consequences

The European Commission did not like how Spain has imposed the V16 beacon. That has potential consequences.

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The V16 beacon has generated all a wave of criticismboth because of its obligation, and because their capabilities and legislation around it. In this last aspect, the European Commission has confirmed that Spain did not follow the mandatory notification procedure before imposing the connected beacon. From here, the consequences can range from a formal infringement procedure to Spanish courts refusing to apply the rule. It is mandatory, but Brussels has a different opinion. Since January 1, 2026, drivers in Spain are required to carry a V16 beacon connected that, in the event of a breakdown or accident, allows the DGT to geolocate the vehicle. Just like account the executive vice-president of the European Commission, Stéphane Séjourné, in response to the parliamentary question of the PP MEP Dolors Montserrat, this obligation was established by two royal decrees: the 159/2021 and the 1030/2022. The problem is that, according to Séjourné, neither of them was communicated to Brussels before their adoption, something that European legislation expressly requires. Why does that matter? There is a European directive, 2015/1535which obliges Member States to notify the European Commission of any draft technical regulation before approving it. The objective is that both the Commission and the rest of the EU countries can analyze it and detect if it could cause problems for trade or contradict community law. If a State does so, it has a waiting period of three months before being able to adopt the standard. And Séjourné suggests that Spain would have skipped this step entirely. What the Commission has said. The executive vice president of the European Commission confirmed in its response expressly that the Spanish royal decrees “have not been notified in accordance with the procedure of Directive (EU) 2015/1535”. Furthermore, it also warns that, if a Member State fails to comply with this obligation, the Commission “may open a formal infringement procedure under the article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU”. lJudges may not apply the rule. Beyond the sanctions that the alleged infringement may entail, the Commission recalls that the Court of Justice of the EU has already established in its jurisprudence that “national courts must refuse to apply technical regulations that have not been properly notified.” In other words: if you as a Spanish driver They fine you for not carrying the V16 beacon You could, in theory, challenge that sanction by alleging precisely this failure to notify. Minterior market Brussels also warns of another aspect. As the use of danger signaling devices is not harmonized at the European level, each State can regulate according to its traffic regulations. But when very specific technical requirements are imposed on what that device must be like, as is the case with the beacon and its mandatory connectivity, Séjourné warns that this can “become a restriction on free trade within the internal market”, something that would violate article 34 of the TFEU. And now what. The issue, like many others in the country, has become another debate of political colors. Montserrat has demanded the Government to “immediately clarify this situation and act with transparency.” In the absence of knowing more details about it, it seems that we will have to wait to find out if the beacon may end up causing more problems than necessary. Cover image | Guillaume Perigois and DGT In Xataka | The RAM crisis has put the future of smartphones, consoles and computers in check. And the cars are not going to escape either

Tension in Iran is so high that the Strait of Hormuz is closed. And that will have consequences when you go to refuel.

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The world woke up today with a dangerous contradiction: while in the aseptic halls of Geneva the diplomats of the United States and Iran they shake hands cautiouslyin the waters of the Persian Gulf, the speedboats of the Revolutionary Guard block the passage of oil tankers. It doesn’t take a missile to fall for the global economy to feel the impact; Fear is trading higher and traveling faster than any ship. The Strait of Hormuz, the planet’s energy jugular, has undergone closure “partial and temporary” for the first time since tensions escalated in January. For the consumer, this is not a distant headline: the price of Brent oil has already increased by 13% so far this year. An increase in prices that does not respond to a real lack of supply, but rather to the geopolitical risk premium. We are paying for what could happen, not for what has happened. As confirmed by Iranian state media cited by EuronewsTehran ordered the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz under the justification of “security precautions.” The Iranian Fars news agency, referenced by Deutsche Welleexplained that this maneuver responds to the military exercises called “Intelligent Control of the Strait of Hormuz.” It is an unprecedented move in this crisis: it is the first time that Iran has physically closed sectors of the waterway since the US administration threatened military action last January. However, it is important to clarify the operational scope so as not to fall into unjustified alarmism. Jakob Larsen, safety director at Bimco (the association representing global shipowners), explained to the CNBC that it is not an indefinite total block. The closure affects the incoming “traffic separation scheme” area and lasts “several hours.” Iranian authorities have asked commercial ships to stay away from the exercise zone, which is causing delays and “minor inconveniences,” but the flow has not stopped completely. A 33 kilometer funnel for 20% of the world’s oil To understand why the market is holding its breath, you have to look at the map. The United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) rate this step as the “choke point” (chokepoint) most important in the world for oil transit. The figures are overwhelming: Volume: About 20 million barrels of crude oil, condensates and refined products flow through this artery daily. Global Impact: According to data from consulting firms Vortexa and Kplerthis represents approximately 20% of global consumption of petroleum liquids and nearly 30% of maritime crude oil trade. The problem is geographical. As explained D.W.At its narrowest point, the road is just 33 kilometers wide. But crucially, the safe navigable route for large supertankers is only two miles wide in each direction. It’s a perfect funnel where any interruption, no matter how small, creates an immediate domino effect. He timing of this military operation is not a coincidence; It’s a message. As analyzed Euronewsthe partial closure occurred exactly while the second round of nuclear talks between Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister, and Steve Witkoff, US special envoy, was being held in Geneva. For this reason, Tehran is using the strait as a negotiating lever. The United States has increased its military pressure with the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in the region, in response to both Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the bloody repression of internal protests shaking the Persian country. Paradoxically, diplomacy seems to advance while the guns are aimed. According to ReutersAraghchi confirmed after the meeting that a “principle of agreement” has been reached on the bases of a future relationship, although he warned that closing the final pact will be a slow process. Iran shows its fist in the sea while offering its hand in Switzerland. The price mirage: why do we pay the “fear premium”? The market reaction has been an emotional rollercoaster in the last 24 hours: Tuesday’s mirage: Initially, when the progress in Geneva became known, the price of oil fell. The barrel of Brent fell 1.8% (to $67.36) and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) lost 1%. The markets “bought” the hope of peace. Today’s reality, Wednesday: The trend has reversed. Prices are recovering and rising again. As explained in OilPricethe traders have reevaluated the situation: the final agreement seems distant and the physical closure of the strait, although partial, is a tangible reality today. As Sugandha Sachdeva points out, analyst cited by Reutersthe market is experiencing a “technical rally” because doubt dominates the scene. Although 82% of the crude oil that passes through Hormuz goes to Asia (China, India, Japan), oil is a global market. If there is a lack of supply in Asia, those countries will bid for the crude oil available in other regions, making the barrel more expensive for everyone. This has an immediate effect on Europe due to the “financialization” of energy. Gas and oil they have stopped being simple commodities to become financial assets that operate with high-speed algorithms. The volatility is such that “an early morning headline about Iran can alter the price of heating in Berlin before dawn.” The European Achilles heel The situation is especially delicate for the Old Continent. Europe is experiencing a “painful déjà vu“: fleeing from Russian dependence, has fallen into dependence on gas that arrives by ship (LNG). European gas reserves are at worrying lows (44% at the end of January) and vulnerability is maximum. This is where Hormuz plays a critical role beyond oil. As we have detailed in Xatakathe European Union looks to Qatar as a vital alternative for its gas supply, but “military tensions between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz put that route at risk.” If the strait is closed, not only oil to Asia is blocked, but also the Qatari liquefied natural gas that Europe desperately needs to refill its warehouses for next winter. The short-term horizon is bleak. According to an estimate by Eurasia Group collected by OilPricethere is a 65% chance that the United States will launch a military strike against Iran in April if the current talks … Read more

In 1977 Japan released an anime inspired by a raccoon. To this day he continues to pay the consequences

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What harm could a raccoon? Any search surface on the Internet reveals its many aesthetic virtues. They are small, but not too small; hairy, but not in moderation; intelligent, but still simple; handsome, still goofy. The dream of any child, the object of desire of every human passionate about terrestrial mammals Appearances are often treacherous. Numerous testimonies and graphic documents support the disruptive nature, in criminal occasionsof raccoons. Its own genes give it away: if its gigantic dark spots around its eyes function as a mask, the raccoon is the caco of nature, an extremely skilled animal, elusive, sagacious in its objectives, diligent in its blows. They know it well conservation services Madrid. Since the small bug was introduced into the community at the beginning of the last decade, it has spread across three different watersheds. During the last fifteen years more than 800 copiesa modest sample of a probably millennial population. They have become in a nightmare. Without natural predators (they come from the American continent), they wipe out numerous local species and cause fear among peripheral neighborhoods. The extreme expertise that only millennia of plunder provides is combined with a totalitarian reproductive capacity to dominate virgin lands in a matter of decades. The raccoon is a colonizing weapon perfect. (Thomas Despeyroux/Unsplash) We know it today, however. Half a century ago, as in many ways still today, the image of such a friendly animal conquered the hearts of a nation at the other (literal) end of the Western cultural world: Japan. A counterproductive obsession Their love-hate story begins in 1963, when American author Sterling North published Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Eraa small children’s story in which he surfs the waves of nostalgia in the company of his domestic raccoon. The work becomes an instant classic, hitting the shelves of thousands of children across the country. His media epic would enjoy a definitive boost when six years later Disney gained access to the rights to the work. Rascal, the moviewould debut in American theaters during the summer of 1969. Without viewing, the film would contemporize the dazzling success of the friendly raccoon in the United States, and limit its legacy. Until 1977. Almost fifteen years after its publication, Nippon Animationa Japanese animation studio, had an idea: how about moving the story of Rascal to the small screen, in a production of 52 episodes intended for family consumption? Overnight, Rascal, its irresistible manga version, conquers hyperbolic Japanese pop culture. It is difficult to define the impact of the series. Rascal would end up appearing in television advertisements and video games intended a la GameBoyand would cause thousands of Japanese children to want a raccoon in their homes. What harm could the proverbial Rascal do, after all? It was 1977 and Japanese parents had no choice but to shrug their shoulders. In the blink of an eye Japan started to matter raccoons like there was no tomorrow. The fever reached its peak in the late seventies, when Japanese families acquired the mammalian sibylline at a rate of 1,500 copies for weeks. Suddenly, Japan had placed a Trojan horse perfect in its natural ecosystems. And he had done it driven by an animated series. And the raccoons took over Japan The consequences were quickly felt. How do they explain in Atlas Obscuraone of Rascal’s moral readings was the liberation of the animal. Raccoons, after all, are wild animals, and at the end of the day they only want one thing: to flee. The idea fit well into the Japanese cultural world, soon to any symbiosis spiritual between fauna and flora. Many Japanese parents learned the lesson the hard way: the raccoons had begun to behave like, err, raccoons. Aggressive, destructive and difficult to domesticate, many of them were found where the fable of Rascal entrusted them: in nature. Turned into a nightmare, the series offered a comfortable moral safeguard. The subsequent history is similar to that of Madrid. Within a handful of years raccoons had spread throughout Japan. At the end of the last decade, its presence was known in no less from 42 prefectures (out of a total of 47). They looted templesthey finished with species natives with similar characteristics (the tanuki) and disrupted numerous ecosystems and crops, generating annual damages worth €300,000. The Japanese government would not take long to prohibit the importation of raccoons, imposing severe fines on anyone who dared to go to the black market, but the damage would already be irreparable. The raccoon continues to roam freely in the archipelago, and Rascalvery oblivious to the consequences caused by his media enthronement, remains very popular. The beginning of the end. Even though the raccoon has sneaked in in many nations of the planet (Germany catches about 25,000 every year), only in Japan does its history rotate around pop mythomanias and animated series. Its presence is probably irreversible. As this report As Slate illustrates, the raccoon is not only an animal suitable for the countryside: it is also a nearly perfect urban pest. His grasping hands allow him to avoid countless traps, and his particular intelligence causes the policies to stop him to become obsolete in a matter of days. Cities, in essence, function as a field of military training. Each obstacle posed by public authorities offers valuable learning that always ends up being overcome, and that underpins the adaptability urban of the species. In Toronto, for example, the introduction of famous anti-raccoon garbage containers, supposedly impassable, was revealed useless after two years. Nothing that the Japanese governments don’t know about. Thank you, Rascal. Image | Richard Burlton In Xataka | We have found an ancient bone in Córdoba. Some believe it is part of Hannibal’s war elephants. In Xataka | 13% of Spaniards have tried cocaine once in their lives. If we ask the dogs of Madrid the percentage will be higher

Companies are replacing junior workers with AI. Now it’s time to pay the consequences

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When artificial intelligence appeared on the horizon, the first thing we thought was that it was going to retire us. Later, he was going to retire the most senior profiles and now we know that it is just the opposite: is stopping job access to junior profiles. In the past, companies competed fiercely to attract young talent, but now Gen Z has found its great rival in AI. Beginners? No, thanks. This Revelio Labs job report reveals that entry-level hiring has fallen by 35% in the United States since 2023. And it is one of many studies: this other of job offers estimates the drop in junior offers between 11 and 20% in the last year. The phenomenon is not exclusive to the United States: in Spain these data from El Confidencial They report that the Big Four are going to reduce the hiring of people under 30 years of age by between 10 and 20%. In the UK, more of the same. AI boosts productivity… if you’re the boss. The business premise is that artificial intelligence can carry out these tasks of those people with a junior profile such as documentation, testing or writing basic code. It is not that these tasks have disappeared within the workflow, it is that they have been absorbed by higher levels in a twist of efficiency and productivity: senior profiles supervise what the AI ​​does. And if, AI screws up. To the question of how many hours of work per week does AI save you? from the consulting company Section collection in The Wall Street Journal There is a clear divergence between managers and staff: 40% of workers think that they are not saving anything because even if there is a quick response, there are errors and hallucinations. When you take into account the time spent going through everything, checking and redoing, the beads are not so round anymore: this Asana studio shows that employees spend 4.5 hours per week correcting AI work. The boomerang effect. That youth encounter yet another obstacle to having a full adult life is a real drama in terms of unemployment, but this paradigm shift in hiring is also a total threat to the stability of the technological infrastructure as we know it: The illusion of efficiency. AI chops code faster than anyone else, but that raw data is misleading because it doesn’t consider side effects like validation. Operational risk. If the AI ​​does not have human supervision at each step, it can make critical errors, serve as an example when half the internet went down for the total automation of Amazon servers. Of costs and responsibilities. If the AI ​​makes a mistake and it reaches the final chain of the process, that is, delivery to the customer, it is paid. Let them tell Deloitte, they had to reimburse the cost of a report prepared for the Australian Department of Employment and Industrial Relations because it contained hallucinations. A demographic bomb. All of the above is a toll that many companies seem willing to pay for the sake of that efficiency, but there is a devastating effect on a large scale in the medium and long term: the knowledge gap. When these senior profiles retire, there will be no one who can replace them simply because you have eliminated the training ground that is experience. The figures have spoken: between 2024 and 2032, 18.4 million professionals in the United States will retire according to this study from Georgetown University. However, only 13.8 million new workers will gain access. About to explode. Part of the work of senior profiles includes mentoring and all its intrinsic benefits: there are studies that confirm that increases motivation, promotes psychological well-being and even reduces exhaustion. In short: saturation of tasks, inability to delegate and the loss of that added bonus of teaching: there are many ingredients for the recipe for burnout. In Xataka | If AI is going to leave us without jobs, in the United Kingdom they are already seriously discussing the solution: a universal basic income In Xataka | We believed that the AI ​​talent war is about engineers and developers. Actually, it’s about plumbers and electricians.

Drinking coffee in the morning has very positive consequences for someone unexpected in your body: the microbiota

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For millions of people, the day doesn’t begin until the first cup of coffee hits their table. Something that makes a lot of sense because of how coffee affects our brain. so we can wake up and improve concentrationbut the reality is that it has many more effects further down the brain. We talk about the intestinewhere it passes and has a great involvement in the microbiota. The microbiota. There is more and more research that is focused on the microbiotathe bacteria we have in our digestive system and that have an increasingly relevant role in our daily lives. In this case, taking care of these bacteria inside us is a priority to be able to have good health, even to avoid major diseases. Now science is beginning to glimpse that Coffee is much more than a vehicle for caffeineand that has an important implication in the modulation of the intestinal microbiota. Beyond caffeine. We tend to think that coffee is nothing more than “caffeinated water”, unless you add a little sugar to remove its bitterness. But the reality is that we have a large ‘soup’ of bioactive compounds. Science is seeing how coffee is key due to its intestinal impact thanks to two of its components: polyphenols and dietary fiber. This is something that is currently being analyzed through studies. in the laboratory and in animal models where they have seen that a large part of these compounds reach the colon intact without digesting. There they act as ‘food’ for the bacteria that are there, such as dihydroferulic acid, which has local anti-inflammatory effects. That is, it acts like something similar to a prebiotic. The ‘planter’ effect. If we treat the intestine like a garden, coffee seems to work as a selective fertilizer. Although the evidence in humans is still heterogeneous, several patterns are repeated in the scientific literature, such as an intervention study in humans that showed that three cups of coffee daily for three weeks increased abundance of Bifidobacteriuma genre classically associated with intestinal health. But it does not stop there, since another large population metagenomic study associated the consumption of beverages rich in polyphenols such as coffee, tea or red wine with greater alpha diversity. This is something that within this world is associated with greater resilience and health in the microbiota. The recent discovery. Published in Nature in 2024science found a very specific association: those who regularly consume coffee have a much greater presence of the bacteria Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticu. A bacteria that is not just any bacteria, but helps digestion and also offers the colon the necessary elements for it to have much more energy and even prevents inflammation. That is why having this bacteria in large numbers in our intestine is actually very beneficial. Have metabolic health. Keeping the bacteria in our intestine ‘happy’ is essential as we have seen. The main hypothesis that supports all of this focuses on the ability of bacteria to ferment fiber and polyphenols of coffee producing short chain fatty acids such as butyrate. These compounds are the favorite fuel of colon cells and have systemic anti-inflammatory properties. This could explain, at least partially, why epidemiological studies often associate moderate coffee consumption with better metabolic and cardiovascular health. The small print. Before you rush for your fifth cup, you need to put on the brakes and look at the limitations of current studies, since not everything is rosy. And science, despite offering these benefits, indicates that robust clinical evidence is lacking. It must be taken into account here that not all coffees are the same, since soluble coffee, an espresso or using a filter in a coffee maker are not the same. And furthermore, not all people respond the same because each microbiota is literally a different world in each organism. Big tests are missing. Although in the laboratory and on paper everything may sound great, we must keep in mind that there are still many studies that demonstrate that coffee causes a direct improvement in diseases through the microbiota. And although coffee feeds your Bifidobacteria It does not eliminate the fact that excess caffeine causes insomnia, anxiety or tachycardia in sensitive people. Furthermore, the benefits observed in the microbiota are associated with black coffee or coffee with little milk. If your “coffee” is a smoothie loaded with sugar, cream and syrups, the negative impact of ultra-processed foods on your intestine will probably cancel out any benefits of polyphenols. Images | Nathan Dumlao CDC In Xataka | Having a cup of coffee as soon as you wake up seems like a great idea. Science has something to say about it

Someone believed that ‘GTA Vice City’ could be played for free in the browser without consequences. Take-Two has reacted firmly

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Whoever played ‘Grand Theft Auto: Vice City‘ You probably remember well that it was not exactly a light game for its time. It was published in 2002 on PlayStation 2 and later came to Xbox and PC in 2003. In those years, installing it and making it work was part of the ritual with requirements that not everyone could meet. That is why it is striking that, more than two decades later, that same title appears running directly in a browser, without installations or disks. The question is inevitable: why now and with what implications. The response has come in the form of a cease and desist request directed at DOS Zone. The notice, that the platform itself has made publicmaintains that the website is “hosting and promoting a browser-based project.” The document demands that the game and any associated functionality be removed, and warns that if this is not done, the company reserves the right to take additional legal action. Where preservation ends and the legal problem begins A cease and desist request is not yet a demand, but rather a notice with clear consequences. Its objective is to force the removal of content that the rights holder considers infringing, leaving a formal record of the claim. From that moment on, the designated platform usually faces a clear decision: comply or assume the risk of the conflict escalating. The letter itself anticipates possible subsequent steps, such as communications to the accommodation provider or legal action if the request is not met. In this case, the notice has not been managed through direct communication between editor and platform, but through EBRANDspecialized in digital surveillance and content removals. This model is common in large catalogs, where the detection and management of potential violations is outsourced to dedicated teams. EBRAND acts as a technical and legal intermediary, in charge of documenting the case and conveying the demands of the rights holder, without publicly assessing the context of the affected project. DOS Zone, for its part, is presented as a project driven by video game enthusiasts with a stated objective of preservation and accessibility. In its own texts, the team emphasizes that it does not obtain financial benefits, does not display advertising and does not monetize access to the games it hosts. It also claims to reject any form of illegal distribution and ensures to operate within the legal frameworks it considers applicable. As part of this positioning, the platform maintains that it is willing to remove content immediately upon official request and to cooperate with rights holders. Screenshot of DOS Zone The version of Vice City accessible from the browser allowed you to start games with local saves and offered, optionally, saves in the cloud through the js-dos platform to continue the session on different devices. Access was limited in demo form, with progress blocked after the first story point at the Ocean View Hotel. To go further, the system required the user to upload an original game file, which was verified to match the commercial assets. The claim comes from Take-Two and is part of a broader debate about access and preservation, where the concept of “abandonware” is often invoked. However, that term has no legal validity: The fact that a work stops being sold or changes format does not extinguish its copyright. In the case of ‘Vice City’, the validity of the copyright in USA extends until 2097regardless of the channel through which you try to access the game. In this specific case, furthermore, the abandonment argument does not even hold up in practical terms. Take-Two continues to sell Vice City and also versions such as ‘Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – The Definitive Edition’ on multiple platforms. Its owners continue to exploit it commercially more than twenty years after its original release. This context reinforces the publisher’s position against any unauthorized execution and helps to understand why the case does not go unnoticed, even in an ecosystem where other similar projects manage to survive without friction. Images | Rockstar Games/Take-Two | DOS Zone Screenshot In Xataka | I can turn on, control and play my PC from anywhere in the world: three ingredients that make it possible

Europe has filled with Stellantis cars that are not sold. And Madrid and Zaragoza will pay the consequences

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Zaragoza and Madrid will suffer a temporary stop in vehicle production. This has been confirmed to us from Stellantis, who we have asked about the rumored machine stop in six European floors. With a stock that is not giving out, the company does not want to return to past times. Temporary. That is the makeup: a temporary stop. Although we have asked in Stellantis about stops distributed throughout Europethe company has only confirmed in our case those related to Madrid and Zaragoza. Nor have we been offered data on when and how long these stops will take place. If it is confirmed that the company for the Poissy factory, which produces the DS 3 and Opel Mokka, from October 13 to 31, 2025, according to the French media Echos. In Bloomberg They expand the stop to the Italian Pomigliano factory where the Alpha Romeo Tonale and the Fiat Panda are manufactured. There are already four confirmed plants but in the French media it was ensured that the strikes could affect up to six European factories. Spain. What is manufactured in our country? In Madrid, Stellantis produces the Citroën C4y C4 X, as well as its completely electric variants. For its part, in Zaragoza produces the small electric electric. That is, Los Lancia Ypsilon, Opel Corsa Ey Peugeot E-208. In addition, it had recently confirmed that the B10 Leapmotor would arrive in Spain and, everything indicates, should land in Zaragoza. The one that will not stop is the Vigo plant. There Stellantis produces the commercial vehicles of Peugeot and Citroën, as well as the 2008 Peugeot and its completely electric version that takes advantage of the lines of the electric vans. The stock. Stellantis’s intention is to reduce the stock of his stores. The company has long dealt with its stores at a healthy level. In fact, during The last call with shareholders Following the middle of the year results, the message was sent that the company had maintained a “strong discipline in inventories after the corrective actions of 2024” and that it is “maintaining that discipline throughout 2025”. These messages are not causal. The company has been dealing with an enormous overstock, especially in the United States. So much so that in that market some of their concessionaires came to accumulate so many fiat 500 electric that ended give them away to take them off. The company does not want to be in a similar situation but some of its products are becoming outdated and are increasingly complicated to sell. That is why the production of cars such as the Alfa Romeo Tonale or the DS3, which do not reap good results. A serious problem. In your latest results reportStellantis confirmed that the network has more than 1.2 million cars without selling. Of these, 300,000 are possession of the group but there are more than 900,000 cars distributed by independent dealers to those who have not given exit. In Europe, in addition, this inventory has grown by 7% compared to 2024 because products to the available cars portfolio have been added. Among the data maremagnum, he emphasizes that Stellantis has produced fewer cars but his margin has also collapsed. If we talk about Europe, the company had already reduced its production in about 100,000 units but its benefit for the sale of these cars has collapsed at 2,000 million euros, because of discounts to sell vehicles in stock, low sales and the obligation to repurry units set on the market. Sales. In that last fact, sales were made. At the end of August, According to AceaStellantis has reduced its sales by 8.9%. And what is worse, the rivals eat ground because their market share has gone from 17,%to 15.9%. The reorganization in the portfolio of its range leaves us dramatic falls in what we have been. For example, Opel, its third best selling brand, falls 11.8%. Fiat, its fourth best brand, falls 19%. Lancia, which only has the electric ypsilon, falls by 72.8%. And the electric? When it was confirmed that Zaragoza was going to continue receiving electric cars, Like the Leapmotorwe already explain that the news can be seen from two perspectives that seem contradictory. The optimistic is that Zaragoza will manufacture the electric cars of Stellantis, which should guarantee the future of the long -term factory, especially if we take into account that, together with CATL, the company will raise a battery production plant To nurture your lines. This should be the confirmation that the bet is very serious. The pessimistic is that although the small electric car Sales should increase (especially if manufacturers want to meet the maximum limits set and flee) They will have to put these cars on the market. But, for now, they continue to demand certain complications from their owners and, therefore, they are being more complicated to sell even if they lower their prices. And a financial situation … difficult. To all of the above we must add what we have already counted a few weeks ago. Stellantis is going through a complicated moment in some decisions made by Carlos Tavares in the past. His commitment to the multienergy platform has forced the company to make great efforts to develop the Stla Medium and Small. Those economic results are still green. But, in addition, they have gotten into investments such as hydrogen and two electricity cars that They have been canceled. In total, 3.3 billion euros in the trash. Photo | Stellantis In Xataka | Before developing a pile of hydrogen or competing with Chinese electric, Stellantis has chosen a third way: surrender

How can we avoid its consequences

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Surely we have heard dozens of times of acid rain without knowing exactly what it is. It is also possible that we have a cartoon image of this very real phenomenon, a rain that corrodes and destroys everything it touches. There is something true in this but, of course, reality is a bit more complex. First of all we must answer an obvious question: What is acid rain. We refer to acid rain to a rain that drags acid components. These components can of different types, for example nitric acid or sulfuric acid, so there is no “standard” composition of acid rain. Acid rain does not have to be strictly, rain. Other similar events, such as fog or hail, can also make the acidic compounds of the atmosphere intermingle with water and give rise to “acid rainfall.” In a way we can see acid rain as a variety of phenomena with a common denominator in these Acid components. The result is more acidic than normal rainfall: if the rain usually has a pH of 5.6, acid rain tends to have values pH between 4.2 and 4.4. How acid rain occurs Acid rain usually begins with atmospheric emissions of compounds such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) or some nitrogen oxide (NOX). These compounds can be issued by the industry or means of transport (although they can also arise naturally) and dragged from industrial and urban areas to distant areas. In the atmosphere, these compounds can end up mixing with oxygen, water, and other components, unleashing chemical reactions that give rise to the formation of sulfuric acid and nitric acid. These acids are later captured by water itself, forming acid rain. They can also end up precipitating themselves on land, vegetation or terrestrial waters, in what we call the phenomenon of dry deposition. How it affects the environment According to Explains the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the effects of acid rain can be seen more clearly in aquatic environments. Although the increase in water acidity can be harmful to many species (especially young), the main risk is indirect. When acid rain falls on the ground, it can interact with clay particles in these and Extract aluminum They could contain. Due to runoff, part of this aluminum ends in rivers and lakes, affecting aquatic life. This aluminum can also be absorbed by plants, which implies that acid rain can also affect plants, not corroding them as we can imagine but intoxicating them from the ground. It can also make the ground lose nutrients that plants need. Different species may have different levels of tolerance regarding these impacts, however we must take into account that ecosystems are complex systems where the loss of a piece can affect many others. EPA puts a Example with frogs: While these can endure a pH of up to 4, some of the insects they feed cannot survive in waters with a pH below 5.5. How it affects people Acid rain also generates impacts on people. Again, we can rule out the idea of direct damage as skin damage derived from contact with this rain. “Walking in acid rain, or even swimming in a lake affected by acid rain, is not more dangerous for humans than walking in normal rain or swimming in non-acid lakes,” Explain EPA itself. That does not mean that acid rain does not affect us, only that it does so indirectly. Acid rain can also expose us to heavy metals. Studies on the impact of aluminum are not conclusive But we know that acidification can increase bioconversion of mercury to methylmercury and its accumulation in fish. In addition, since this rain can affect plants, it can also influence agriculture, for example altering the pH of agrarian soils, making them more acidic. This rain can also affect the constructions and public furniture. Here corrosion does play an important role since acidic particles interact with metal, stone and paint causing damage to the coating of buildings, statues and other elements. The presence of acid rain is also an indicator of the existence of torqueSO2 and NOX ticleswhich in themselves can be harmful to humans when they are inhaled. That is, the same particles that cause acid rain put our health at risk to a greater extent than acid rain itself. Consequences for the planet of acid rain We indicated before the compounds that cause acid rain can travel displaced by atmospheric winds and currents. This implies that sometimes the emissions of certain industrial areas end up causing problems in vegetated areas to hundreds or thousands of kilometers away. That is, acid rain can have global impacts in addition to premises. Can acid rain be avoided? The big question then is what we can do to avoid this. The answer is In emission control of the particles that cause this problem, that is, of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. The main sources of these pollutants are the burning of fossil fuels in different sectors (transport, electricity generation or industry) is largely responsible for This type of emissions. Various limitations introduced Throughout the last decades (The last the imposed in the maritime sector to sulfur emissions) have kept at bay the potential environmental disaster derived from acid rain. In Xataka | Acid rain, oxide in the neighborhoods and mercury in the fountains: this is the panorama of contamination in Gijón Image | Patrick Hendry / Wal_172619

Something weird is happening with the clouds of the planet. Something that will bring not very pleasant consequences

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Where are the clouds born? The answer to that question can become much more complex than it seems. Because yes, the clouds are formed in the sky, or in the atmosphere, but the layer of gases that surrounds our planet is vast and in it intermingle predictable factors with chaos. Complex and changing. Trying to answer this question, some scientists have encountered an additional problem: the place where the clouds are born It is changing. The area of ​​the earth’s surface in which these clusters arise has moved and has shrunk what has important implications in the climate and weather of the planet. They are the results of two studies published in recent years, The first In August 2024 in the magazine Climate Dynamicsand The second In May of this year in Geophysical Research Letters. Three cloud stripes. The first of the studies observed how the cloud areas located on the oceans of both hemispheres have moved and contracted throughout the last 35 years. The study focused on three zones: one, called Interopical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) located near Ecuador Earth; and the other two located in average latitudes, approximately between parallel and 60 north and south. Through observations of instruments such as the modis (Moderate Resolution Imptotroadiometer) On board the Aqua satellite, the team was able to map the areas of greatest cloudiness as well as their evolution over time. Interpreting the data. According to The US Space Agency explainsNASA, the tormentous clouds that run through our planet are usually forming in the vertices of large -scale atmospheric circulation areas, such as hagley cells, polar and hard -latter cells or average latitude cells. More specifically in the areas where the currents associated with these cells converge and make warm and humid air ascend. In contrast, the convergence areas where currents carry cold and dry air from upper layers of the atmosphere to lower altitudes correspond to the areas where the heavens tend to be more clear. Change in the trend. The study of the clouds gives us clues about the dynamics of these torments of the planet. The responsible team calculated for example that the area contracted between 1.5% and 3% per decade In recent years. As NASA details, the ITCZ ​​narrowed and the tormented areas in average latitudes moved to their respective poles at the same time that they also contracted. In contrast, the subtopics clear areas expanded. More than a matter of color. The most recent of the studies addresses the climatic implications of change in the cloud patterns of the planet. And it is that the climate our “blue marble” depends a lot on the clouds that overshadow the atmosphere and dye it occasionally in white since this layer of clouds depends on the amount of solar energy that reaches us due to the albedo. The clouds reflect the light and therefore the solar energy that reaches the surface of the Earth, so less clouds implies more energy and more heat. According to study estimates, change implies that oceans absorb 0.37 watts per square meter more per decade due to these changes. And climate change? We could fall into the error of assuming that this change explains the tendency towards global warming that we associate with anthropogenic climate change but the truth is that climatic models already incorporate these changes into them. In fact, a previous estimate made by the instruments of Ceres (Clouds and The Earth’s Radiant Energy System) estimated at 0.47 watts per square meter and for decade the increase in solar radiation that the planet receives as a whole. These changes contribute to the “energy imbalance” that implies heating, but they do not explain it for themselves. “These new findings suggest that the loss of oceanic tormented clouds is a key factor in the imbalance,” He explained George Tseliudis to NASAmember of the team responsible for the studies. According to the expert, these changes could also Help explain The anomalo oceanic warming seen a couple of years ago and that caused the North Atlantic to beat numerous temperature records. In Xataka | The clouds are each time a more scarce resource. And some countries are already “to war” for them Image | Michala Garrison, Modis Atmosphere Science Team / Tseliudis et al (2024), Dscovr Epic

Mediterranean waters are so hot that Spain will suffer the consequences again: more hail

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Heat is one of the great protagonists of this advanced start of summer, but a tough competition has come out thanks to the periodic storms that continue to condition the peninsular meteorology: hail. A week ago The storms surprised with huge balls, and it seems aimed at repeating the story. A complex panorama. Summer began with an alternation between warm episodes and atmospheric instability that has given way to An even more complex situation. A “all at once” that may seem disconcerting, but that could actually make quite sense because of some atmospheric dynamics. Looking at the Mediterranean. A few days ago We pointed out that the Mediterraneanand more specifically the Western Mediterranean, was at a remarkably higher temperature than what would be normal on these dates. Something that can condition the meteorology on the mainland. Today The predictions They continue to warn of an important risk storms in areas of the west peninsular, especially inside the Valencian Community. As some experts point out, both facts may be more related to what it seems. From heat to hail. The precedent can be found in the tanizades of the summer of 2022 (some hailstorms who came to leave a deadly victim), Explain in Twitter The physicist and disseminator German JJ. The German himself was a member of the team that last year published An article In the magazine Geophysical Research Letters in which he analyzed the 2022 event and the link between the surface temperature of the Mediterranean and the hailstorms. The study showed that the appearance of Supercells It was the result of the influence of an “unprecedented” amount of available connective energy. “The intensity of the storm was influenced by the abundant atmospheric energy and the humidity of the warm sea (…). When we exclude the warm sea factor of the simulations, the hail was made smaller,” explained the team in its study. Probable, not sure. The study was the result of many months of analysis focused on the particular case of 2022. A similar effort would be necessary to confirm the relationship between the present situation of the Mediterranean and the storms we are seeing these days. “An extremely warm sea does not directly explain very virulent storms. What it does is to enhance that, under favorable atmospheric conditions, they acquire a more aggressive behavior, giving extra and quality energy,” He clarified German. Where, how and when? Faced with such a convulsa situation, the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet) Maintain various notices For adverse phenomena: while in the west peninsular the predominate notices will be due to high temperatures, in the east it is the notices for rain and storms that colors the map. Today’s list of notices includes several areas in orange notice by high temperatures, which will be concentrated in the Guadalquivir Valley and surrounding areas: from the Sevillian countryside to the Cazorla region and the safe one the maximums could reach 40º. In Xataka | We do not know anything about El Niño at this point of the year. That is a meteorological mystery … and good news Image | ECMWF / David Trinks

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