ENVIRONMENT


In France, the future is arriving on a barge
THE NEW YORK TIMES

As pale morning light flickered across the Seine, Capt. Freddy Badar steered his hulking river barge, Le Bosphore, past picturesque Normandy villages and snow-fringed woodlands, setting a course for Paris.


Plane trees ravaged by killer fungus
SOCIETY

A deadly fungus targeting plane trees has reached epidemic proportions in Greece. So far, more than 52,000 plane trees have died, and there is a risk that most of these deciduous trees will be lost.

Cyprus to invest in Green Kiosks
FINANCE

Cyprus marked a significant step forward in its environmental efforts on Tuesday with the signing of a contract for the supply and installation of 50 prefabricated Green Kiosks.

One thing most countries have in common: Unsafe air
THE NEW YORK TIMES

Only 10 countries and territories out of 134 achieved the World Health Organization’s standards for a pervasive form of air pollution last year, according to air quality data compiled by IQAir, a Swiss company.


Save seagrass meadows, HCMR study says
NEWS

If Greece takes steps to stem the destruction of its meadows of Neptune grass (Posidonia oceanica) in the Southern Aegean alone, it could reach 37% of its greenhouse gas emissions absorption target by 2030, a study spearheaded by the Hellenic Center for Marine Research has found.



Dutch experts back river diversion for Thessaly
NEWS

Dutch post-disaster advisers support the idea of diverting River Acheloos in Epirus as “the most sustainable solution” to alleviate the water scarcity problem that is threatening agricultural production in the Thessaly region of central Greece.

EU says more needed to prepare for climate change risks
NEWS

Despite acknowledging the mounting toll climate change is unleashing on Europe’s farmers – floods in Greece destroyed 15% of the country’s agricultural yield last year – the European Commission did not signal any upcoming policy changes that would drive the sector to adapt.


Giant stinging jellyfish spotted off Rhodes
NEWS

Scientists on Rhodes have confirmed that four nomad jellyfish, a large species that can cause very painful injuries to humans, have been found in waters around the Dodecanese island in the last 24 hours.

Rains are scarce in the Amazon. Instead, megafires are raging
THE NEW YORK TIMES

By this time of the year, rain should be drenching large swaths of the Amazon rainforest. Instead, a punishing drought has kept the rains at bay, creating dry conditions for fires that have engulfed hundreds of square miles of the rainforest that do not usually burn.

Building bonuses shot down by top court
NEWS

The bonus in square meters and height under Greece’s new Building Code was ruled unconstitutional in principle by the E Section of the Council of State,  Greece’s highest administrative court.