The Polish president has said that he will refer a bill which would impose a windfall tax?on the profits of oil and gas companies to the country's Constitutional Court, citing?concerns about its'retroactive' nature and 'potential impact' on consumers. The Polish Parliament has approved a bill that will tax windfall profits made by oil and gas firms who have enjoyed soaring margins in the face of supply shocks caused by the Middle East conflict. The bill assumes that in 2026, fuel sales exceeding the average of the previous year by 20% will be taxed 60%. This would generate 4 billion zlotys...

The Mediterranean Sea's high temperatures, which have limited the availability of cooling water for gas plants in southern France, could lead to a gas plant going offline on Thursday evening. This would add further pressure to an energy system that is already under stress due to reduced nuclear output. Early summer heatwaves have caused temperatures to rise to unheard of levels in Europe, leading water shortages, fires and even deaths. The French utility EDF has issued a?restriction? notice for its 930 megawatt Martigues power plant. This is the first time in this summer that an electricity plant powered by gas...

Alice Weidel of the far right Alternative for Germany said that Germany should stop a boycott against Russian oil and gas to boost its flagging economy. She was describing the party's ambitions to form a national coalition. Weidel claimed that the AfD could win two important federal state elections within the next few months. He described them as a milestone towards securing the position of German chancellor at the next national election due in 2029. The success of Made in Germany was due to the cheap energy that Russia provided. Weidel stated that we need to get it back. "The...

Cambodia's energy minister stated on Wednesday that the oil shock caused by the conflict in Iran has prompted Cambodia to resolve its maritime dispute with Thailand and unlock underwater energy resources worth $300 Billion. The grip of Iran on the Strait of?Hormuz - the conduit for a fifth of global oil supplies - has made the conflict in the region the worst ever global energy crisis. In an interview, the Minister of Mines and Energy Keorottanak said that Cambodia relies on renewable energy, including hydropower and solar power, to help it weather this current crisis. However, its hopes for industrialisation...

The Energy Information Administration's Short-Term Energy Outlook released on Tuesday predicted that U.S. electricity consumption would continue to rise in 2026 & 2027. The EIA projects that the power demand in 2027 will increase from 4,195 billion Kilowatt-hours in 2025, to 4,248 in 2026, and 4,379 in 2027. The demand for electricity is increasing as more homes and businesses are using less fossil fuels to heat and transport their vehicles and use more electricity. The agency stated that the increase in electricity demand is being led by the commercial sector. This is expected to surpass residential demand for the first...

Venture Global announced on Tuesday that it had signed new LNG supply contracts with TotalEnergies, and trading house Vitol for combined sales of over 1 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa), over the next five-year period. Mike Sabel, the CEO of Venture Global, said on a Tuesday earnings call that the company charges customers more than twice the price of long-term LNG for the five-year contracts. This reduces the risk profile. Sabel said, "It gives us the opportunity to blend out...the risks with much higher prices than 20-year contracts. We can double our long-term contracts." These deals bring the total...

Coal has been given an unlikely reprieve by the combination of U.S. support and the Iran War. Don't call this a comeback. In the first weeks of Tehran’s war against the U.S., and Israel, the global seaborne thermal prices of coal rose by over 25%. Prices rose to the highest level since late-2024, adding new momentum to a 'unexpected' rebound. This price rise reflects short-term market conditions, not a structural improvement in the?coal economy, as is evident by the fact that prices are only 15% higher than pre-war levels. These recent steps come after coal achieved several positive milestones in...

Taiwan's economy minister announced on Saturday that the energy minister of a "major country" producing liquefied gas had given Taiwan assurances about supply. He was speaking in relation to the?impact of the Iran War on Middle East energy imports. Taiwan, which is a major producer of semiconductors, relied on Qatar to supply around a third its LNG prior to the conflict. It has now said that it has secured alternative supplies from countries such as Australia and the United States for the months ahead. Kung Ming Hsin, Taiwan's Economy Minister, told reporters in Taipei that Taiwan enjoys good relations with...

In times of high demand for electricity, the U.S. tech industry is being pressured to reduce its power consumption. This comes amid growing public concerns that Big Tech's massive energy needs in expanding data centers will'max out' the country's electrical grid. When utilities and grid operators ask for it, the power industry and its regulators are increasingly pushing tech companies to make a concession that was previously unthinkable - they're asking them to?scale?back their energy consumption in giant server farms called data centers. The majority of the attempts to make data centres more flexible are in pilot mode. Data centers...

JERA, Japan’s largest power generator, is not facing a shortage of liquefied gas, despite the U.S. and Israel’s war against?Iran. However, JERA is in talks with long-term suppliers about possible additional supplies, according to a senior executive on Saturday. Global CEO Yukio KANI said that Japan's biggest LNG buyer, Global, handles around 35 million metric tonnes of super-chilled gas annually. Around 27 million tons of this fuel are used in Japan, with about 5% passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has disrupted the shipping in the'strait', which is a conduit for 80% of the world's fossil fuel?supplies. Kani, speaking...

Katherina Reiche, Germany's Economy minister, said that the International Energy Agency has recommended the release 400 million barrels from its stockpiles. This is the largest?such move? in IEA's history. Reiche confirmed to reporters in Berlin that the government intends to limit petrol price increases to one per day at filling station and introduce "more stringent antitrust regulations of the sector." She did not provide a definite time frame for these measures but said that the United States, Japan and other countries would contribute the most to the release. Reiche stated that the situation is tense as oil supplies are strained...

Two Greenpeace activists rushed onto the stage during a global nuclear summit held in France on February 2, interrupting Emmanuel Macron, President of France and Rafael Grossi, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief. The protesters were dressed in black suits with ties and held banners that bore the Greenpeace logo, and read "Nuclear Power= Energy Insecurity", and "Nuclear Power fuels Russia's War". Macron was shouted by one of the protesters, "Why are we still buying Uranium from Russia?" The president responded, "We produce nuclear power ourselves." According to the latest data from the French government, France not only has its own uranium-enrichment...

El Nino, a weather phenomenon that has brought rain and an unexpected increase in temperatures to Peru could put more than 1,000,000 people in danger in areas of the country susceptible to climate change. Luis Vazquez is the head of the Civil Defense Institute in the state. He said that El Nino will intensify in November and cause flooding and mudslides across 10 different regions. Vazquez stated at a press conference that, based on the historical data of all regions affected by El Nino in the past, 1.2 million people may be affected. El Nino is most likely to affect...

Tuesday, the?Trump Administration took a first step towards?rescinding?a decades-old regulation that protects undeveloped forest. The administration claims this will help to manage wildfire risks, but environmental groups say it will do just the opposite. Donald Trump has reversed environmental regulations and removed land from conservation to be used for energy extraction. According to a Department of Agriculture press release, the 'proposed rule' filed by the U.S. Forest Service will rescind 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule which bans logging and roads in undeveloped forest and transfer authority to the local national forest managers. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, wildfires...

In lab tests, we also found that a flavoring chemical in e-cigarettes damages human embryonic cells. A BLOOD TEST CAN DISCOVER PRE-CANCEROUS COLORECTAL LEES Researchers say that an experimental blood test for the detection of colorectal carcinoma also has promise as a way to prevent it. Commercially, there are several blood tests for colorectal screening. However, the new test can also detect precancerous polyps called advanced adenomas. The removal of these polyps may prevent cancerous cells from developing. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology reported that they tested the assay on more than 1,500 adult participants in colonoscopy programs in China....

In the early hours of Friday morning, authorities in Germany ordered about 1,800 residents to leave their homes after a wildfire spread from the west to a village near the Belgian border. In a statement issued at 4 am (0200 GMT), officials from the municipality of Strass said that residents should immediately leave the village?of Gey and head to the assistance centre set up in the nearby village Strass. The 'only essentials' were identification documents, medicines and essential belongings. Authorities said that a wildfire in the nearby woods affected about 25 hectares (62 acre) and triggered a major response. The...

We also share a report by cardiologists suggesting that you may (or may not) want check your waist and hip measurement, as well as a lab?study that has some encouraging news regarding brain tumor treatments. WILDFIRES ARE THE MAIN CAUSE OF US AIR POLUTION EXPOSURE DURING PREGNANCY Researchers?say that wildfires are the main source of air pollution harmful to pregnant women in the United States. The study examined 64.5 million pregnancies between 2003 and 2019 in 48 states, analyzing the "neighborhood" exposure to tiny airborne particles of 2.5 micrometers in diameter or less that penetrate deep into the lungs. Vehicle...

Pepis the skipper of the small fishing boat catches two lionfish in experimental?traps near the coast of Cyprus. He cuts off their spines and guts them before tossing them into a bucket. Around him, he sees the Mediterranean as a 'pane of glass. Its calm surface gives a 'little hint of dramatic underwater transformation. Pepis' routine is part of a larger effort by scientists in order to track and control invasive species like lionfish. The Suez Canal and warming sea temperatures have led to a change in the way life is lived here. According to a recent study by the...

Officials said that Indonesia is intensifying efforts to control forest and landfires in six "priority" provinces. Cloud-seeding planes are being used to create rain to slow down the haze spreading throughout the region. Indonesia faces a 'longer and more severe dry season this year due to El Nino intensifying, increasing the risk of forest fires, air pollution and drought. Forestry Ministry data revealed that from January to the end of June, fires affected 107,465 ha (265,552 acres). This is a massive 110% increase in comparison with 2023 when El Nino was last felt by Indonesia. Djamari Chaniago, chief security minister,...

Firefighters who had made great progress against a cluster?of blazes near Spokane in Washington scrambled to secure their gains on Wednesday as they awaited a return of hot and dry weather?in the coming days. Officials confirmed that crews had created buffer zones around three fires which threatened?the state's second most populous city. Since Saturday, the blazes destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands to leave. Authorities said that full containment of the fire, which involves clearing a large area of combustible plants from around its perimeter, is still not achieved. The Spokane area fire command stated that "with primary containment...

Officials said that wildfires burning on the outskirts Spokane in Washington for the third day had destroyed at least 700 structures and forced thousands of people to flee. The three fires were deemed the 'top priority' in terms of firefighting across the U.S., which includes the Pacific Northwest region, where hundreds of wildfires are burning, causing air pollution to worsen over a large area. Since Saturday, the Spokane fires, which are located on the northern edge of the city and home to 230,000 people, have burned more than 8,000 hectares (3,200 acres). Video footage of the fire zone shows a...

Officials said that wildfires burning on the outskirts Spokane in Washington for the third day had destroyed 700 buildings. They also forced thousands of people from their homes. The three fires are a top priority for the U.S. in general, and this includes the Pacific Northwest where, due to the severe drought, dozens of wildfires of various sizes have been burning since weeks, causing air pollution across a large region. Since Saturday, the Spokane area fires have burned more than 8,500 acres in and around the suburbs of the city. The city is home to 230,000 people west of the...

The South Korean authorities ordered a brief evacuation of the surrounding area on Tuesday following a 'leakage of white phosphorus in the?U.S. Safety Ministry reported that Osan Air Base is located south of Seoul. Yonhap reported that no casualties had been reported, and the evacuation order for residents was lifted about a half-hour later, after South Korean fire authorities & U.S. Forces?had completed decontamination. The base issued a statement saying that "at 1708 (808?GMT) due to a mishap on the ground and to be extra'safety, Osan AB established a 1000-foot'safety cordon in order to?protect both base and local population." Our...

Scott Gottlieb, former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner, said that some large retailers and restaurants stopped sourcing products from a central Mexican region linked to a growing cyclosporiasis epidemic in the United States because they were concerned about widespread contamination. A?FDA investigation? has linked the outbreak with iceberg lettuce served in Taco Bell restaurants that was sourced from Taylor Farms operations in central Mexico. Health officials are looking for other products that could be causing people to get sick, as the cases continue climbing. A widespread contamination of imported products could increase the risk for consumers to contract cyclosporiasis....