Lots of wind, not enough water
Wind farms in Portugal are continuing to break records with more energy being generated on January 16th than on the previous all-time record day, October 17, 2023.
The energy produced from wind on January 16th 2024 accounted for 63% of Portugal’s total electricity needs, according to REN, the national grid operator. On the same day, wind together with other renewable sources generated 88% of the national and local electricity consumption. This is a highly laudable achievement when so many other countries are producing far less in the battle against climate change.
Worldwide, greater use of wind and solar energy as well as advancements in green hydrogen production, are vital in the transformation from fossil fuels. Wind energy is predicted to significantly increase in major countries, with Canada, the United States, China, India and the United Kingdom increasing their offshore capabilities.
Developing countries are also expected to follow Portugal’s example and rapidly adopt renewable energy policies. As in the major countries, much of this has been invigorated by more energy demand and heightened awareness of the destructive impacts of climate change.
Parts of Portugal and elsewhere in the European Union have been experiencing severe or extreme droughts. This has added urgency to an EU plan to promote water availability through management technologies, says the Portuguese Agriculture Minister Maria do Céu Antunes.
She reportedly presented a list of proposals at a recent meeting of EU Council agriculture ministers to implement measures such as reducing water loses in distribution systems, optimising storage and transport infrastructures, reducing water for non-potable purposes in the urban, tourist, industrial and agricultural sectors, and investing in desalination plants.
The European Commission will launch a Water Resilience Initiative in March. It will include a series of immediate actions and a public debate on achieving water resilience.
According to the European Drought Observatory, referred to in the Portuguese proposals, about 42% of continental Europe is in a state of warning and about 8% in a state of alert, with a particularly worrying scenario in the EU’s southern countries, which are plagued by prolonged water shortages.
Future measures are expected to be funded both by the EU Commission and by private companies. All this will be reassuring, especially to farmers, but also ordinary domestic water users being threatened with reduced supplies and increased costs.
Portimão: Woman's body found on the beach
The body of a woman was found on the beach of Praia dos Três Irmãos, in Portimão yesterday evening, at around 6:45 pm.
The emergency services were called, and the corpse was removed and taken to the Institute of Legal Medicine in Faro. The identity of the woman and cause of her death are being investigated.
Albufeira: Two teenagers arrested for robbery
The GNR arrested two young people aged 16 and 17 this Monday for robbery at a commercial establishment in Albufeira.
When GNR were called to the store, they discovered that a 19 year staff member had been threatened with a sharp weapon, and several items had been stolen from the establishment.
Following police investigations, the GNR located and detained the two suspects and managed to recover the stolen goods, as well as the objects used to carry out the robbery.
Monchique: Bio-waste collection campaign is launched
Within the scope of the RecolhaBio program, the Municipality of Monchique have developed a strategy for the management of bio-waste produced in the municipality, which is based on collection at origin and the production of compost, either through individual or community solutions.
According to the municipality, the aim of this project is to make use of the bio-waste produced locally (domestic composting; community composting); provide a collection network for bio-waste and produce compost locally, with community participation.
The Municipality will provide 1000 7 litre buckets for domestic use and 200 domestic composters free of charge, upon registration.
The equipment will be available from January 27th, at parish councils and municipal warehouses (only for registered residents).
Registration can be done online, on the municipality's website, or in person at the parish councils or at the one-stop shop, or by calling 282 910 200.
In addition, 6 community composters will come into operation on the same date, in the following locations: Alferce – next to the Polidesportivo; Marmelete – in front of the Home; Monchique – S. Pedro, Mercado Municipal parking, Ceiceira and S. Roque.
The “Food Surplus: There’s More to Give!” campaign counts on raising awareness in schools and training and clarification sessions with the population, both on the methodology, routines and benefits of domestic composting (with free provision of domestic composters and buckets, for use by community composters, to participating citizens), with a view to the goals to be met in the country, through the Strategic Plan for Urban Waste 2020/2020+.
Rare €2 coin could be worth more than €2,500
There is a 2007, Monaco minted €2 coin that has become one of the most sought after and valuable pieces in any coin collection, fetching over €2500 from collectors.
In 2007, Monaco minted a €2 coin that commemorated the 25th anniversary of Princess Grace Kelly's death and had a circulation of just 20,001 copies, all in proof quality and presented in its own case. Its value has reached 2600 euros, according to experts.
Numismatics, the science of coins and medals, continues to be a passion for collectors and investors, and the coin market is followed by many collectors. Collections of ancient coins can reach very high values, but there are also contemporary coins that can be worth significant amounts, especially if they are rare or commemorative examples.
For a coin to have a value substantially higher than its nominal value, it must present several specific characteristics, such as circulation size, edition, presence of errors, rarity and, often, historical relevance, such as tributes or celebrations.
It is very important to seek guidance from a numismatic specialist to understand the characteristics of the coin and its true value, as only specific examples can reach high values, and appropriate advice helps to avoid possible fraud.
A striking example lies in commemorative coins. Eurozone countries have the possibility of issuing two commemorative coins per year, as Monaco and Lithuania did with the 2 euro coin.
The €2 coin was issued on July 1, 2007 and consists of a nickel core coated in nickel-brass, with a cupronickel ring. It weighs 8.6 grams, has a diameter of 25.75 mm and a thickness of 2.2 mm.
Olhão: Man sentenced after he tried to kill a man who helped him
The Court of Appeal in Évora has sentenced a 27 year old man for a crime of attempted murder and for a crime of threat, when he stabbed a man that helped him get up from the ground after falling.
The man, a barber was sentenced to 6 years and 2 months in prison, following an appeal to a single sentence of five years in prison by the Public Prosecutor's Office.
The case dates back to November 6, 2021, when the defendant, after drinking Medronho brandy and beers, left a cafe in Olhão and fell to the ground on the public road.
In a statement published on the Faro District Attorney's Office portal, the Public Prosecutor's Office states that “the victim, who knew the defendant, approached him and helped him off the ground, and to sit down. The victim then turned his back to the defendant. The defendant got up, took out a bag containing half of a pair of barber's scissors, walked towards the victim with the scissor in hand and threatened the man, saying “I'm going to kill you”, “I'm going to make a mess of you”. He struck him twice on the right side of the neck and made two blows to the victims right shoulder blade.
The Court of Appeal of Évora said in a statement that they "placed special emphasis on the fact that the defendant struck after the victim had helped him get up from the ground, the fact that he already carried the murder weapon with him; the energy put into carrying out the action and its consequences”.
