Ido Liven
@idoliven.com
Writer. Migrant. Dad for future. I have a weakness for wild berries. And climate justice. Views my own etc. 🌐 www.IdoLiven.com
It was 36°C today in Warsaw today, and I bet that even the mermaid by the Vistula was sweating. How exceptional is it? Well, apparently it's 13°C(!!) above the average temp for this date, as per the excellent Reuters Climate Monitor (www.reuters.com/graphics/CLI...)
My editor asked me to write about what happened to summer:
We launched a war on nature. Now we are in a climate warzone | Rebecca Solnit
Summer is not what it once was. We have been robbed of one of life’s great joys
theguardian.com
This wasn't on my adaptation bingo card. "Romania used 180kg explosive to blow rock to divert water from drought-hit Danube to nuclear reactor." www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
Romania blasts rock to divert water from drought-hit Danube to nuclear reactor
Hungary and Romania face energy crisis as record-low river levels force atomic power plants to reduce output
theguardian.com
Context matters: Fossil fuel majors are reporting record profits thanks to a devastating regional war; on the back of a historic energy crisis; and in the midst of massive, climate-induced wildfires and heatwaves. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/b...
Iran War Drives Oil Profits to Highest Levels in Years
The world’s biggest oil companies are benefiting from the high commodity prices that have been a drag on the rest of the economy.
nytimes.com
New from me & colleagues in France, Spain and on the data team: Europe is waking up to a new era of unstoppable megafires, amplified by climate change. Gift link:
The Age of Unstoppable Wildfires Has Reached Europe
Climate change means giant fires of the kind that ripped across France and Spain are becoming common, with potentially dire consequences for Europe’s economies.
bloomberg.com
A truly lovely day at Germany's Lower Oder Valley national park. With so few people on the trails, even in the middle of the summer, it felt off-the-beaten track. And there's a wonderful visitor center which the kid loved exploring --
A truly lovely day at Germany's Lower Oder Valley national park. With so few people on the trails, even in the middle of the summer, it felt off-the-beaten track. And there's a wonderful visitor center which the kid loved exploring --
++BREAKING++ The UK and Spanish governments have issued a joint statement overnight: "[We] agreed that this summer’s wildfires demonstrated that climate change was now a national security emergency facing Europe and threatening our way of life." www.gov.uk/government/n...
this is absolutely excellent and essential, clear, as hopeful as it is urgent, and we should all demand that — to win our votes, and a future for our species — McKibben’s message here becomes core to the platform of every person in, or running for, public office: energy from heaven not from hell
Bill McKibben@billmckibben.bsky.social · last wk.So, I finally did a TED talk, and it got released today. I seem to have been quite intense, but I'm grateful they left in my Trump joke. www.ted.com/talks/bill_m...
After railing against climate action, Polish president Nawrocki is now seeking to protect the fossil fuel industry's bumper profits. notesfrompoland.com/2026/07/27/p...
Polish president obstructs windfall tax on fuel firms' excess profits, prompting government criticism
notesfrompoland.com
Weekend #longread: Inside the battle to oust Benjamin Netanyahu | @aloner.bsky.social www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/israel...
Inside the battle to oust Benjamin Netanyahu
Israel is more divided than ever, perpetually at war, a global pariah— and it’s going to the polls. The alternatives may not offer that much hope
prospectmagazine.co.uk
Ad agencies are getting rich selling Oil & Gas in a climate crisis. Why shouldn’t we? Try Petro at seriouspeople.co/meet-petro
A fresh push for the Netanyahu government's bid for a Hormuz bypass via Israel?
Reuters@reuters.com · 2w agoAdd a month at sea and $2.5 million - what it costs oil tankers to flee Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb reut.rs/4wmrByv
If photos of the so-called crooked forest in northwestern Poland made it onto your feed, you probably wouldn't be surprised to know that, while a nice little curiosity, this bunch of curved pines is quite overhyped.
Even if public authorities sometimes have the right idea of where the energy transition needs to go, they still can't bring themselves to do what's needed to phase out fossil fuels.
EU governments can’t kick their fossil fuels addiction, even when they want to
Even if public authorities sometimes have the right idea of where the energy transition needs to go, they still can't bring themselves to do what's needed to phase out fossil fuels.
euobserver.com
"The vast majority — more than 9,000 — were among people aged 65 and above." www.reuters.com/business/env... This is #ClimateEmergency
Europe recorded 10,000 excess deaths during late-June heatwave, data show
Scientists have said the late-June heatwave would have been "virtually impossible" without human-caused climate change, which is making heatwaves more frequent and intense.
reuters.com
Görlitz's @sgn.one natural history is truly wonderful. Much of its exhibition is dedicated to the biodiversity of Lausatia. Unlike many other museums, charismatic species - a wolf or crane - are on equal footing as mushroom, insects and pigeons. No dinos here. >> A Thread🧵
As temperatures begin to cool Europeans can finally breathe a sigh of relief. But the continent won't soon forget just how disruptive a heat wave can be. So, how is Europe gearing up for a hotter future? Read the full story here: buff.ly/IVQXjWC
Europe's latest heatwave has passed. The next one is only a matter of time.
Europe is mapping out fountains, opening cooling centers and rethinking its cities as temperatures climb. But some limits cannot be engineered away...
buff.ly
While normal people struggle to afford air conditioning, the uber-rich are building "snow rooms" in their mansions (and on their yachts!) to stay cool. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/04/s...
To Beat the Heat, the Wealthy Are Building Snow Rooms
nytimes.com
This @fionaharvey.bsky.social interview with @mazzucatom.bsky.social is just excellent: www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Make people dream’: how to build an economy for the common good
Economist Prof Mariana Mazzucato says governments must ‘get back their mojo’ and believe they can change the world
theguardian.com
"For those with access to them, AI systems like Claude make it dramatically easier to bomb hundreds of targets at the same time — and much harder to figure out who is accountable when something goes wrong" - @simonallison.bsky.social www.codastory.com/armed-confli...
The AI-powered ‘forever wars’ start now - Coda Story
In Iran, artificial intelligence is being used to select targets, summarize intelligence and make the ‘kill chain’ ruthlessly efficient
codastory.com
Motivated by concerns over dwindling fossil gas reserves, on Monday Israel's energy ministry launched a new offshore exploration drive. www.reuters.com/world/middle... A thread with a few points: 🧵
Israel launches tender to search for more natural gas in Mediterranean
Israel has launched its fifth competitive process to search for more natural gas in the country's economic waters, Energy Minister Eli Cohen said on Monday, seeking to bolster domestic reserves whil...
reuters.com
Some people are really struggling to accept that this heat is exceptional—and dangerous @prospectmagazine.co.uk www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/enviro...
Heatwave sceptics reveal our climate delusion
This week’s heat made plain how difficult it is for us to comprehend what is happening
prospectmagazine.co.uk
"Israel reportedly conditioned the supply of the additional [water] volume on Jordan moderating its rhetoric toward Israel and restoring full diplomatic ties." www.timesofisrael.com/parched-jord...
Parched Jordan fuming at Israeli refusal to renew expired water deal – report
2021 agreement doubled the original 50 million annual cubic meters specified in 1994 peace pact; the increase was repeatedly renewed until November, when fraying relations ended it
timesofisrael.com
Russian liquefied natural gas continues to arrive mainly through Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, while pipeline deliveries remain concentrated in Hungary, Slovakia and Greece. #EuropeNews ➡️ https://l.euronews.com/UtqH
Motivated by concerns over dwindling fossil gas reserves, on Monday Israel's energy ministry launched a new offshore exploration drive. www.reuters.com/world/middle... A thread with a few points: 🧵
Israel launches tender to search for more natural gas in Mediterranean
Israel has launched its fifth competitive process to search for more natural gas in the country's economic waters, Energy Minister Eli Cohen said on Monday, seeking to bolster domestic reserves whil...
reuters.com
Air conditioning has become the latest front in the energy culture war. Depending on who you ask, it is either wasteful excess we must resist or the only sensible response and anyone urging caution is a zealot. A few thoughts in this 🧵
Keeping cool has become Europe's latest climate class war
Keeping cool has become Europe's latest climate class war
As Europe accelerates its green transition, the debate over air conditioning has become emblematic of a broader challenge. Climate policy is no longer judged solely by its environmental ambitions, but also by whether it can reduce emissions without deepening social inequalities.
l.euronews.com