Hot

The hot Jupiters are evaporating, their winds reach 7 km/s and yet something is slowing them down

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The hot Jupiters They are fascinating planets. They orbit so close to their star that they sometimes have orbits of less than a day. Solar radiation is very high, so much so that sometimes these planets are practically evaporating. And they are usually tidally locked. That is, they have one face always facing the Sun and the other always facing the opposite side. As a result, one side is much hotter than the other and receives more radiation, so the gases in its atmosphere ionize, transforming into plasma and moving at high speeds. Put very briefly, they have the strongest winds of all the known planets. However, recently a team of scientists led from the Côte d’Azur Observatory in France, has discovered something very strange. Seven hot Jupiters in which the winds flow much slower than expected. The only explanation that seems logical for this phenomenon is that they are surrounded by a magnetic field. And it is great news, since, if confirmed, it would be the first detection of magnetic activity beyond our solar system. Totally counterintuitive. The speed of a planet’s winds can be measured by tracking the vaporized iron present in the gases in its atmosphere. The authors of the study that has just been published did so with 7 hot Jupiters thanks to two instruments: MAROON-X, from the Gemini North telescope, and ESPRESSO, from the Very Large Telescope (VLT). When analyzing the results they saw that these planets had very high speeds, between 2 and 7 kilometers per second. The winds of our own Jupiter, the fastest in the solar system, are 0.4 km/s, to give us an idea. What happens is that these winds went slower the hotter the planet was. One of the authors of the study, Vivien Parmentier, has rated it as something “totally counterintuitive”, since the logical thing is that the higher the temperature, the faster the wind flows. The key must be in the presence of a magnetic field. In fact, with all this temperature and speed data, they have even been able to calculate its intensity. The thing is about temperatures. Generally, the higher the temperature, the greater the difference between the dark and light sides of the planet and the more excited the ions in the plasma are, so the wind generally moves faster. The logical and expected thing would be that the higher the temperature of a hot Jupiter, the faster its wind. The speeds are very high, but much slower than expected. Furthermore, they are slower the hotter the planet is. The best explanation for this event is the presence of a magnetic field. Magnetic activity and wind. When a magnetic field acts on a moving charged particle, it is affected by something known as the Lorentz force. Very briefly, what happens is that the speed changes direction. The particle does not stop, but goes from flowing freely to being confined within the magnetic field. Every time he encounters his lines, they make him change direction. If we see this as a whole for the entire plasma, since it cannot move freely, its speed decreases. This would explain why a magnetic field was slowing down the wind. But why does it brake more the higher the temperature? Auroras on Earth The secret is inside. The magnetic field of a planet is directly related to the movement of the liquid metals inside it. For example, in the case of Earththe movement of molten iron and nickel on the outside of its core generates electrical currents, which give rise to a geomagnetic field that extends into space. They are responsible for us having that magnetic field that protects us from the sun’s inclemencies. The higher the temperature of a planet, the more violently the molten metals inside it move and, therefore, within limits, the more intense the magnetic field will be. In turn, the more intense it is, the more it will slow down the winds. Possible auroras. The location of auroras on Earth is related to the magnetic field. Another of the authors of the study, Bibiana Prinoth, points out that she likes to imagine that one of these Jupiters has a sky “covered by curtains of colorful light that dance over a planet that is half in perpetual day and half in endless night.” What is it for?. Now that we know that some exoplanets have a magnetic field, we could also take it into account when selecting habitable planets. Logically, hot Jupiters are not candidates at all. However, other less inhospitable planets may also have this protective shield. We already know that it is not enough to just be in the habitable zone. Other qualities, such as housing a sufficient amount of water either be far from supermassive black holes These are conditions that can help us refine the search much better. Each new discovery brings us a little closer to that great discovery. Image | Gemini International Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M. Garlick | Magnificent In Xataka | The Zoo Hypothesis: Why Aliens Likely Know About Us and Don’t Want to Contact Us

In Zambia, gas bubbles in hot springs point to an unusual birth: a new tectonic plate

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In 2005, the floor of the Afar Desert in Ethiopia suddenly opens up along more than 50 kilometers in just a few days after an intense seismic and volcanic sequence. For many geologists, that image was like observing in real time the type of fracture that, in millions of years, could end. creating a new ocean. Zambia has just given the most serious warning. Bubbles as an almost unequivocal sign. In Zambia, simple bubbles emerging from hot springs have begun to reveal something much bigger than a local geothermal phenomenon. Scientists at the University of Oxford believe have found signs that the southern African subsoil could be entering an early phase continental fracturea geological process so slow that it is imperceptible for human life, but so gigantic that it can end up rdrawing entire maps. The key is in the helium detected in the thermal springs of the Kafue Rift: Its isotopic composition contains too much helium-3, a chemical marker directly associated with the Earth’s mantle. Translated into less technical language, it means that fluids from dozens of kilometers beneath the crust are finding ways to ascend to the surface. And that, for geologists, is an extremely serious sign that the African crust could be starting to break down from within. A silent crack beneath the continent. Rifts are not simple faults or isolated earthquakes. They are areas where the lithosphere begins to stretch and weaken until, in some cases, it ends separating into tectonic plates different. Most never make it that far and remain an unfinished geological scar, but the Kafue Rift presents something that changes the scene: a active connection between the mantle and the surface. The researchers analyzed gases from eight wells and hot springs, six within the suspected area and two outside it to compare results. Only within the rift did they appear associated chemical signatures to the deep interior of the Earth. In addition to helium, they also detected carbon dioxide with characteristics typical of mantle fluids. For scientists, this suggests that the fracture is no longer solely superficial and that the system could be entering into a tectonic phase more advanced than previously thought. Location map of the extensional zone within the Central African Plateau of Zambia. The Kafue Rift is connected to the Luano and Luangwa rifts to the northeast, and to the western branch of the EARS in the Rukwa rift (RRB) and the Rungwe Volcanic Province (RVP) The possible birth of a new plate. The hypothesis is especially relevant because the Kafue Rift is part of a huge strip of geological weakness about 2,500 kilometersone that crosses Africa from Tanzania to Namibia. For years, many researchers had considered that the great candidate to divide the continent was the East African Rift, in Kenya and Ethiopia, where volcanic and tectonic activity is much more visible. However, the new study of Oxford researchers suggests that the southwest African system could have important structural advantages. According to Mike Dalythe natural crustal weaknesses in that region are better aligned with the tectonic forces acting around Africa, which would reduce the resistance needed for future continental breakup. In other words, the Zambian bubbles could be signaling the extremely slow birth of a new African tectonic plate. The continent moves, even if you don’t notice it. The investigation It also serves as a reminder that Earth is still a planet geologically alive. Hundreds of millions of years ago, all continents were part of Pangea before slowly breaking up into their current shape. That process never stopped. Beneath our feet, tectonic plates continue to shift, recycling minerals, raising mountain ranges and opening new oceans. Africa is today one of the places where this dynamic can best be observed. From the Afar Depression to the East African Rift, the continent already presents huge tectonic scars visible from space. What is happening in Zambia could be an additional piece of that continental puzzle, although scientists insist that we are talking about time scales of millions of years and not immediate changes. A geological fracture… and economic opportunity. Beyond scientific fascination, the discovery It has very real economic implications. Early rift systems typically offer relatively clean access to geothermal energy and gases valuable substances such as helium and hydrogen, increasingly important for the technology and energy industry. Unlike mature volcanic zones, where fluids appear mixed with more aggressive and difficult to handle gases, in Kafue the material from the mantle still arrives relatively “pure”. In fact, that is precisely the reason why several energy companies already They are funding research in the region. The problem is that the authors of the study themselves they ask for caution: The samples come from only a specific part of the system and it remains to be seen whether these signals are repeated throughout the entire fracture. But even with caution, the idea is so powerful that it is already on the table: in Zambia, the bubbles that silently emerge from a hot spring could be announcing the beginning of a continental separation that will one day change Africa forever. Image | PexelsDaly et al., 2020 7 Legg, 1974; Tamburello et al., 2022 / R. Karolytė et al. 2026 In Xataka | We thought we were clear about how the continents were formed, until researchers found a stone in Australia In Xataka | More than 5 million earthquakes spread throughout the Earth, gathered in a very complete map

Data centers are real “heaters”. And they are settling in regions as hot as Aragón

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The data centers They are a black hole in several senses. They are drinking the global NAND chip manufacturing capacity (what affects SSDs, to RAM oa SD cards), the companies that they make batteries they can’t cope and consume wateryes, but much more alarming is energy consumption. In this sense, they are insatiable and, in the end, thousands of pieces of equipment that generate heat are causing another unexpected effect: they are turning the facilities into heat islands. And it is something that has the potential to affect 340 million people. What’s happening. Andrea Marinoni is an associate professor in the Earth Observation group at the University of Cambridge. Also the coordinator of a group of researchers from both the center and the Nanyang Technological University who have published a study called “Heat Island Data: Measuring the Impact of Data Centers on Climate Change.” In it, they present the results of measuring more than 6,000 data centers located far from dense urban areas with the aim of identifying whether these facilities, by themselves, are a notable heat source. The result? “An impact elderly than expected,” according to the researchers. They compared historical temperature measurements from the locations of those data centers over the last 20 years to compare how things have changed recently and identify whether those data centers have had any influence. And, as we said, the impact seems to have been strong: an average of 2°C, with maximums of up to 9°C in some cases. Doesn’t matter the place. This generates a heat island effect, which is when a large amount of heat is concentrated in one area that should not be there. In big cities It’s something that usually happens and that’s why the most efficient urban architecture seeks to combat the phenomenon. And it doesn’t matter where the data center is. In the study they present several examples: Bajío region in Mexico: high data center density, stable climate, but a land surface temperature increase trend of 2 degrees Celsius in the last two decades. It is something that was not identified in nearby areas without data centers. States of Ceará and Piauí in Brazil: increasing trend of 2.8°C with a projection of reaching 3.5°C in the next five years when this is not observed in the rest of the areas. Aragon in Spain: an anomalous increase of 2°C in surface temperature that stands out compared to neighboring provinces. Potential damage. Aragón is a worrying example because heThe region is consolidating as one of the ‘lungs’ of hyperclimbers in Europeas well as one of the regions of Spain key to the expansion of data centers and European technological sovereignty. And the problem is that, according to the study, the impact of this increase in surface temperature reaches up to 10 kilometers away from the hyperscalers. They detail that in the surrounding areas that are about 4.5 kilometers from the data centers, an increase of 1°C can be measured, which seems little, but when we talk about these climatic effects, it is a lot. And, furthermore, they estimate that the impact of increased temperatures due to this broad heat island effect is something with the potential to affect 340 million people. Yes, but. This research has not been the only recent one on the effect of data centers on the land on which they are installed. Researchers at Arizona State University they installed sensors on cars driving near these centers to capture measurements and noticed the same thing as the Cambridge researchers. But one thing to keep in mind: both studies show measurements, but they have not been peer-reviewed. And there are experts, such as Ralph Hintemann, principal investigator at the Borderstep Institute for Innovation and Sustainability, who point out that, although the results are there and are interesting, some figures “seem very high.” In fact, it focuses not so much on the heat that is concentrated around data centers but on the big problem: the amount of energy they need and the return to fossil fuels to meet peak demand. Image | Tedder In Xataka | Data centers in space promise to save the planet. And also ruin the earth’s orbit

The internet has become obsessed with drinking hot water in the morning. Science is clear about what it does (and what it doesn’t)

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We live in an age obsessed with ice. From the omnipresent iced coffee winter to complex viral drinks like sleepy girl mocktail that flood our social networks. However, in the midst of this liquid sophistication, the most revolutionary gesture for our gastrointestinal and mental health upon waking might be the simplest, most boring and cheapest of all: a glass of hot water. Faced with the inertia of an accelerated modern life full of stimuli, serving ourselves a glass of water at a pleasant temperature is presented as the first self-care gift that we can give to our body after emerging from the inertia of sleep. But what is the truth behind this practice? Is it an internet myth or a truth backed by science? The viralities of social networks. Just enter platforms like TikTok or Instagram to see thousands of influencers documenting how this morning habit deflates them, gives them energy and improves their digestion. As documented New York Timeshot water has become the new wellness superstar on-line. However, what the internet has dubbed a novel “longevity hack” is actually a fundamental pillar thousands of years old. This practice is deeply rooted in Indian Ayurveda (where the morning ritual is known as usha paana) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In these cultures, it is believed that the cold turns off the agni (the digestive fire) and weakens the vital energy or Qiforcing the body to expend extra energy to warm the stomach. Hot water, on the other hand, balances the Yin and the Yangkeeping the body calm. Plain water, tea or infusions? When experts talk about this habit, they literally mean just that: water. Pasu Harisadee, traditional Chinese medicine educator, points out that “simple water is the most neutral base and the most recommended for most.” Of course, additions are allowed. Squeeze a little lemon provides vitamin C; add fresh ginger strengthens defenses and combats nausea; and a touch of honey can soothe the throat. However, the medical portal Verywell Health makes an important distinction versus tea or coffee: although infusions provide fluids, the caffeine present in coffee or certain teas has a slightly diuretic effect. Pure hot water is the undisputed champion of direct hydration. The golden rule and the temperature paradox. This is where medicine draws a non-negotiable red line: be careful not to get burned. Although some portals such as Healthline suggest that hot drinks They can be consumed in a range of up to 71ºC, oncologists and gastroenterologists are much more strict. As a study published in Frontiers in Nutritionconsuming drinks over 60ºC (140ºF) on a regular basis is associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer, in addition to damaging oral tissues and burning taste buds. The ideal temperature should be lukewarm or comfortingly hot, never smoking to the point of burning. As Helen Ruckledge summarizes, nutritionist: “A tip: if you choose hot water, boil it and let it cool instead of drinking it directly from the tap.” The science behind. The core of this debate lies in separating magic from physiology. And in this area, experts have very clear positions: Intestinal hygiene and digestive “awakening”: This is the most supported benefit. Ana Luzón, Nutrition and Dietetics technician, explains in ABC which is about pure “mechanical efficiency”. Our body is at about 37ºC; Introducing ice water suddenly means a little thermal stress. Hot water acts as “intestinal hygiene”, dissolving food remains and mucus. For her part, Dr. Lisa Ganjhu, a gastroenterologist consulted by The New York Timesillustrates it perfectly: during the night, the digestive system is paralyzed. Hot water generates waves of contraction and relaxation in the muscles of the esophagus, stomach and intestines. “It’s basically telling everyone, ‘Okay, get up. We’ve got to get going,’” he says. This natural lubrication is key to combating morning constipation. Achalasia relief: To give it a deeper medical dimension, hot water is particularly useful for people who suffer from achalasia, a rare disorder that makes it difficult for food and liquid to pass into the stomach. Heat helps relax the lower esophageal sphincter, making the swallowing process easier. Relaxation of the nervous system: Holding and drinking a hot cup activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the “rest and digest” mode. This calms muscles, reduces tension, and relieves morning anxiety. Besides, a 1978 study already explained, the steam from hot water helps clear nasal congestion and relieves cold symptoms much better than room temperature liquids. Debunking myths: Neither ‘detox’ nor fat-burner. The big question that haunts the reels: Does hot water detoxify? No. Kristen Smith, nutritionistand Diane Lindsay-Adler, dieticiandetail that water does not magically eliminate toxins, the liver and kidneys are responsible for that. Hot water simply helps these organs do their job of filtering properly by keeping them hydrated. It is vital to compare this with dangerous internet methods. The obsession with do “detox” based on liquid diets or juices is a danger. A Northwestern University study showed that eliminating fiber living on juices for just three days is enough to ruin the intestinal microbiome. Hot water, on the other hand, is safe and assists the body without destroying the flora. Does it speed up metabolism and lose weight? Neither. There is no solid scientific evidence that it acts as a fat burner. There is a very brief metabolic cost while the body adjusts the temperature of the liquid, but it will not cause you to lose weight. The temporary weight loss that some notice on the scale is due, purely and simply, to the fact that the hot water has helped them go to the bathroom. The other side of the coin. A good analysis is not complete without its counterpoint. When is it not a good idea to drink hot water? If your goal is pure rehydration (for example, after intense exercise), a 2013 study showed that fresh water (at about 16ºC, similar to that of the tap) is the most effective. Additionally, there is a curious paradox with sweat: drinking hot … Read more

We have been searching for the origin of life in hot puddles for years. Bennu has shown that radioactive ice works just as well

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When the capsule OSIRIS-REx mission landed in the Utah desert in September 2023, NASA knew it had a treasure on its hands. We are talking about a bit of black dust that was collected millions of kilometers from Earth and that was about to rewrite one of the most important chapters of science: the origin of life. What we knew. Until now, the predominant theory regarding the origin of life told us that for “cook” all the basic components of life, such as amino acids, heat and liquid water were needed to make a kind of hot chemical soup. However, science has just flipped the script: the bricks of life They are not only formed in heatbut they can be born in the most extreme cold and under gamma radiation. And that completely changes our understanding of how we got here, and also of the possible presence of life in any corner of the Universe. The importance of Bennu. Definitely is the protagonist of this whole story, and it is nothing more than an asteroid of about 500 meters in diameter which functions as a fossil from the early solar system. But the most interesting thing is that it is approximately 4.6 billion years old, the same age as the Earth, although, unlike our planet, its surface has not melted or been drastically altered by geological processes throughout its ‘life’. And little by little we are learning more about this asteroid thanks to the samples brought by OSIRIS-REx that had already been confirmed in preliminary analyzes an unusual abundance of carbon, nitrogen, water and organic compounds. But what the team led by Penn State University has now found goes one step further. The surprise. This same team, when analyzing the isotopic composition of the amino acids present, especially glycine, came across a chemical signature that did not fit with the classical theory of formation in hot water. A radioactive freezer. Until now, we thought that amino acids in asteroids were formed primarily through aqueous alteration processes: ice melts from heat, liquid water interacts with rock, and voilacomplex organic chemistry. However, science now suggests that liquid water is not necessary for amino acids, an essential molecule of life, to form. Simply from simple ice they can arise without much problem. And there are many of these in the universe. The catalyst. The other important factor in this formation was the energywhich in this case came from gamma radiation emitted by radioactive elements that were abundant in the early solar system. And the energy could not come from thermal heat, since this process occurs in icy environments, long before the asteroid was compacted or heated enough to have liquid water. This explains why we found amino acids both in asteroids that underwent a lot of water heating and in those that remained “drier” and colder. Life, it seems, is more stubborn than we thought and can begin to develop in the most hostile conditions of the vacuum of space. An increasingly complex menu. But we are not just talking about simple molecules, since analyzes of Bennu samples have identified a variety of compounds. Among these is tryptophan, which is an essential amino acid, much more structurally complex, and vital for terrestrial life. Besides, DNA and RNA components have been detectedin addition to ammonia and amines, surpassing in richness many samples of famous meteorites such as that of Murchison. Backlash to Panspermia. If amino acids can easily form in irradiated ice grains in the solar nebula—before the planets even formed—it means that these “ingredients” are spread throughout the solar system. The fact that Bennu, a B-type carbonaceous asteroid, is packed with these compounds reinforces the idea that Earth didn’t have to produce all the components of life itself. A constant shower of asteroids and meteorites during the late intense bombardment could having “sown” our planet with a pre-made deep space biological starter kit. That is why in the end looking at a grain of Bennu dust is looking at ourselves. Or, at least, to the chemical great-great-grandparents who made us here today. Images | NASA Hubble Space Telescope In Xataka | NASA has just announced that this large asteroid has a 1% chance of impacting Earth. That’s not normal

Building data centers in space was the new hot business. Elon Musk just broke it with a tweet

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The debate over the feasibility of building gigantic data centers in orbit had been heating up for months. It is Silicon Valley’s new big idea to solve the insatiable energy appetite of artificial intelligence. Until, as usual, Elon Musk has entered the conversation with the subtlety of a hammer. Elon Musk has joined the chat. After weeks of debate about the feasibility of building servers in space, Eric Berger, editor of Ars Technica, argued that will end up being a more plausible option when the technology exists to assemble satellites in orbit autonomously. It was the moment chosen by Elon Musk to enter the conversation. “It will be enough to scale the Starlink V3 satellites, which have high-speed laser links,” wrote the CEO of SpaceX. “SpaceX is going to do it,” he said. A phrase that has probably fallen like a blow on startups that are taking advantage of the momentum of AI to go out in search of financing. Why the hell do we want servers in space? The idea of ​​moving computing to Earth orbit responds to a very real crisis: AI is an energy monster, and Demand for data centers continues to grow. Given this panorama, space offers two advantages that are impossible on Earth: Almost unlimited energy: In a sun-synchronous orbit, solar panels receive sunlight almost continuously (more than 95% of the time). Free Cooling: Land-based data centers consume millions of liters of fresh water to cool. With a large enough radiator, the gap can be “an infinite heatsink at -270°C.” The heat would be radiated into the vacuum without wasting a single drop of water. The new titans of space AI. Musk is not the first to see the business. In fact, he arrives at a party where the first contracts are already being distributed. Jeff Bezos predicted during the Italian Tech Week that we will see “giant training clusters” of AI in orbit in the next 10 or 20 years. Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, bought rocket company Relativity Space precisely for this purpose. And Nvidia, the undisputed king of AI hardware, has actively backed startup Starcloud, which plans to launch the first NVIDIA H100 GPU into space this November, with the goal of eventually building a monster 5-gigawatt orbital data center. Why Musk would win. The vision of Bezos, Schmidt and Starcloud faces two colossal obstacles: the cost of launch and the construction of the servers themselves. Calculations for a 1 GW data center would require more than 150 launches with current technology. And Starcloud’s plan for a 4 kilometer wide array is a logistical nightmare. Elon Musk has Starship, the giant rocket on which all of his competitors’ business models depend to be profitable. And you don’t need build a new orbital data center. Just adapt and scale the one you already have. 10,000 satellites and counting. SpaceX’s Starlink constellation no longer competes against satellite internet, goes for terrestrial fiber. Musk’s company has already launched 10,000 satellites and is preparing the deployment of the new V3 satellites, designed for Starship with high-speed laser links. According to SpaceX itself, each Starship launch will add 60 terabits per second of capacity to a network that is already, in practice, a global computing and data mesh. While Starcloud needs to hire a rocket and assemble 4km-wide solar and cooling panels, Musk simply needs Starship to finish development to continue launching satellites. In Xataka | Starlink stopped competing with satellite Internet companies a long time ago: now it is going for something much bigger

The ‘trash’ has become the hot potato of Madrid politics. One that has forced the City Council to rectify

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It’s not the only town hall of Spain that has been shaken by he ‘garbage’but the controversy surrounding the new waste collection rate has had a special impact in Madrid. Because of its reach. And due to the formula chosen by the City Council to calculate receipts, a system that the OCU has come to call “original and unfair”. Now the Government of José Luis Martínez-Almeida has decided to reconsider the calculation of the tax to take into account a fundamental factor: the number of people registered in each residential property. The question is… Will it settle the debate? What has happened? That the Madrid City Council has decided to change your calculation system for the new garbage ratea tax that has been forced to adopt (like the rest of the cities in Spain with more than 5,000 residents) to comply a law of 2022. As a backdrop are the guidelines set by Brussels to improve waste management in the EU. After the neighborhood criticism and organizations like the OCUthe Government headed by José Luis Martínez-Almeida has decided to rectify its initial criterion and give more weight to a key factor in the equation: the number of people residing in each home. In that way, they assure from Cibelesthe average increase in the garbage rate for next year will be minimal: from 141 it will go to €142.6. Why so much trouble with the rate? To understand it you have to go back to at least April. It was then that the deadline for the Law 7/2022 It gave Spanish municipalities with more than 5,000 residents to adjust to its guidelines, which basically oblige the majority of councils to provide themselves with “a specific, differentiated and non-deficit rate” for waste collection, one also based on “payment per generation” (‘Whoever pollutes, pays’) and that “reflects the real cost.” Some town councils, like Barcelona, ​​had been preparing the ground to soften the blow of the rate. In other parts of Spain they are far behind, in case of Malaga or the Balearic Islands. In Madrid the receipts began to arrive in september, not without stirsomething that is explained by three main reasons. The first, the impact that the capital has. The second, because in 2015 the then mayor (Ana Botella) had decided “eliminate” the tax for the sake of “less fiscal pressure for the citizen.” The third (and most important) factor was the calculation system chosen by the Madrid City Council to calculate the new rate, a formula that the OCU came to cross out “original… and unfair.” Why’s that? Due to the elements that the City Council took into account when calibrating the rate it charges each neighbor. Among them (in the case of residential properties) included the cadastral value, the generation rate of each neighborhood and the waste separation coefficient. I didn’t like the formula to the oppositionto part of the neighbors (who went beyond Madrid and charged against the law) and the OCU, which after knowing the calculation criteria launched a very critical statement. What do they criticize?. “The problem is that the criteria chosen in Madrid are not really fair. There are large price differences depending on the neighborhoods and it is the case that neighbors may have to pay for garbage that they are not actually generating,” warned the consumer organization. In his opinion “it is already quite new” that part of the rate is estimated based on the cadastral value of the home, but the rest of the criteria are also far from being perfect. For example, the OCU pointed out that if the tons of garbage collected in each neighborhood are taken into account, without further ado, the calculation ends up being distorted. The reason? “The incorporation of waste whose origin is not strictly residential, such as tourist apartments, shops or businesses whose collection is done jointly with the ordinary collection”, warns. “The result is a strong penalty for residents who live in more central neighborhoods, with greater tourist or commercial activity.” And what has happened? That after weeks of complaints and criticism, the Madrid City Council has ‘rectified’ taking into account part of the proposals brandished by the opposition. On Thursday the City Council revealed that next year “a new ordinance” of the Waste Management Rate (TGR) will be approved “as a result of the need to include new parameters, which will provide greater equity and legal certainty in its calculation.” Which is it? Specifically, one stands out: the number of people registered in each home, “an aspect that has resulted from great technical complexity.” “Thanks to this, rates will be established distributed in ten sections (from one registered person to ten or more) depending on the number of registered people in the property on January 1, 2026,” ditch Martínez-Almeida’s team. That variable is completed with others. “For the calculation of the basic rate, the information on the individual cadastral value of each home or premises has been taken into account, while for the generation rate, the amount of waste generated and the percentage of quality of the separation of each of the 131 neighborhoods have been taken into consideration.” Have you announced anything else? Yes. The City Council has clarified that, according to its calculations, the average collection rate received for 2026 will be 142.6 euros, “practically the same amount” as this year. The advertisement It has also come preceded by other developments in municipal taxation, such as a lowering of the IBI rate that will benefit more than 2.2 million properties. The City Council assures that in total the reduction in taxes and fees planned for next year will allow Madrid residents to pay 33.5 million euros less than in 2025. Matter settled? Not at all. The one known as ‘garbage’ has generated a considerable political stir that extends far beyond the capital and pivots around a key debate: Is the 2022 law that has led cities to review their garbage rates the result of the community guidelines that they aspire … Read more

The garbage rate has become the big hot potato of Spanish politics. In reality there is little unexpected

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They call him the rubbish and, whether you like it more or less, what is undeniable is that the word sums up well the surprise that thousands of Spanish households have encountered when reviewing their accounts: suddenly their town councils have started charging them sums more than considerable for garbage collection or have skyrocketed their rates (in some cases going from 67 to 126 euros), which even it is already felt in the CPI. In reality there is little unexpected, if you take into account that it is something that can be seen coming (at least) from 2022. What there is behind it is debate… and doubts. What has happened? That Spain has seen how garbage became a huge political hot potato. And rightly so, if we take into account that thousands of homes spread throughout the country have found that the bill their city council passes them to finance waste collection has been shot. In some cities a new rate. The rise has been so forceful that it is already reflected clearly in the IPC and in some municipalities has provoked heated protests. The best example was left on Monday Cangas (Pontevedra), where a thousand residents gathered in front of the City Hall to protest against what has already been called (there and in the rest of the country) rubbish. The neighborhood anger escalated to such a level in the municipality that the councilors had no choice but to leave escorted by the police. But why is the rate more expensive? By the BOE. To understand it you have to go back to Law 7/2022 . Among other issues, the rule establishes that the town councils of Spain must provide themselves with “a tax or property benefit of a non-tax public nature, specific, differentiated and non-deficit that allows the implementation of a payment system per generation and that reflects the real cost, direct or indirect, of the collection, transport and treatment operations.” The wording is somewhat confusing, but at least it leaves two ideas clear. First, municipalities have to charge a specific bill focused on garbage. Second, the ‘polluter pays’ maxim must prevail, with a rate that covers “the real, direct and indirect cost” of the collection service. It is not a minor nuance if we take into account that in many municipalities the service was deficient and it was compensated via taxes. The Commonwealth of O Morrazo, for example (the one that suffered Monday’s protests) handles a report that reveals that its service suffered a deficit of about two million of euros. Why is it news now? Because the Law 7/2022 included another indication: it gave the town councils a maximum of three years to comply with this requirement, a period that ended at beginning of april. Since then, the municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants They are obliged to conform to the norm. Some, like Barcelona, they have been for years preparing the ground to soften the blow; but others have waited until almost the end. The majority of councils have in fact chosen to drag their feet and some have not yet adjusted, as is the case in Malaga either Balearics. Where the change has been noticeable is in Madrid. There the impact has been especially notable because in 2015 the then mayor (Ana Botella) decided “eliminate” the garbage rate for the sake of “less fiscal pressure on the citizen’s pocket.” After years with the amount included within the IBIresidents of the capital have encountered a Waste Management Fee that, according to the calculations published by the Consistory itself in October, will have an average cost of 141 euros for homes and 310 for commercial properties. Does it affect the pockets that much? The best way to answer that question is to use the INE. Its latest calculations on the CPI, corresponding to the month of September, show a year-on-year increase of 30.3% in garbage collection, the largest (by far) in a historical series dating back to 2008. The data far exceeds the general index (3%) and has in fact influenced its upward trend. It is an important nuance because, although the deadline set in the 2022 law has already ended, its guidelines have not been applied in all cities of the country. When that happens, it is not unreasonable to think that that 30.3% will be even higher. Why so much controversy? If he rubbish has raised such a political stir, it is not only because of the cost it entails for residents and businesses. The debate has revolved around more formal but equally important questions: Who is ultimately responsible for the increases? Is it the city councils with the formulas they apply when calculating it, is it the Government for promoting the 2022 standard or is it Brussels, through the community directives that cites the law itself? Some town councils, such as Alcobendashas already released statements to inform its neighbors that the new “mandatory” garbage receipts apply. The truth is that months before the deadline set by law expired, in October, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) already demanded the Government to review a law that, in his opinion, is “complicated to understand and apply” and ignores municipal autonomy. Specifically, they asked the Sánchez Government for “a much clearer and more concise regulation that avoids the discretion of each local entity” and at the same time guarantees the objectives set by Brussels. Is that important? Yes. And for several reasons. The first because one of the topics that is raising the most debate about the rubbish They are the differences between cities and the risks that this implies. “It can be applied depending on the address, the number of people residing in the home, the cadastral value… There are many possibilities and without a guide we can end up with more than 8,000 different garbage rates, which will surely generate resources and even different criteria in the courts until the Supreme Court unifies doctrine,” explained already last December ABC the Association … Read more

literally running out of hot water by 2027

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Brussels has started a new wave of rules designed to protect public health and harmonize standards throughout the Union, and the measure has put manufacturers, regulators and consumers alike on edge… while technicians discuss lists and scientific evaluations in offices and committees, workshops and assembly lines nervously observe the implementation schedule. Therefore, what on paper seems like an unimportant technical detail can lead to something much bigger. A bureaucratic failure. I told it this week the financial times. A cut in a technical list of authorized substances in the European Union – part of an ambitious reform to protect the quality of drinking water that comes into force in 2027 – has unleashed the real possibility that millions of Europeans will become face cold showers. Apparently an administrative omission hafnium and zirconiumkey elements in the enamelling of hot water tanks, do not appear among the recognized substances, and without that authorization more than 90% of current accumulators (water heaters) could be excluded from the European market. What in Brussels is a technical file translates into towns and cities with failing boilers, paralyzed factories and an immediate effect on prices and domestic supply if it is not urgently corrected. Why hafnium and zirconium matter. Hafnium and its “brother” zirconium are not accessories: they participate in the vitrification process inside the tanks and prevent the enamel from cracking. Without them, the protective cover of the tank comes off and the result is obvious and practical: water that does not heat up or premature losses of the equipment. Furthermore, these metals are also used in heat pump varnisha critical component in the thermal electrification that accompanies gas withdrawal. The Times remembered that putting them on the positive list is not a favor to the industry but rather a technical condition for the equipment to work and last as expected. The real economic cost. Replacing hafnium or zirconium with alternatives such as steel or copper would increase the manufacturing cost between four and five timesaccording to the manufacturers, an increase that would inevitably fall on consumers already affected by the energy crisis. For companies the ability to compete on price and supply product in Europe would be at risk facing non-EU rivals that do not face the same regulatory labyrinth, which increases the threat of relocation or loss of industrial investment on the continent. Complexity and absences. The episode reveals two institutional problems: on the one hand, the Commission’s regulatory roadmap did not precisely consider that hot water tanks are part of the drinking water circuit, and on the other, the mechanism to correct the oversight is slow and technocratic. The Commission maintains that it is the Member Statesthose who must notify the need to authorize these substances, and none has done so so far. There are alternative routes (toxicological applications or temporary national authorizations), but the industry considers them too slow and expensive to avoid an interim shortage. Solutions and limits. In practice, there are three exits: a rapid amendment at EU level to include hafnium and zirconium on the list, temporary national authorizations to sustain production while the European assessment is processed, and accelerated toxicological assessment procedures required by the Commission. Each option has its costs and trade-offs: the amendment requires political will and speed in Brussels, the national route can fragment the market and raise costs, and rapid scientific processes must preserve security without becoming an excuse for indefinite delays. In other words, none of the three are perfect, but inaction is possibly the worst alternative. What is at stake. If you also want, the problem is not only domestic or purely technical: it touches on the European ambition of decarbonize heating through heat pumps and electrical appliances. If the regulations induce manufacturers to abandon investments or produce outside the EU due to lack of certainty, the European energy transition would lose momentum and industrial sovereignty. Likewise, the error regulates a greater tension: how to make legitimate health standards compatible with the need to maintain strategic industrial chains and the competitiveness of the European productive fabric. Quick and coordinated correction. I remembered the medium in his report that the solution that best preserves public and private interests involves an expeditious correction in a community key accompanied by scientific safeguards: provisionally authorize use with technical conditions (traceability of supply, quality controls and periodic reviews), accelerate toxicological evaluations and, above all, establish a preventive mechanism for the Commission to integrate the voice of the industry in the technical lists when the standards touch critical industrial processes. Without this coordination, the regulatory shortcut not only aims to cause a equipment cost increase and job losses, but will send the wrong signal to investors considering returning production to Europe. That’s without taking into account the topic nuclearbecause the delay is not only technical, but tangible: it is the difference between a hot shower and a useless radiator. Image | Pixnio, PXHere In Xataka | We are the third country that takes the most showers in Europe. There are scientists trying to find out if this is good news In Xataka | There are people who want to change your life thanks to a cold shower: what science says

The wolf has been a huge hot political potato for years. In Asturias they will allow the hunters to dejize them

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In Spain there is a group that has been aware of the wolves. And they are not the zoologists, animalists, hunters or farmers. Even more so that they are politicians who have spent the last years discussing The legal status of the Canis lupusa delicate issue that has generated a deep debate. The last arrives from Asturias, where the Principality has taken A decision Radical: Allow hunters to shoot the wolves in certain community reserves. Not everyone believes it is legal. What happened? What Asturias will allow That hunters shoot Lobos during their beaters in certain areas of the Principality, those reserves in which there has been an increase in cattle attacks. The decision, which has already generated an intense debate and has encountered The frontal opposition of the animalists, directly connects with a series of legal changes that have gradually cracking the legal shielding of which the Canis lupus. What do Asturias want to do? Open the door to the hunters to participate in the reduction of the population of Lobos. As a “complementary control method”, the Ministry of Rural Affairs has decided that hunters of those regional reserves “in which a greater number of damage to cattle have been detected” can shoot wolves during hunts scheduled to capture other species. That is, it gives the green light to the hunters so that (if certain conditions are met) they can reduce them while looking for prey. “The goal is Clarifies the Principalitywhich has also asked that in the “most affected” hunting preserves the guards participate in the controls together with the natural environment agents. Why do you do it? To answer that question you have to go back several months, to April, when the Government of Asturias presented its annual “road map” (applicable until the end of March 2026) to “reduce damage to the primary sector and social conflict” related to the wolves. That is, its ‘Wolf Management Plan’an official document that among other things clarified how many catches of Canis lupus The Asturian authorities have authorized. In that document It was revealed that the minimum wolves are around 345 copies and, based on that, the Ministry of Rural Affairs has decided to give green light to “the extraction of a maximum of 53”. Even the maximum number of animals that would be “extracted” in each area of ​​the Principality was required, some guidelines were given on the periods to carry out “the controls” and it was clarified how they will be carried out. Among them, in addition to the beating made by the environmental agents of the Principality, It was already progressing that one of the options contemplated by the plan was to resort directly to the help of hunters in regional reserves. But the wolf was not protected? Throughout the last months the status of the wolf has changed considerably. And with him he has done his legal armor. In Spain the most relevant novelty It happened in March. During the processing of A law of food waste (yes, you have read well) Congress approved several amendments centered on the wolf. And among them there was a specific one that returned the species to the situation in which it was before 2021year in which the Canis lupus It had been added to the list of wild species with special protection (Lespre). In the practice that the wolf appeared in the Lespre valed the hunting of specimens north of the Duero, something that already happened south of the river. The decision of the Congress to take it out meant that the Peninsular North packs lost their armor, which in turn opened the door for the autonomous communities to decide on their hunt. The Principality itself I recognized Last April that launched its ‘Wolf Management Plan’ after the last changes in Lespre. It was not the only one. Cantabria did something similar. In fact rtpa It revealed This same week that the community has already “extracted” more than half of the wolves of the quota authorized for the 2025-2026 period, which translates into 25 copies of a total of 41. And why do you turn to the hunters? That is one of the keys to the controversy that has emerged in Asturias. The Principality explains that it has decided to allow hunters to shoot wolves while looking for other species in reserves for “Increase efficacy” of the plan, which provides for the “extraction” of a maximum of 53 wolves. There are those who have seen in that argument an alarm signal. “If the reason for involving hunters is the difficulty in reaching the number of dead wolves established in the quotas, perhaps the cause is not so much the lack of efficiency of the method to hunt them, but the shortage of wolves itself, something that seems that the Asturian government does not even value,” warns The Wolf Protection Fund, very critical of the new decision of the Principality. How many wolves are there? In spring the regional government calculated that the wolf is present in 83% of the Asturian territory, where some 45 herds inhabit between 360 and 405 animals. “Since 2001, the year in which 22 herds were registered, the population has shown a general growth trend, as well as the damages caused by livestock,” Concrete the Principality. To be more precise, remember that last year damage to 3,257 head of cattle and the cost of compensation grew to exceed the million and a half euros were confirmed. These figures are those that justified the control plan, although It is unknown How many wolves have fallen in the community today. Have there been reactions? Yes. And of different types. The Government insists in which his is a “balanced positioning” between the preservation of the species and the interests of farmers and ranchers, but the truth is that everything related to the legal framework of the wolf has been involved in a deep debate for months. The hunters They recognize Having received the last announcement from the … Read more

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