Month: June 2025

IA consumes so much energy that the United States is building data centers directly in natural gas wells

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What makes a startup dedicated to building data centers get 11.6 billion dollars in financing. In the case of Crusoe Energy Systems, it all started with an idea as disturbing as profitable: build data centers with natural gas wells. Crusoe Energy’s idea Journalist Emily Chang de Bloomberg visited a few weeks ago The city of Abilene, in Texas, where Crusoe is building the monstrous Stargate data centers, The 500.00 billion project OpenAi, SoftBank and Oracle to develop general artificial intelligence. Stargate arrived at Crusoe Energy thanks to the demonstrated efficiency of the startup in the construction of specialized data centers in AI. Chase Lochmiller, the CEO of Crusoe, explained to Chang how the company was born: “When an oil company opens an oil well, one of the associated by -products is natural gas. And when they do not have access to an pipeline, all this associated gas simply burns in situ. So we had an idea: instead of trying to take that gas to a market where you can sell, we could create a market for gas. We could build mobile and modular data centers, take them direct data”. Crusoe was born in the best possible place to materialize this idea: the country of fracking. But maybe not at the best time to do it. Initially, they chose to build GPUS farms to undermine Bitcoin. When the cryptocurrency market collapsed, they ended up pivoting artificial intelligence. Like crypto mining, AI data centers are not based on CPUS but depend on the parallel processing capacity of thousands of GPUS, mainly Nvidia specialized chips. These new data centers consume much more energy than traditional data centers, so Crusoe started from a key advantage: their direct access to fossil fuels that obtained at the price of bargain. A booming business Oil giants are not oblivious to this trend. Exxonmobil is developing Off-Grid gas plants specifically for data centers with carbon capture technology to reduce emissions. Chevron, meanwhile, It has been associated With Engine No. 1 and Ge Vernova to mount similar facilities. The first will open in 2026, also in Texas. The figures are eloquent: the demand for natural gas for data centers will be increased by 47 GW from here to 2030. Currently, natural gas already feeds about 40% of the loading of data centers in the United States and is expected to continue being the main source of supply up to at least 2030. It is not the preferred energy source, but There are not enough renewable to feed artificial intelligence and Not all data centers They can be connected to a nuclear power plant, another common occurrence in the United States. As for Crusoe, thanks to the initial push of natural gas that were going to burn oil companies they developed their own technologies, such as a closed cooling system that does not need to renew The water evaporating the serversor own gas turbines, such as 360 MWs that are installing in the Stargate project as a backup energy source. Stargate data centers will feed mainly solar panels and wind turbines, which abound in Abilene for the confluence of wind and sunny hours. It is one of the reasons why data centers are being built in this Texas area, in addition to the tax exemptions that local governments are willing to yield in exchange for employment generation. It remains to be seen how many employees have everything built. Image | W.Carter (CCO) In Xataka | Microsoft will reopen a nuclear power plant that has been closed since 2019. It needs it for its artificial intelligence

Salmon sperm is the new fashion ingredient in aesthetics. And no, it’s not as crazy as it sounds

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In the era of the cult of perfect skin, the aesthetic industry seems to know limits. Masks with bee venom, sera with snail drool, injections that They promise to reprogram Aging … Any compound that promises youth, elasticity or luminosity is a good formula for even Celebrities Be behind it, even if we are talking about salmon sperm. A new anti -aging elixir? Although talking about salmon sperm captures attention (and lifts eyebrows), the truth is that it does not imply directly applying reproductive cells on the skin. In statements collected by the Spanish, Dr. Araceli González, specialist in aesthetic medicine, has clarified: “This product is popularly because it allows you to obtain polynucleotides, components with great qualities to restore the skin without leaving any residue.” In this way, it helps support reparation, regeneration and collagen production on the skin. For celebrities it is not new. Personalities such as Jennifer Aniston had already undergone this type of treatments in previous years, as reported in an interview to the Wall Street Journal, where he even joked asking his estheticist: “Really? How do you get the salmon sperm?” However, what was previously a luxury curiosity, today has become a booming aesthetic trend that adds more and more followers, from dermatological clinics to Influencers In social networks. The Telva medium It has included it Among the seven major skin care trends by 2025. And the big question. How do you get? Well, the answer is more technical than biological. The PDRN is obtained by processing and purifying the DNA of the gonads (sexual organs) of the salmon. Sperm is not used as such, but the genetic material is broken in polynucleotide fragments, which are then integrated into sera, masks, injections or combinations with techniques such as microaguja or laser, according to He explained Dermatologist Mansha Sethi Thacker A Vry Well Health. A curiosity is that in Asia they usually inject it directly, while in the US they are applied topically after treatments such as exosomes or laser. Does it really work? Treatment defenders ensure that it offers visible and progressive benefits. According to Dr. Adam Friedman, a dermatologist at the George Washington University, for the same medium, it has detailed that it stimulates collagen production, improves hydration, accelerates cell regeneration and healing, and decreases inflammation and better pigmentation. For its part, the aestheticist Adeela Crown, Interviewed by the Financial Timeshe has summarized it thus: “It is a slower process, but bioestimulants such as polynucleotides make skin cells work to produce and maintain the basic components of healthy skin.” Its use in medicine. Although the boom is recent, seeing the benefits gives notes that it was already used before. As He explained Dr. Araceli González to El Español, The use of polynucleotides were already used in medical contexts to treat burns, serious injuries or even ulcers. In addition, preliminary investigations, mentioned by Varywell Health, They have indicated that they can have anti -inflammatory effects and have begun to use to stop hair loss and strengthen the scalp, with repeated treatments every few weeks. Are there side effects? Like any aesthetic treatment, it is not exempt from precautions. Dr. Richard Westreich, plastic surgeon in New York, has pointed out in The Guardian that side effects are generally mild: bruises, swelling or redness may appear, especially if the product is injected. In addition, as in every medical process there may be a risk of allergic reaction. For its part, dermatologist Emma Craythorne has warned in FT that “no current study is of high quality”, and although the results are promising, more robust clinical research is still required. A new aesthetic revolution? For many specialists, polynucleotides treatment represents a paradigm shift. Not only does it seek to correct visible signs of aging, but preserve and stimulate the natural functions of the skin. “It is a bioestimulator that does not change the volume or the shape of the face,” He explained Araceli González. Therefore, it is suitable for both young skins that seek to prevent mature skin with marked sagging signs or elastosis. In addition, it is beginning to be used in areas where other treatments do not work well, such as the lower eyelid, where botulinum toxin has no good results. Dr. Elizabeth Hawkes, an Oculoplasty specialist in London, has affirmed at ft that “polynucleotides have transformed their practice” for the security they offer in sensitive areas such as eye contour. What are the forecasts? What began as an eccentricity worthy of headlines, salmon sperm on the face, has evolved towards a trend backed by clinics, dermatologists and public figures. But between the promises of cell regeneration and the media brightness, is the question: are we facing a real scientific revolution or before another cosmetic seasonal phenomenon, camouflaged under a disruptive name? For now, science advances slower than social networks, but if something teaches us the history of beauty is that, in the search for eternal youth, no ingredient – unlikely that seems – is out of play. Image | Angela George and Unspash Xataka | People are fed up with Skincare’s thousand steps so the last Beauty trend is just one thing: exosomes

The philosophical reason why Ed Sheeran put his mobile in a drawer and forgot about him

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One of the main objectives of social networks and infinity scroll It is to ensure that users remain as much time as possible on their platforms, and they have really succeeded. The attention we dedicate To slide the screen already rivals the time we spend looking beyond 40 cm that, most likely, separate you from your smartphone at this time. The singer Ed Sheeran He went Yesterday as guest at ‘The revolt ‘ of RTVE. During the interview he surprised Broncano himself revealing that I had no mobile. Confession could sound as an extravagance more than one superstar of music that can allow an assistant to manage his calls and social profiles. However, their arguments were much more philosophical and consistent with the Hyperconnection times That we have to live. It is not being disconnected, it is to reconnect again During his interview, the British singer acknowledged that he has no smartphone, but he remains communicated by responding, attending to Instagram and even making voice calls Through facetime. However, instead of using a smartphone that can always carry in your pocket, Sheeran Use an iPad. “That way, people do not expect an instant response, but if they really need you, they can call you for facetime. With the iPad you can do everything,” said the singer. However, the tablet format It does not allow you to always carry it on topas the smartphone allows. In this way, he prevents his hands instinctively from instinctively getting his pocket every time a dead time space arises. “I realized that when I went out with my wife and got up to the bathroom, I took her mobile instantly. But I think getting bored is good for the brain because you start thinking about things,” Sheeran said. The superstar of music recognized that, most likely, I would not have written many of his songs If he had had a mobile because, he simply got bored and his brain found enough space to launch his creative capacity. Sheeran concluded by ensuring that “being boring is the best for your creativity, because your brain starts thinking. If you are always with something, you can’t create.” With this simple explanation, the singer materialized on stage the arguments of the book ‘The society of fatigue’from the South Korean philosopher and writer by-Chul Han, recently prize with the Princess of Asturias of Communication and Humanities. Doing nothing is very complicated In ‘The society of fatigue’They have claimed contemplative life as a way to reconnect with the essence of what makes us humans, pointing to the Constant demand for attention that smartphones claim as the main enemy of mental calmhappiness and creativity. In his book, the philosopher ensures that the constant bombardment of stimuli To which we submit to our brains, it prevents it from stopping to unite the points that connect abstract ideas and knowledge, limiting our ability to create and solve problems. Beyond the philosophical approaches on the overexposure to dopamine that provide the social networks and the use of smartphonescience is also put on the side of Ed Sheeran and Byung-Chul Han: boring awakens creativity of the brain. An investigation from the Northwestern University in the US, simply do nothing or perform monotonous and repetitive tasks that induce a mental state similar to trance, How to scrub dishes or fold socks, allow the brain to enter “diffuse thought” mode. This state allows the connections between ideas to be carried out without the pressure of attending external stimuli. The scientific evidence has recorded that boredom is perceived as a negative sensationas if doing nothing outside of being an unproductive person or without ambition to improve. The researchers They detected that these negative emotions generate states of mental anxiety when the first glimpses of inactivity appear, inciting us to fill that void With content. The mobile is always at hand to fulfill that mission. Assume that Boring is not negative and limit overestimulation are the first steps to allow the brain Take a small vacation and begin to “play” at the subconscious level. The results do not take to appear in the form of Bright ideas while showering or simply when You allow the brain to wander With the losing gaze in infinity. Paradoxically, the best way to be productive and reduce stress will be get nothing. In Xataka | “Doing nothing” is a great technique to improve your productivity. Neuroscience is clear Image | RTVE, Unspash (Ben Collins, Vitolda Klein)

China’s absolute dominance over rare earths is the result of a strategy that no one else has. Not even the US

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The Rare earth They have a leading role in the commercial, technological and geostrategic war that the US and China support. These chemical elements are relatively scarce, and, in addition, they are not usually found purely in nature, but what makes them so special are Its physicochemical properties. In fact, thanks to them they have established themselves as A very valuable resource In numerous industries, especially in electronics and renewable energies. During the last year and a half the Chinese government has used its control of these chemical elements to defend their strategic interests In full confrontation with the US, Europe and its allies. The interesting thing is that it can do it because it produces approximately 70% of rare earths They are distributed in the world market, and, what is even more important, controls 90% of the processing industry to which it is necessary to submit rare earths so that they can be used. China refines 99% of the weighing land of the planet At the current US tension situation, Europe and its allies need to bet on their independence and consolidate their own supply chain. They are in it, but they don’t have it easy. The old continent in particular has been proposed to self -abuse At least 10% of rare earths He needs for 2030 thanks to the exploitation of the new deposits, such as the one he found in January 2023 the LKAB mining company near the city of Kiruna, in northern Sweden. China’s starting point is very favorable. As we have just seen, with a 70% production of the global market and a control of 90% of the rare earth processing industry this Asian country has this absolutely controlled market. However, we have not yet repaired in a figure more that is also very important: China refine no less than 99% of the heavy lands of the planet. These chemical elements are a subgroup of rare earth characterized by its greater density and lower ionic radius. Heavy rare earths are a subgroup of rare earths characterized by its greater density and lower ionic radius In addition, heavy rare earths are less abundant in the earth’s crust than the light ones. To this subgroup belongs as elusive minerals and with names as exotic as gadolinio, the terbio, the display, the holm, the erbium or the tulle, among others. How can we intuit, China does not control 99% of the processing of this kind of rare earth by chance. This absolute leadership is the result of a strategy in which teaching institutions are having an unquestionably protagonist role. And, according to the newspaper The New York Timesat the moment China has 39 university programs of chemistry specialized in rare earths. Presumably in these training programs students acquire the necessary knowledge to develop their professional career in the chemical industry specialized in rare earth processing. There is no doubt that this is one of the great strengths of the country led by Xi Jinping in this area, especially if we keep in mind that US universities currently do not offer a single specialized program in rare earths. The article published by The New York Times does not collect it, but in all likelihood European countries that have a greater dependence on rare earths, such as Germany or France, as well as Japan or South Korea are in the same situation as the US. These countries will cost a lot of time to acquire the favorable inertia that China has objectively, so it is reasonable to anticipate that in the short and medium term the rare earth processing industry will continue to be led by strong by the country headed by Xi Jinping. This Jens Eskelund statementthe president of the Chamber of Commerce of the European Union in China, clearly reflects what the US and Europe face: “Some approvals are coming (the result of negotiation with China), but they are far from being enough to Avoid imminent stops in production. We still face A great interruption in supply chains“ Image | Volker Braun More information | The New York Times In Xataka | We already know what is the best natural factory of the precious rare earths: a cosmic kilonova

China has turned the technological geopolitics around with three plays. Western supremacy is being blurred

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China has been working with a very clear technological roadmap for years. Priority has not been to compete on equal terms with the West, but to reduce its exposure to other decisions. The strategy is not born with Trump’s sanctions or with Vetos to Huawei. He came from before, but that promoted it. And it continues its course. Why is it important. Who dominates the subjects imposes the rhythm, who manufactures chips has industrial autonomy and who trains AI models with billions of users can export technology. China is already at the three levels. In detail: → Raw materials China reinforces its position in the first link: access to strategic resources. It controls about 90% of rare earth processing, essential to manufacture all types of technology. The Ministry of Commerce has limited exports from Galio and Germaniowhich impacts key sectors such as solar panels, electric vehicles or radars. The European and the American industry They are not managing to find substitutes in the short term. And China, in addition to maintaining a national reserve for internal use, is regulating its exploitation with geopolitical criteria. → Semiconductors. After the western vetoes, the State assured mass resources to its national industry. Huawei, blocked by the United States, presented A 7 Nm chip manufactured by SMICwithout access to lithography EUV. It is not toe technology … but enough, at least for the moment. There are already patents to continue miniaturizing. The State Semiconductor Fund created a year ago Broken 50 billion dollars, and although total self -sufficiency is still far, the system is already working without access to the outside. → Ia. The great Chinese technology develop their own foundational models. Each has a different sector orientation, but everyone lives under the umbrella of the new national regulatory framework, which requires algorithms registration and validation. The result: more and more Chinese startups dedicated to AI (with brutal results such as Deepseek), and prioritization for direct application in public services, industry and education. What has happened. The sanctions borntoEron as a brake on Chinese development, but they have ended up being an accelerator. China reinforced its R&D centers, reorganized its patent system and gave state coverage to the most exposed technological. And the Ministry of Science and Technology prioritized concrete sectors defining specific objectives for AI, supercomputing and automation. In perspective. As we have told in numerous articles, China does not seek to replicate the western model, but to design their own aspiring to be self -sufficient and at the same time global provider. At least where the legislation allows you to sell. Huawei post-saunciones is a perfect example. Large Chinese technology do not compete for market share in the United States or Europe, but to influence Africa, Central Asia and Latin America, where their systems are already penetrating (ZTE, Huawei, Beidou…). And access to your solutions will be accompanied by your conditions. That includes software, infrastructure, etc. Between the lines. The strategy follows a sequential logic: Ensure resources. Guarantee industrial capacity. Consolidate leadership in innovation. Each phase depends on the previous one and each advance has political coverage. And now what. The next step will be to consolidate the model: AI with national identity, own standards and gradual international expansion. All with government support. In Xataka | Freeman Zhou in Unspash Outstanding image | China has proposed to be independent in all technologies. And for augmented reality it has “five dragons”

20 years ago, BWM allied with a Chinese manufacturer to make motorcycles. Now, that manufacturer has eaten the toast completely

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The Chinese motorcycle is sweeping in Spain. So much so that at the level of brands two of the four best selling in our country They come from China. Honda and Yamaha, the Japanese mythical, endure the attack on the accumulated sales, but analyzing the photograph begins to change. A lot. The best -selling trail in Spain is VOGEthe Premium brand of the Chinese giant Loncin. This manufacturer landed in our country in 2019, today is the fourth manufacturer of the ranking, behind another Chinese manufacturer who cups third place: Zontes. About Voge, there is a curious story about how a Chinese brand is managing to conquer Europe … From the hand of a German giant. Loncin has been manufacturing BMW engines for more than 20 years And, in fact, many of the current flagship models of the German brand, such as the BMW F 900 GSThey have these engines made in China. The collaboration agreement Born in 2005, Loncin promised to redouble investment in equipment and installation to manufacture with the BMW standards and the requirements of The euro standardseven going beyond the manufacture of engines: they also manufactured motorcycles for the German company. BMW C 400 GT VS VOGE SR4 MAX 350. The BMW Scooter is based on the BWM platform and technologies. In his plan to increase income and reinforce ties with the Chinese giant, BWM licensed some of his platforms and engines to Voge, and hence the motorcycle that is sweeping in our country arises. Voge is currently the fourth Spanish manufacturer. BMW the seventhwith problems growing month by month. With the VOGE 900 DSX they have achieved their goal: Head the sales ranking in the traile segmentone of the most important and aspirational in the world of motorcycle. It is a model that drinks directly from the BMW F900gs, with the difference that at the equipment level, it is significantly above. The data is not only relevant to leadership in its category: it is because Voge has managed to place a trail of almost 10,000 euros in the third position of the best -selling brands in Spain. The other 9 are scootersa category that Cup more than 50% of the total sales in our country. VOGE 900 DSX. China’s plan to conquer the European consumer in the world of motorcycle is in two pillars: the quality-price and equipment. Regarding the first, The VOGE 900 DSX is sold for € 9,192 in Spain. Its counterparts in BMW, the F 800 GS and F 900 GS, start from € 10,970 and € 13,980, respectively. If we want to equip them, the price exceeds 15,000 euros. The commitment to notice of obstacles at the dead angle (something only common in motorcycles that cost almost double), emergency braking warning system, rapid series change, or a seven -inch TFT with Screen Mirroring are a notice to the rest of the segment giants: the selling a base product and becoming based on extras is a game in which China is not going to enter. Image | VOGE In Xataka | To manufacture for first brands to compete with them: Chinese motorcycles are sweeping in Spain

Pornhub leaves the country

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You may not sound the name of Aylo Freesites. It does not matter, because what will sound to you are the names of three platforms that are under their umbrella: Pornhub, Redtube and YouPorn. The three – and especially the first – are among the most visited porn content websites in the world. And the three They will stop being available in France. What happened. Aylo freesites has the legal obligation to implement a solution to verify age on its platforms before June 7. Restriction is one of the key measures that the French government has imposed with an already known objective: protect minors and prevent them from accessing inappropriate content. It’s my scattergories and I take it. The owners of the celebrated Pornhub have decided to refuse that imposition, and leaves France. It is an especially hard decision, especially considering that according to its own statistics for 2024France is the second most important country for its business, only behind the United States (the most important long) and in front of the Philippines, Mexico and the United Kingdom. An “inefficient” regulation. In politician They cite the words of Solomon Friedman, partner of Ethical Capital Partners, owner in turn of Aylo. In a conference with the media he indicated that the French Law on Age Verification was “dangerous”, in addition to being “possibly an infringement of” and “inefficient” privacy. Until now France allowed Pornhub sites to appear a simple “Are you over 18 years old?” When you log in to the platform, but the new system is much more complex and delicate. Double anonymity. For age verification It is necessary A document issued by the Government (identity card, passport). It is no longer useful to use a bank card. In addition to protecting that identity, the standard obliges porn sites to use external sites in which to perform this age verification. The idea of ​​double anonymity. The principle of “double anonymity” theoretically allows porn sites to receive confirmation that everything is correct in addition to preventing them from knowing the identity of its users. The supplier of that service does know the user’s identity, but not the reason for the age verification or the sites that that user will visit. What a solution Aylo raises. Instead of that process, he explains that he is totally in favor of age verification, defends another method. For them that process should be carried out directly on the device Used to visit those sites, not on websites. This solution would require working with Google and Apple so that with modifications to Android and iOS they were the ones who confirm that the device is being used by an adult or a minor. That, they indicate in Aylo “dramatically reduces the risks of privacy and data theft and creates a very simple process that regulators could promote.” The EU also attacks the porn industry. In the European Union They started Recently an investigation against Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVIDEOS for suspecting that they had violated the DSA (Digital Services Act), since one of the objectives of these regulations is to protect minors from access to inappropriate content. All these platforms are considered Vlops (Vray Lark Online Platforms), have more than 45 million monthly users throughout Europe, and therefore have additional obligations. Age verification is one of the systems derived from these obligations. It remains to be seen what everything is left, but the threat is clear: a fine of up to 6% of the global annual billing. Pajorto. The Government of Spain advertisement last year Beta digital portfolio creationpopularly known as “Pajorto“Although its implementation could be delayed until November 2026 (which is the maximum date to comply with the European regulations eidas2which forces member states to have digital identity systems), it was supposed to be ready by the end of this year. Interestingly, Cumlauder, a well -known Spanish website, He advanced to the “parsport” with a system based on or verification of DNI or through a selfie. Spain, European model. The European Commission liked the idea of ​​’pajorto’ so much that now wants to create a European version based on the Spanish system. The idea is to validate the project and that the resulting age verification tools are interoperable among the Member States. The regulations gone2 —That forces states to have insurance digital identity systems before November 2026 – is the legal basis. But privacy is at stake. The system, of course, is not exempt from criticism and continues to threaten the privacy of users. There is Technical alternatives possible, but also others that already exist such as making use of parental controls in minors. It is something that for example Allows Family Link application Google on Android devices. Image | Franco Alva In Xataka | What we know about ‘porn on the Internet’ and its influence on the sexuality of men and women

The Spanish festivals are in crisis for Israel. Meanwhile, Spring Sound has included bombings in Gaza in its poster

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We had not had such a moved season of festivals for years. With the vast majority of the great musical events of summer marked by controversy Related to the KKR Investment Fund, the Spring Soundwhich is celebrated this week in Barcelona, ​​has decided to position itself with an installation halfway between political exhibitionism and the commercial hook. That is pure spring Sound, too. The tunnel. Spring Sound has installed in the PARC of the Fòrum A 15 -meter tunnel that replicates the sounds of the bombings in Gaza. The name of the installation is ‘Unsilence Gaza’, it is the work of the Palestinian sound engineer Oussama Rima and has been done in collaboration with the NGOs Casa Nostra, Casa Vostra and Novact. These have stated that “in spring sounds the sound is emotion, connection, pleasure. But sound can also be the opposite: it can become a weapon.” To this have added a chilling fact: bombings can reach 170 decibels, “much more than the human body can bear.” But … how much of genuine commitment and how much for winking for the gallery in this installation? The problem with KKR. KKR is an American investment fund, one of the world’s largest private capital companies, and whose most criticized activities There are real estate investments in Palestinian territories occupied by Israel, such as Jerusalem Este, Gaza and the West Bank. In 2024, the Fund acquired Supersruct Entertainment, a company that organizes some eighty festivals worldwide and that in Spain is behind events such as Sónar, Arenal Sound, Viña Rock, FIB or Monegros. The reaction of the groups. The response was not long in coming from numerous groups, which They canceled their participation In many of the festivals, and in some cases they launched communications clarifying their exact relationship with KKR. Seventy bandsfor example, they demanded that Sónar a more compromised positioning. Voices have emerged that They ask for the boycott from the festivalsand some like Sónar himself have lost poster heads as ark. At the same time, others Artists like Kase.O either Angelus Apatrida They have decided to keep their commitments to the festivals, which has generated controversy and discomfort with some sectors of their fans. More than festivals. Spring Sound does not have those ties with the KKR, which allows him to adopt a more combative position with respect to Gaza. But he does it in the PS style: for a few years, the festival is giving up the Transformation of Spanish festivals into more than encounters to listen to music. In many of them, the poster becomes something completely secondarybelow socialization: it started years ago with the transformation of the Benicàssim festival at the unavoidable point of meeting of the indie girl Before British invasionand Spring Sound partly collects his witness. And with Noria. Perhaps the spring element that shows the most this option is the Noria that was installed in 2013. Since then they have worked in that direction by approaching the festival more to an leisure center than something else: Food Trucks and gastronomy positions, workshops and activities (many of them oriented to children), Conferencesmultidisciplinary exhibitions, handicraft, fashion and merchandising. An authentic brand and advertising exhibitor, which is the clear current orientation of spring, which in a sense questions its political meaning. It is not Kkr, but. Spring Sound has dodged the summer controversy that has affected practically all its competitors, but it cannot be said that she does not have her own economic commitments. In fact, after its financing There is the American Investment Fund The Yucaipa Companiesled by businessman Ronald Burkle. In that sense the spring Sound is matched with the rest of the festivals: It is a more turned event into a financial asset for foreign billionaires with the excuse of culture. And that it is a business they have never hidden it, as their progressive name changes demonstrate to Estrella Damm Spring Sound or San Miguel Primavera Sound as they were dancing their main sponsors. Ethics of income. Spring Sound financing has always generated innumerable ethical conflicts, as detailed This article by El Salto: Advertising of companies such as SEAT either Spotify while the claim of labor rights is raised; accusations of Purplewashing and Pinkwashing; Propaganda of brands of dubious ethics, for example linked to NFTS … and, in general, marketing of culture, which is always problematic. It spoke in depth by cross in A series of three controversial articles about the birth and evolution of the festival, and that made clear its abundant contradictions. It does not leave Barcelona. The reason that spring sounds so consciously the flag of Catalanity (and with it, of a certain political activism) is precisely that He has not managed to leave Catalonia. The international spring expansion Sound has been a failure: it closed All its Latin American editions In 2024 after the fiasco that supposed The 2024 edition in Madrid. Actually, the latter was the result of a tense Pulse with the Barcelona City Council where interests much more substantial than music were at stake. A series of sticks for the Financial of the Festival, which retains only the first of its first international expansions, Porto, Out of Barcelona. Intermediate point. Spring Sound is a first -order tourist attraction for Barcelona (left 272 million euros in the city in 2024according to a study by the MKTG Spain consultant). Thus, he plays (despite those nonsense with Madrid that They did not set For reasons that have nothing to do with their catalanity) not to lose their purely Catalan identity, with actions of the foundation linked to local training (many of their courses have joined the autonomy study programs). And within that identity is the claim in favor of Gaza, which maintain constant and explicit in aspects such as the programming of Radio Primavera Sound, where they do not have fear of positioning yourself. Business is Business. Spring Sound is a business, and that is why you have to take any type of positioning with tweezers: remember the … Read more

In Elche a solar macroproject threatens a protected place. It is only the tip of the iceberg of a problem throughout Spain

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Spain advances in its energy transition, but not without conflicts. In Galicia, for example, the expansion of wind farms has generated A growing social rejection for its impact on the landscape. Something similar happens in the teacher, where local communities They denounce the implementation of renewables without planning or consensus. Now, the conflict moves south of the province of Alicante. The voices of the protest. The environmental group friends of the wetlands of southern Alicante (AHSA) has resorted to the authorization of Lucinala, a macroproject of solar energy As detailed in their press release. The authorization was granted by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, despite the fact that the group presented allegations and a first resource last years, still unanswered. Although the project has been reformulated and its reduced surface, environmentalists continue to see it as a direct threat to the natural and agricultural values ​​of the Galvany Clot environment. Project chronology. Lucinala, a solar plant of more than 62 MW of power and 120 hectares of surface, has already received two administrative authorizations In just 15 months. Despite the unfavorable reports issued by entities such as the City Council of Alicante or the road unit, the central government gave the project to the project in January and April 2024, according to He explained The information. The local medium continues to detail that the promoter has introduced modifications in response to these institutional objections, such as the underground of evacuation lines, the elimination of an intermediate substation or the displacement of the electric layout. These measures allowed the project to raffle the main legal obstacles. However, they have not managed to dissipate the social or ecological opposition to the project. A protected area. In the province of Alicante there are about twenty protected placesnot as many as in other areas of Spain. For this reason, the location of the Lucinala plant is especially sensitive in a critical area from the environmental point of view: The Landscape Basin of Galvany Clot. This wetland, located in the municipality of Elche, has various protection figures, both regional and European. The Ecologists collective In your press release He has denounced that the set of eleven solar plants would occupy more than 190 hectares, a figure that exceeds in 10 hectares the total area of ​​the wetland itself. In addition, they added that 60 hectares of high quality agricultural land, 31 hectares of forest land and 25 hectares of areas with flood risk would be affected. And the ecological connection of the Clot was committed to the Serra of why, to the north, which would fragment key habitats for local fauna. This can bring tail. Beyond the specific case, AHSA, together with more than 150 organizations integrated into the Macrorenovable Platform, They have denouncedA speculative “bubble” driven by European subsidies Next Generation. On the other hand, AHSA has warned that renewable projects in process in Spain are already 144 GW of power, well above the 89 GW planned in The National Energy and Climate National Plan (PNIEC) 2021-2030. Even so, the Latest reports From Red Eléctrica de España (REE) they have indicated that, at the end of 2024, the installed renewable power reached 85.1 GW, very close to the marked objective. Reopening the debate. It is true that from the environmental group they insist that abandoning fossil fuels is urgent, but they warn that a poorly planned transition can reproduce old errors: concentration of energy power, loss of territorial sovereignty and false promises of sustainability. Instead, they bet on a fair transition, decentralized and sensitive to territory. At that crossroads, the question continues in the air: how to move towards clean energy without leaving behind the territory, biodiversity and those who inhabit it. Image | Pxhere and Ferran tab Xataka | Solar panels that clean other solar panels: the photovoltaic industry has entered its self -replicant phase

Madrid has become his new favorite real estate destination

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Madrid has become one of the favorite destinations For great fortuneswhat they are looking for Invest in luxury properties Out of your country. The arrival of new millionaires, especially from the United StatesUnited Kingdom and France, has caused An unprecedented boom in the high -standing real estate market of the Spanish capital. This trend is promoting Luxury real estate market prices and changing the profile of the buyers, placing Madrid at the international sight. As I pointed Humphrey White, CEO of Knight Frank Spain to Expansion“55% of luxury housing buyers in Madrid are Spanish”, compared to 70% in 2018. Hunting luxury According to the report ‘The Wealth Report 2025‘ Of the Knight Frank consultant, the reduction of interest rates in 2024 has been key to reactivating investment in luxury homes worldwide. The prices of these properties grew 3.6% in 2024 globally, with especially notable increases in Asian markets, the Middle East and in certain European cities. Seoul led the growth with a price increase of 18.4%, followed by Manila (17.9%), Dubai (16.9%), Riad (16%) and Yeda (9.6%). In Europe, the average increase was 2.5%, but Madrid far exceeded this figure until it reached an increase of 5.5% in the price of luxury homes. To put in context the price increase in this type of properties, in 2014, a investment of one million euros allowed to buy a luxury floor of 136 meters in the capital. Today barely reaches for a 89 square meters. “The luxury is now more luxurious,” says the report, underlining how the sophistication of the offer has been increasing along with prices. Operations in this type of housing, with prices that can range between 11,000 and 15,000 euros per square meter. However, they can also reach exceed 25,000 euros per square meter, although these prices remain exceptional and reserved for extraordinary qualities properties. This sustained growth places Madrid among the most competitive European cities in the segment, above other capitals such as London, Paris or Milan. The trend reflects the city’s appeal for international investors and, especially, for Americans who seek to diversify their assets in markets with revaluation potential. Madrid, meeting point for ultra -up He Real estate interest in Madrid 60% shot in March 2025 compared to the previous month, consolidating the city in the 26th position of the Global Prime Markets ranking, while Barcelona occupies position 37. According to Knight Frank’s study on large assets, Madrid is already the main destination of foreign investment in Spain, chosen by 67.5% of investors. In addition, ultra -ups already represent 43% of luxury real estate purchases in the capital, and their number is expected to grow 17.4% to 2028. He buyer profile is changing quickly. In 2018, American investors had barely presence. However, in 2023 they already represented 4% of the operations, and in 2024 they have doubled their weight until they are 8% of the purchases of luxury properties. As the authors point out of the report“Many great heritage are leaving the country and investing in Europe Through Spain. “ However, one of the factors that has most conditioned the price increase in luxury properties in Madrid has been The shortage of supply Faced with a growing demand. The Urban regulations limits the Construction of new homes high -end, which maintains pressure on prices. According The published by The SpanishKnight Frank counts only 13 new high -end project developments, adding a total of 78 homes. All of them concentrated in the Salamanca neighborhood, The most demanded neighborhood For this client profile. Money calls money Madrid’s appeal is not limited to the residential sector. The report ‘The Glittering Power of Cities for Luxury Growth‘From the consultant McKinsey, he places the Spanish capital among the cities with the largest Concentration of the luxury sector. According to the report ‘European Luxury Retail 2024‘ From Cushman & Wakefield, of the eight new open luxury stores in Spain in 2024, six chose the ‘gold mile’ Madrid as location. This phenomenon reinforces the position of Madrid as Epicenter of luxury in Europe and consolidates its attraction for both real estate investors and for large international firms. In Xataka | The new luxury is that the mansions go unnoticed and sustainable: that’s why they cost 10 million euros Image | Pexels (Gotta Be Worth It, Alex Moliski)

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