navy intelligence

How Fat Leonard compromised admirals in charge of Navy intelligence

Shortly after he was promoted and entrusted with one of the Pentagon’s most sensitive jobs — director of naval intelligence — Vice Adm. Ted “Twig” Branch received an urgent request from the Justice Department. Prosecutors wanted to speak with him about an investigation into leaks of classified material to a 350-pound Malaysian defense contractor known as “Fat Leonard.” Source link

North Dakota state rep found guilty of misdemeanor charge tied to budget votes and building

North Dakota state rep found guilty of misdemeanor charge tied to budget votes and building

BISMARCK, N.D. — A jury in North Dakota on Friday convicted a state lawmaker of a misdemeanor in connection with a state-leased building he has ownership ties to. A legislative leader said he disagrees with the verdict and plans to review the statute and rules involved. Republican Rep. Jason Dockter, of Bismarck, was charged in December 2023 with speculating or wagering on official action. He pleaded not guilty. The charge has a maximum penalty of 360 days in jail and/or a $3,000 fine. Dockter declined to comment on the verdict but said he will consider an appeal. His sentencing has yet to be scheduled. A criminal complaint alleged that, as a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives, Dockter voted “on legislative bills appropriating money to pay for property he had acquired a pecuniary interest in,” against the law and legislative rules. The charge arose from complaints to the state Ethics Commission. Republican House Majority Leader Mike Lefor said the case is concerning because “legislators aren’t going to feel comfortable knowing what a conflict of interest …