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A cement company stopped sending its personnel to inspect dangerous areas. Your new inspector is a robot dog

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Even though the conversation revolves around humanoid robotics Lately, this sector has had much more traction in the industry for decades, driving a good part of the current processes and assembly lines. In this regard, a Swiss cement plant has wanted to take advantage of robotics in a somewhat peculiar way: it has been using a quadruped robot to monitor your facilities every night. Below these lines we tell you all the details. The problem that had to be solved. Vigier Ciment has been producing cement in the hills of the Swiss Jura, south of Biel, for a century and a half, generating approximately a fifth of all cement in the country. Its plant houses more than 1,000 machines spread across several buildings and floors, connected by metal stairs of up to 16 sections, areas with temperatures that reach 50 degrees, constant dust and the occasional presence of ammonia near the unloading docks. The maintenance of all this fell to operators who toured the facilities on foot filling out paper records. Over time, continued exposure to these conditions generates what the plant workers themselves call “operational blindness.” You stop seeing what is in front of you because you have already seen it too many times, according to collect Techeblog. The guard dog. Just like account The medium, in November 2024 the Swiss robotics company ANYbotics began talks with Vigier Ciment to deploy its ANYmal quadruped robot at the plant. The robot arrived on January 6, 2025 and before the end of the first month it was already carrying out night patrols completely autonomously. ANYmal is similar in size to a large dog and weighs more than 50 kilos. It does not need human supervision, and its managers say it climbs stairs, avoids obstacles, navigates narrow hallways and accesses areas that previously required considerable effort on the part of staff. What exactly does it do in every round. Every night, even on weekends, ANYmal goes through more than 450 inspection points predefined elements distributed in three mills and six levels. To do this, it has several detection systems, including a visual camera that identifies cracks, oil leaks or corrosion; a thermal camera that measures the temperature of critical components such as bearings, motors and gears; a gas sensor that monitors ammonia levels; and an acoustic camera capable of locating compressed air leaks or filter failures at distances of up to 50 meters. According to point In the middle, all that information is automatically dumped into a software platform called Data Navigator, which analyzes the data collected overnight, compares it to the facility’s history, and generates a daily report for the maintenance team. What he has found along the way. In sixteen months of operation, ANYmal has already completed more than 33,000 inspections without recording any technical failures. According to ANYbotics, the most relevant findings have had a direct impact on plant operations. The middle share In addition, the robot detected a crack in the base of a shredder the size of a large kitchen table. The oil had been leaking for some time and no one had reported it on the usual rounds. The repair was completed the next day. Had it collapsed, the plant would have lost more than a week of production, with estimated losses of more than $630,000, according to the company’s own figures. In another case, thermal monitoring detected a bearing reaching 140 degrees Celsius, allowing a $30,000 eight-hour repair to be scheduled rather than facing a much more costly emergency failure. The robot also detected levels of ammonia exposure at unloading docks that had not been measured until then, and located air leaks in filtration systems installed 50 meters high. Industrial maintenance. The plant’s traditional fixed sensors only covered about 200 elements, mainly on the clinker side (the main component of cement). The robot expands that coverage substantially and accesses areas that static sensors cannot reach. At the same time, it removes operators from the most dangerous environments without reducing the frequency or quality of inspections. Images | ANYbotics In Xataka | One of the big problems with AI is that it always proves you right: this is the most effective way to avoid it

“It is one of the most exposed areas and one of the most forgotten”

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Summer is already upon us, and that means we have to deal with the heat and also the sun for several months. One of the ‘rituals’ we do (or should do) is to have sunscreen and cover our face, shoulders and back, since they will be exposed to the sun. The problem is that there is one part of the body that directly receives a large amount of sunlight and which we usually ignore completely. We are logically talking about the scalp. a myth. We tend to think that hair acts as an impenetrable shield against ultraviolet radiationas if it were a hat, but science suggests that this is a quite dangerous myth. And they go even further by pointing out that leaving the head completely abandoned in the face of inclement weather causes quite serious injuries to develop in the long run. They don’t stop repeating it. Something that we must be clear about now is that hair does not completely block UV radiation. As point the American Cancer Societyprolonged exposure to these rays is the main risk factor for all skin cancers. But if we go a little further, there is cancer beyond the famous melanoma, which is the one we all have in mind. For example, we have basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma that tend to frequently appear in areas with greater historical sun exposure, that is, the head. Who is most at risk? Logically, this is something that is evidently triggered in people who have baldness or very thin hair, although in general it affects everyone. Areas like your hair part, receding hairline, or cowlicks are blind spots where the sun hits your bare skin directly. The alopecia. Science emphasizes the importance of using protection, since it has been shown that there is a direct relationship between scarring alopecia, chronic inflammation of the scalp and the development of skin cancer. Furthermore, it has also been seen that when there is inflamed tissue due to suffering certain forms of alopecia and this exposure to UV rays is also added to it without a physical barrier to protect it, an ideal environment is created for the appearance of a carcinoma. In these cases, photoprotection stops being an aesthetic recommendation and becomes a medical necessity. How to protect it. Here the imposition of a physical barrier is the best advice that can be given, as they point out different organisms specialized in skin cancer, since they point out that the most robust and effective protection does not come in a bottle, but in the form of a wide-brimmed hat or cap. In this way, sunscreen remains a necessary complement that presents a very clear way: how to apply it without ruining your hair? And here the key is to use sprays designed specifically for this area, such as transparent sprays or mineral powders. Early detection. Beyond prevention, surveillance It is also very important for early detection of any stain that may be suspicious. This is something that is especially indicated for those people who do not use any type of sun protection and are exposed to the sun a lot throughout the day, such as a worker or a street cleaner, among many other professions. Here, with a simple comb or the air from a dryer, you can separate the hair into sections to look for new spots or wounds that do not heal, since it may be an indication that something is wrong and you need to visit a specialist doctor for evaluation. The experts. Here they are quite clear that we have a big problem, especially Dr. Cristina Vico, dermatologist at the GEDET of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, who in statements collected by elDiario.es point because “the scalp is one of the areas most exposed to solar radiation throughout the year and, however, one of the most forgotten.” To this end, this expert also points out how important it is to use sun protection anywhere on the body and, above all, to check yourself well, since early detection is one of the best treatments that can be applied to any sign of carcinoma. Images | Patrick Robert Doyle In Xataka | Science warns of the dangerous success of anti-suncream hoaxes on TikTok: “Despite being a minority, this content is influential”

We sensed that there were areas in Spain where longevity was greater. A map has just confirmed where the “Holy Land” is

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The year before the new millennium entered, the Belgian demographer Michel Poulain arrived in a small town in Sardinia looking for a statistical error: too many male centenarians to be credible. What he found there would end up giving rise to the concept of the “Blue Zones”the regions of the world where living for more than a hundred years is not a rarity, but almost a custom. Now, the same researcher claims to have found something similar much closer: in Spain. The map that confirms an old intuition. For years there was a suspicion almost intuitive in Spain: there were territories where people not only lived longer, but also aged better. Now a map has made it black on white. The demographer Michel Poulainwho, as we said, is one of the world’s great experts in longevity and creator of the modern concept of the Blue Zoneshas applied its extreme longevity index to the Spanish territory and the result draws a very clear pattern: The north and part of the interior have a probability of reaching 100 years that is up to three times higher than that of the south. It is not a cultural perception or a family anecdote. It’s demographic statistics. Where is the Spanish corridor. The map pinpoints a species privileged belt. Navarra, La Rioja, Soria, Guadalajara and Segovia top the classification, followed by other areas of Castilla y León, Catalonia, Álava and a good part of the northwest of the peninsula. In it opposite end appear Seville, Cádiz and Málaga, where the possibility of reaching a centenary falls very noticeably. The big surprise is not only the gap, but its magnitude: tripling the odds within the same country, with the same health system and political framework, forces us to look beyond genetics. We no longer talk about “blue zones.” The finding also changes the way we study aging. For years the dominant model was that of the Blue Zonesthose iconic places like Sardinia, Okinawa or Icaria where centenarians accumulate. But Poulain believes that model has fallen short. Now science speaks of “longevity corridors”: large areas where the combination of social, environmental, health and cultural factors generates a favorable ecosystem for living longer and better. Spain, and especially its northern halfone of those European corridors begins to emerge. It’s not magic, it’s lifestyle. The key, researchers insistit is not in a miracle recipe or a hidden superfood. Eating meaningfully, moving naturally, sleeping well, avoiding chronic stress, maintaining strong family ties, living connected to nature, and having purpose in life appear again and again as common patterns. They are simple habits, but sustained for decades. And therein lies the real lesson: longevity is not manufactured at 70, it is built from childhood. That is why experts insist so much on prevention and early education. The invisible factor. There is more, since one of the elements that is most repeated in these territories is something that rarely appears in an analysis: the social network. It talks about having support, not feeling alone, maintaining family and community ties, in short, continuing to be useful to others. That human tissue seems to act like silent protection against physical and mental deterioration. In many of these provinces, especially rural ones, there continues to be a denser social structure than in large cities. And that could be as important as diet or exercise. The great warning. Last but not least, there is a clear warning. The researchers they warn that these corridors are not eternal. Changes in diet, sedentary lifestyle, accelerated urbanization, loss of community and social isolation are eroding precisely the factors that made them possible. In other words, healthy longevity can be lost in a single generation if the environment changes. That is why the great objective now is not to admire centenarians as a rarity, but to study how they have gotten there to replicate those conditions. Because the map not only tells where you live most. It also points out perhaps something more important: where a way of living that the rest of the country is losing is still preserved. Image | Pexels,ELI, Adam Jones In Xataka | They don’t bring suitcases, they bring medical records: how Spain has become the new European mecca of longevity In Xataka | Putin has become obsessed with eternal life. And that’s why he has scientists experimenting with organs in pigs

Japan’s madness with garbage reaches the point that, in some areas, they separate it into 45 different categories. And, despite everything, it recycles half as much as Spain

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At the end of the 90s, the thousand or so residents of Kamikatsu (a small town in the Japanese prefecture of Tokushima) became a question that would change them forever: “Why do we generate so much waste?” The response led them to be the first Japanese municipality to declare themselves ‘zero waste’, to sell garbage cans and to ask their neighbors to separate their waste into 45 different categories. Waste that they carry themselves to the local clean point. One sees this and can only ask one question: have these Japanese gone crazy? And the answer is neither “yes” nor “no”: it is both at the same time. Why are we talking about this? As often happens lately, everything starts with a video. A tiktoker who resides in Japan (@nuriape_) has shown how what apparently is “jack, knight and king” works: the garbage system. And the truth is that it is curious: each building has its own waste area. The one in the video is quite broad and, as he explains, super strict. In addition, much of the processing is done by neighbors: things like cleaning the bottles and depositing them in places other than the caps or leaving the cardboard perfectly folded are part of the process. The collection, it seems, is daily. Now that the new waste rates have returned to waste management to the public debate in our country, the question is… is the Japanese system, in addition to being striking, effective? How does the Japanese waste system work? Since ’97, Japanese laws require separating glass, PET and cardboard. However, over time, the situation has become more and more complex. And, today, the collection categories range from nine in the “less advanced” municipalities to 45 in many areas of the country. And no, it is not optional: if you do not separate the garbage correctly, it will not be collected and that’s it. A garbage collection machine. As a result of these almost three decades of social pedagogy, the country of the rising sun is a well-oiled machine in terms of citizen separation and collection logistics. The problem is, well, it doesn’t help much either. Because collecting is not recycling. And Japan is the best example: its actual recycling rate is surprisingly low. While Spain (with an infinitely less obsessive system) recycles around 39%, Japan is around 20%. It is not that in our country we are here to “shoot rockets”: According to EU plans, we should be around 55% since last year. However, there is something we are doing better than Japan just as there are things we are doing worse. No overflowing containers. That’s perhaps what works best in Japan. Faced with the unequal Spanish management (because they depend on municipalities and councils), the Japanese system prioritizes segmented daily collection, precise calendars and logistical inflexibility. In addition, they also incorporate things that work in the rest of Europe and Spanish legislation contemplates, but almost no one implements: payment per garbage bag. Something that encourages waste reduction and inherently improves the system’s capacity. On the other hand, Spain does interesting things (whether they work better or worse): the main thing perhaps is that the system extends responsibility to producers. What we have in common. While Japan has a hyperdependence on incineration (75% of its garbage ends up burned), Spain has a hyperdependence on landfills (50% ends up buried), we both share a problem with single-use plastics. It is true that Japan is much more worrying (it is the world’s second largest producer of plastic packaging waste per capita), but we both have to think about the matter. Image | Jonas Gerlach In Xataka | We have been thinking for decades that plastic recycling was worth something. Maybe we were wrong

Thanks to Starlink, Papua New Guinea was able to access the Internet in its most remote areas. That dream is over

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Thousands of people in Papua New Guinea They have been left without an internet connection following the government’s order to suspend operations of starlink in the country. The decision has come amid a legal blockade that has lasted more than a year, and is affecting businesses, health centers and rural communities that depended on Elon Musk’s satellite service to stay connected. What exactly happened. In mid-December, the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (Nicta) ordered Starlink to cease all operations in Papua New Guinea because the company does not have a license to operate in the country. “Starlink is currently not licensed to operate in Papua New Guinea, and until the legal process is completed, services cannot be permitted,” account Lume Polume, CEO of Nicta, told The Guardian. The company has already completely withdrawn its services from the territory. Why was there so much hooking? Although there are no official figures on how many users Starlink had in the country, telecommunications analysts estimate that its terminals served thousands of people before the closure, including entire towns and districts in remote areas, according to the media. For many rural communities it was the only viable option since mobile networks are unreliable or non-existent, and other satellite services are much more expensive. Starlink offered fast, relatively inexpensive internet in places where connectivity had historically been a chronic problem. The real impact of going offline. The blackout has generated a series of important problems in daily life. Teachers like Simon Jack, who works at a remote secondary school in the Southern Highlands province, have explained to the British media that students need the internet to check their academic results and see where they have been admitted to study this year. “For many of them, Starlink was the only option that worked,” he says. In the health field, health worker Theresa Juni, from East Sepik province, counted that his clinic used Starlink to communicate with doctors in the city and send reports quickly. “Now we have to wait days or travel just to send information. For patients who need urgent care, these delays can be dangerous,” he warns. On the other hand, the medium assures that some farmers and merchants must now travel long distances to cities to access banking services and other transactions that they previously did online. The legal mess behind the blackout. The problem comes from afar. Starlink has been trying to get a license in Papua New Guinea since December 2023, but in March 2024 the Ombudsman Commission blocked its approval citing concerns about service reliability and regulatory compliance, according to inform RNZ. Nicta took the case to court months later seeking to overturn this directive, but the court decision is still pending. Meanwhile, the regulatory authority is “legally prevented” from issuing a license until the court rules. The Pacific is from Starlink. The irony is that Starlink has become a lauded service in other Pacific nations, especially after its deployment in Tonga after the 2022 volcanic eruption destroyed underwater internet cables. There the service was described as “transformational.” However, Papua New Guinea has been left out of this story for now. Just like account According to RNZ, last November, SpaceX’s director of global market access, Rebecca Slick Hunter, said at a conference in Port Moresby that the company was ready to activate services as soon as it received authorization, and that Starlink had already established a local entity in the country. Citizen reaction. About 200 people have signed an online petition asking that Starlink be allowed to operate legally, as confirmed by Nicta. Businessman and former MP John Simon has criticized harshly the situation: “This is really bad for this country. Internet and online services have been very expensive and slow for years, yet we cannot listen to ordinary people on the street and solve this,” he told The Guardian. “The Papua New Guinea government must do something for struggling small businesses. Ordinary people and small businesses depend on the cheapest and fastest option, and right now that is Starlink. This problem must be fixed.” Cover image | starlink In Xataka | Without making a noise, someone has eclipsed Elon Musk among the most influential millionaires in the US: Larry Ellison

The coast of Huelva has been touristed for decades. Now one of its last virgin areas will become a megaurbanization

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“With more than 130 hectares next to the Pinares de Cartaya, it aims to become one of the main urban developments in Andalusia, creating a residential and leisure center in one of the most unique enclaves of the Andalusian Atlantic.” The phrase is part of the presentation of ‘Saggita El Rompido Living Club’, a real estate mega project that a Basque developer is promoting on the coast of Andalusia, on the second line of the Huelva coast and where there is now extensive trees. The initiative has already aroused the suspicion of politicians and environmentalists who warn that it will pervert one of the few remaining virgin areas on the coast of Huelva. What has happened? That Huelva is preparing for a radical transformation of the environment The Brokenin the municipality of Cartaya. There the Loiola company plans to promote a macro urban project with hundreds of homesvillas, a golf course, hotel accommodation, swimming pools and a commercial area. An extensive development that will extend throughout 130 ha in an environment that, like presume the promoter itself, represents “a privileged enclave between marshes, ocean and pine forests.” What do you want to do? They have named the project Saggite“arrow”, in Latin, a nod to one of the most characteristic places in the area: the Broken Arrowa wide sandy formation that stretches for about ten kilometers parallel to the coast. The promoter has several ideas in mind: a golf course, several hotelsa commercial area and above all generate residential offer. Specifically, on his website he talks about two projects: Sagitta Silvawith 128 homes (106 multi-family apartments and another 22 single-family homes) and Sagitta Navisa complex of 18 semi-detached houses with four bedrooms spread over two floors. Is there more? Yes. The Rompido Living Club does not stop there. When promoting the project, those responsible they talk of a huge residential and leisure center of 130 hectares with 800 exclusive homes (in some media they talk about 1,000), to which places for tourists and swimming pools will be added, “one of the main developments urban developments of Andalusia”. To complete it, the company claims that Sagitta Living Club will cover some 522,600 square meters of green areas. Is it just a project? No. In August 2024 Environment awarded the Unified Environmental Authorization for “Nuevo Rompido Este” in order to develop the land and pave the way so that it can accommodate homes, hotels, the golf course and the shopping center. Months later, in November, Ecologists in Action warned that work had already begun on the ground, with “the dismantling of the rich and varied vegetation of the Mediterranean forest” in the area and excavators and trucks removing bushes. The latest news about the project reached early summerwhen Loiola began marketing the first 150 homes in your residential complex. In the promotional information published on those dates it was stated that the works would start before the end of this year to have them lists in 2027. Perfect, right? Not everyone thinks so. The macroproject has the planning permission of Cartaya and the Junta de Andalucía has also given the green light to the urbanization of 1.3 million of square meters. THE complex even snuck into the presentation carried out last year by the City Council at FITUR. That does not mean that Sagitta has unanimous support. There are those who have warned of its impact on the environment, both environmentally and socially. For example, Izquierda Unida crosses out the “monstrosity” and warns of its effects. Why’s that? “It will double the population of El Rompido at once, destroying a forest of pine, juniper and other protected vegetation and exposing this nucleus, which already suffers serious problems such as periodic water cuts of up to 24 hours, to unsustainable urban tension.” I insisted a few months ago David F. Calderón, spokesperson for Izquierda Unida in the Cartaya City Council. In his opinion, the megaproject suffers from “serious legal loopholes” and “puts at risk the ecological balance and carrying capacity of the territory in a high-value area.” “El Rompido, one of the coastal towns in Andalusia where housing has become more expensive in the last decade, does not need more luxury homes, nor more hotels, nor more golf courses, but rather social housing that allows youth to continue living in their town,” Calderón stressed. The project focuses on the northwest of El Rompido, in a space located 800 meters from the beach. Is it the only critical voice? The answer is again no. One of the most critical voices of the project has been that of Ecologistas en Acción. And not only because in November warned of the arrival of machinery to the area, initiating “the destruction of (a) space with important natural values.” Since then has insisted in that the 130 hectares of the complex represent land “of extremely high biodiversity and environmental wealth” and that the project itself is “the greatest example of unsustainable, illegal and predatory urban planning on the Andalusian coastline.” Hence, the environmental association has filed a contentious-administrative appeal and requested a precautionary suspension. His main argument: the alleged risk of causing “very serious and irreversible” damage to the territory. “The works involve destroying a substantial part of the environmental values ​​of this privileged enclave, with serious consequences for protected fauna and taxa.” What does the promoter say? In your advertisingthe company highlights that the promotion will seek “environmental, social and economic sustainability”, which includes, among other issues, measures to minimize the carbon and water impact or the preservation of biodiversity. It also highlights that the Sagitta Living Club complex will include more than 522,000 m2 of green areas, a large area that will play a key role in the complex. The environmental authorization actually recognizes that there are protected plants in the environment, but their future is clear because they will be located in the free spaces left by the megaurbanization. Images | Loiola and Ecologists in Action In Xataka | There is a virgin beach in … Read more

We have been intrigued by the “blue areas” in which longevity shoots. His secret may be in Finland

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Scientists have observed for year “Blue Areas” With a mixture of fascination, suspicion And a pressing question: are there places that people usually enjoy longer and healthier lives? Is it easier to meet centenary people in certain regions From the planet, like Okinawa (Japan), Ikara (Greece) or Sardinia? And if so, why? A group of Finnish researchers believe they have found A new candidate To “Blue Zone” to the west of your country, a finding that can help us better understand these mysterious areas. For now, they have already managed to generate expectation. What happened? Some time ago a group of researchers from the Åbo Akademia University based in Turku (Finland), a peculiar objective was proposed: finding out if a part of its country fits the characteristics of what is usually known as ‘blue areas’geographical areas that stand out for the high longevity and healthy life habits of its inhabitants, two realities that experts believe they are directly related. To be more precise Nordic scientists focused on a handful of territories of the old Western Finland: The Swedish majority region of Ostrobotnia, South Ostrobotnia and the Åland islands. As explained in The article In which they have reflected their conclusions, their idea was to analyze the longevity indicators and then find out if the best results corresponded to the cities in which people enjoy a healthier lifestyle. But … What is “blue zone”? Regions in which people (apparently) enjoy longer and more healthy lives than normal. It is not a new concept. Its origins can be traced At least until 2004when the magazine Experimental Gerontology public A broad study on the centenary population of Sardinia, Italy. In it the authors marked with that color (blue) the regions of the map in which the longevity data were higher. In addition to identifying them geographically, researchers speculated that these indicators could be explained by factors such as nutrition, lifestyle or the proliferation of genetic characteristics that favored the locals. The fact is that the ‘blue areas’ liked and shortly after, in 2005, a journalist from National Geographic He used it in Another article in which he talked about three regions of the planet where on average the population enjoyed longer and healthy lives: Okinawa, in Japan, Loma Linda, in California, and Sardinia. The text was affected in the same idea: the phenomenon connects with certain healthy habits in these territories, such as nutritional diets, physical activity, stress control and moderate alcohol consumption, among others. And what did they find out in Finland? Åbo researchers identified a series of curious phenomena who, in summary, have taken them to conclude That the Swedish region of Ostrobotnia “could be a blue zone”, with a population characterized by its high life expectancy, health and positive life habits. However, that’s just one of your conclusions. And maybe not the most interesting. To understand it it is necessary to know Your study and the figures on which it supports. What figures? The most interesting are longevity. According to The data collected in Journal of Aging Research In the åland islands life expectancy among babies who came to the world between 2020 and 2022 was 83.5 years, in ostrobotnia of 83.1 and in southern ostrobotnia of 81.8. Any of these data exceeds both the mean of Finland (81.6) and EU’swhich is around 81.5. Worldwide, life expectancy at birth in 2022 was 72.6 years and, According to statistathat global average will not approach that of Ostrobotnia until the end of the century. Of course, it is a global average. In Spain the data is already Very simulate. And what does that tell us? The Åbo team did not limit himself to studying longevity records. After all, the blue areas have not been analyzed only according to demographic data. Experts also take into account factors such as “lifestyle and health”, which includes social relationships, diet, physical activity or even vital purposes. By taking into account these parameters, experts reached a conclusion: the relationship between them (longevity and the characteristics of blue areas) are not as evident as one would expect. What does it mean? That the greatest longevity data are not necessarily in the regions that best fit the ideal characteristics of a “blue zone”. It sounds confusing, but it is better understood with an example. The longest study of the study was Åland, an area that effectively presents good health data, but is “diverted from several principles” of what could be considered the ideal lifestyle. In part of Ostrobotnia something different happens: the healthy lifestyle is well implanted and yet its life expectancy is less than in other areas. What is the conclusion? There are several. To begin the researchers concluded that, if the age, health and implementation of the lifestyle of the blue areas, the Swedish Obstrobotnia are taken into account It could be considered Perfectly one of those redoubts that stand out for their longevity. Just like Other regions of the planet, such as Okinawa, Ikara or Oglybasra. However, research throws another more interesting reading, especially in the face of future studies on blue areas: when analyzing them it is important to take into account the context. “The possible coherence between longevity, health and lifestyle I could vary in different cultural, political, social and economic contexts,” indicates the articlewhich acknowledges that their data shows that “the Nordic regions with greater longevity are not necessarily adhere to the lifestyle of blue areas.” In other words, they insist: “The important lifestyle principles for longevity can vary in different regions.” Why is it interesting? Because beyond the implications it may have for Western Finland, its authorities, doctors and demographers, research throws new data and keys to the study of blue areas, a concept that in recent years has aroused two feelings: fascination … and skepticism. Since National Geographic public Your article The concept has generated debate and suspicion of those who warn that their scientific base results Little solid. In 2019 Dr. Saul J. Newman launched An article in which … Read more

In Ibiza the luxury villas and ‘Beach Clubs’ have taken over the bathing areas. And the neighbors are saying enough

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Every year Ibiza receives hundreds of thousands of tourists that dream of the same: enjoy the Sun of the Mediterranean and take a dip in one of its paradisiacal coves. That has converted the sand of the Ibizan coast in the object of desire for locals and visitors, a coveted (and quoted) privilege that has long faces a serious threat: privatization covert of the beaches. A risk that materializes in the form of hammocks and sun loungers. What happened? That the summer of 2025 will perhaps go down in history by the forest firesthe Heat waves or the You alert of the hoteliers, who despite the record influx of tourists who are registering Spain perceive a fall in their turnover; But of course it won’t solve it One of the ‘hot potatoes’ of the Balearic coast: the private occupation of the sand. Eldiario.es remembered it yesterday An article in which he remembers some of the main controversies that Ibiz Beach Clubs. It is not really a problem that affects only the Pitiusa Islands. In Malaga the neighbors They have warned of the “privatization of the beach” for the expansion of several beach bars and in Menorca There have been criticism For the closure of roads, which prevents visitors (and neighbors) from practicing hiking in the area. Where does the controversy come from? Ibiza is close to 230 kilometers Costa and a good part of it are beaches and coves that, for decades, attract tourists from all over the planet. The result is that a portion of its sand, with its umbrella and sun lounger, has become (especially during the summer) into a precious good … and disputed. Residents know it. And also tourists and hoteliers. Hence it is not uncommon to find in the island press Complaints by Beach Clubs and restaurants that occupy sand with hammocks and umbrellas, hoarding more space than they allow them Your concessions. Or even news on villas and companies dedicated to the luxury holiday rental that colonize ‘the coves. In August Nou Diari He warned that the “undercover privatization” of the beaches is filling the patience of the neighbors of Ibiza and recalled that for years it is not strange to meet with auxiliary and yacht vessels that approach the coast to display hammocks that stay there in case their owners decide to use them. Sometimes it happens. Others do not simply occupy coast. Are there specific cases? Yes. In Ibiza there are at least three that have given to speak over the last months. Of all perhaps the most popular is that of Cala Molíin the municipality of Sant Josep. Fed of the ‘colonization’ of Arenal, Last month Someone withdrew the sun loungers in the cove and left a message in English attached to one of the chairs: “The beach is a public space and is not included in the house you have rented. If you want to put your hammock, come like everyone else and place it wherever you want. Eivissa free of pirates!”. In August Nou Diari public That the sun loungers, umbrellas and other Molí apparatus was installed by a company dedicated to the rental of luxury homes in the area. As needed, the business was dedicated to deploying the furniture in the morning, occupying part of the Ibizan coast, as if it were an exclusive service for its customers. eldiario.es Precise However, the hammocks actually installed operators hired by a family housed in a nearby villa. Are there more examples? Yes. Another sound case is that of Cala d´en Serrain Sant Joan. In June Amics de la Terra denounced that a business was installing more hammocks on the beach than allows its municipal concession. He denounced her accompanies her A photo in which 30 sun loungers can be seen in pairs who occupy practically the entire cove. His complaint motivated a police inspection, which, however, verified that the concessionaire was complying with the limits, at least at the time the agents came. Ibiza Diario Precise In any case that, although at the time of the inspection it was found that there were 18 hammocks, “amount that coincides with the maximum authorized according to the current concession”, in the image released by AMICs it is clearly appreciated that at the time when the photograph was taken there was almost double (30). “He has only started summer and hammocks already throw us from the beach”, regretted The environmental organization in its publication. Is it a new problem? Not quite. Nor exclusive to Ibiza. The occupation (or “privatization”) of the coasts has heating the debate For yearsboth by individuals that get up early to place their umbrellas and then leave, like business that monopolize large portions of sand. In the Balearic Islands it is usually a reason for recurring discussion. Last year the residents of Sant Agustí and Cala Major (Palmad de Mallorca) They denounced publicly That, according to their calculations, they only had 22% of the beach for their enjoyment. In Ibiza, Cala Spartin Santa Eulària, too It has generated controversy This summer for a similar reason: the appearance of private hammocks. Images | Fred Bigio (Flickr) and Amics de la Terra Eivissa (Flickr) Via | eldiario.es In Xataka | Cabo de Gata promised them happy with the tourist pull of its beaches. Until the dunes became parkings

Catalonia and Murcia were two of the areas most affected by the drought. Now they are in the center of the storm

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Of the 10 meteorological stations that Yesterday they collected more rainfall Five were in the province of Barcelona. At 11:00 today, the five stations that have collected more rainfall today are in the province of Murcia. A trough in summer. During the last days a trough has traveled the north of the country and the Mediterranean basin, but it has been this last area that has taken the worst part. This event has left large hail images and some overwhelmed channels in the center and north of the Mediterranean slope. The good news is that these areas where the rains now accumulate are some of the most punished by the drought that until a few months ago ravaged the peninsula. A drought whose effects still last in some of these areas. The most affected by drought. The Catalan and Safe internal basins were among the basins most affected by drought. In March last year, the Catalan basins stayed Below 15% of its capacity. After a slight rebound, at the beginning of this year their levels were Something above 30% of its capacity. Since then the Catalan basins have recovered and their reservoirs They are now to 77.6% of its capacity. Something that has not happened in the case of reservoirs in the Segura Basin. These reservoirs came to 19.2% of its capacity And, although they have recovered, they still remain in a modest 28.7%. The passage of a trough. The arrival of the last trough I could help To relieve the situation in areas such as the Safe Basin and to consolidate the stabilization of the basins of the north of the Mediterranean aspect, not only in Catalonia, also in the Júcar. For now the figures left by the trough are only provisional, although in the last Weekly balance of rainfall Made by the State Meteorology Agency (AEMET) stand out accumulations greater than 60 mm in Catalonia during the day after day, day 23. The data of the weather stations of the area indicate that yesterday’s was another rainy day. Change of trend? Meteorologists expect the situation to calm down today, but the longest tendency is not so clear. A few days ago it seemed that we were in a brief Impla before the return of heat. Now The models speak of a dough of cold air stagnated on Europe. Change of trend? Summer It is not usually A time of hydrological relief, so rain can become great news for those who look with concern the possibility of a new drought that puts the resistance of the water system again. This is especially true in the basins that have not had the opportunity to recover completely during the last months of hydrological bonanza. In Xataka | The next great drought is a matter of time. It is the one we have to solve the problem of sediments in reservoirs Image | SUPERCHILUM, CC by-SA 4.0

divide Spain into three price areas for light

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It has been a month since a mass blackout left millions without electricity on the peninsula. What caused it It is not yet clear. What has emerged again is an uncomfortable question for the electrical system: should you continue working with a single price zone? The current model. The blackout made it clear that the current model of a single price zone does not always conform to how electricity is generated, transported and consumed. Following this, proposals have sounded again They ask to review the price fixing system. Among them, a strength gains: divide the territory into several areas with differentiated prices, as already do other European countries. The Nord Pool case. One of the most cited examples, the electrical market of the Nordic and Baltic countries. This system divide its territory In offer areas (Bidding Zones), which may have different prices based on local generation availability, demand and capacity limitations in the transport network. In other words, if there is abundant renewable generation in an area (for example, in northern Norway) and very remote demand (for example, in southern Sweden), but the transport network between the two is congested, the price of electricity will be lower in the generating and higher area in the consumer. This difference pushes batteries where it is already consumed to improve the network where it collapses. According to Nord Pool’s own official siteprices are calculated every day depending on the balance of supply and demand in each area, taking into account the physical restrictions of the system. The result is a more realistic market, where prices are not artificially uniform and bottlenecks are directly reflected in the price. And is it possible in Spain? The proposal to divide in several areas has not been officially raised by the Government or by Red Electric (REE). Even so, the imbalance is evident: Much of the renewable generation is concentrated in rural areas of the southern and interior (such as Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha or Aragon), while consumption triggers mostly on the Mediterranean axis and in Madrid. This asymmetry generates bottlenecks, cost overruns and, as has been seen in the blackout, critical vulnerabilities. In fact, Spain could be pressed to change its model if these structural limitations persist. Besides, Ree report data On the electrical system they show that only in 2024, the cost of adjustment services – which include redisarking and other measures to balance the network – amounted to 2,668 million euros. These costs represented 15 % of the final average price of energy, with an impact of € 11.43/MWh. That is, they are invisible cost overruns for the consumer, but that could be reduced if the system offered more realistic and differentiated price signals. Future scenarios. The recent electrical crisis has only underlined a reality that many experts have not been warning: the Spanish electrical system, as designed, is not able to absorb renewable growth No structural adjustments. The question about whether we must move from a single price zone to a zonal model is not only technical, but deeply political and territorial. Faced with a model that artificially uniforms prices and hides network imbalances, a well -designed zoning could become a useful tool to direct investments, reduce system costs and increase their resilience. But it also raises a complex political challenge: how to explain to a community that its electricity will be more expensive than that of another region? How to guarantee that the transition is fair and that does not increase territorial inequalities? Image | Pexels Xataka | The more you know about the blackout in Spain, the less guilty the lack of inertia seems to be renewable

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