Who attacked climate doomsday clock?
Developer Norsk Vind started a countdown timer in the middle of its 73.6MW Høg-Jæren wind farm in western Norway, ticking down to 2030 — the date by which greenhouse-gas emissions must be cut by 40% from 1990 levels, under EU ambitions.
The idea was that the 15x4-metre doomsday clock and the accompanying advertising blitz of press releases and videos shared on social media would amplify a simple, but effective message: "Time is running out to combat climate change."
But within 24 hours of the being installed, the clock was knocked down. The developer suspects vandalism — rather than the clock being blown over by the wind — as the cause.
"We know that onshore wind is controversial in Norway, but it should not be that provocative with a message about the urgency to combat climate change," said Norsk Vind chief executive Per Ove Skorpen.
"We don’t have time to convince the last climate sceptics that climate change is real, and we don’t have time to argue about which energy source is the best," he added.
"We just need to act, and that’s our goal with this countdown, to make sure people understand that time is running out."
Norsk Vind added that its clock has now been rebuilt and has resumed ticking down to 2030.
US power generation figures and facts
18.5GW Wind power capacity forecast to come online in the US in 2020
13.5GW Solar PV capacity expected to be commissioned this year
9.3GW Natural gas capacity scheduled to come online in the same period
11.1GW Coal, natural gas and nuclear capacity forecast to be taken offline across the US in 2020
Source: US Energy Information Administration, Inventory of electric generators, published in January
Caring with benefits
Massive bushfires have been ravaging Australia for months, killing 29 people, and an estimated 1.25 billion animals, according to conservation charity WWF.
As the country’s fire and rescue services battle the fires, celebrities and companies have made various headline-grabbing charitable pledges to help.
One of the most eye-catching comes from Geeky Sex Toys, which has pledged to donate all profits from its Down-Under Donation Dildo.
Using the country’s national colours, the handmade golden (ok, yellow) dildo — complete with a koala clinging to the base — has a green, Australia-shaped foundation.
More than A$22,000 had been raised as “uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç went to press.
Quote of the month
"Siemens’ announcement that it will continue working on Adani’s coal mine while bushfires rage in Australia is nothing short of shameful"
Christian Slattery, senior campaigner, Australian Conservation Foundation on the German company’s decision to honour deal with Indian mining firm Adani to develop a large opencast mine in Queensland, due to become operational next year
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