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illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Guardian or enjoy below
🗞️ Driving the news: Tunisia, a country grappling with drought, is viewed by the EU as essential for producing “green hydrogen” for Europe
• The process involves using water, which Tunisia is severely lacking, to produce hydrogen using renewable energy
🔭 The context: With its abundance of sunlight, Tunisia has been earmarked as a potential hub for green hydrogen production
• Europe's green deal leans heavily on such production from areas like North Africa
• But creating this “green” fuel might lead to desalination of Mediterranean water, a process that's energy-intensive and could impose the costs of European decarbonization on poorer nations
🌎 Why does it matter for the planet: While the push for green hydrogen aligns with Europe's carbon reduction goals, this must not result in environmental degradation elsewhere
• Desalination processes can lead to irreversible marine ecosystem damage, as highlighted by Tunisia’s top water experts
⏭️ What's next: While hydrogen from renewable sources holds promise, the key challenge is scaling it without harming the environment or impacting vulnerable nations
💬 One quote: "The benefits of such a strategy... cannot come at the cost of environmental destruction abroad." (The Guardian Editorial)
📈 One stat: Less than 0.04% of global hydrogen production is currently green, underscoring the monumental task ahead in shifting industries to environmentally-friendly energy sources.
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