CorinnaBechko, Help, I can’t stop taking photos of Albanian frogs! #Frogs #herpetology #amphibian #albania
CorinnaBechko,
CelloMomOnCars, Unsung heroes.
"Seven countries now generate all of their energy from renewable sources."
None are the ones you'd think of first."More than 99.7 per cent of electricity in #Albania, #Bhutan, #Ethiopia, #Iceland, #Nepal, #Paraguay and the #DemocraticRepublicOfCongo comes from geothermal, hydro, solar or wind power.
Another 40 countries got at least half of their electricity from #renewables in 2021 and 2022 including 11 in Europe."
bluGill, @CelloMomOnCars There is a lot of dirty energy available and we have no idea if they will use that instead as they grow.
CelloMomOnCars, We don't have to helplessly watch and see.
Producing energy, whether clean or dirty, requires investment. Whether developing countries go with clean or dirty depends on where the investments go.
Right now, because of redlining, it's three times more expensive to build wind or solar in some developing countries than in rich countries. But loans for oil and gas companies are cheap b/c they are not redlined. Guess who goes in first.
We need to stop the redlining as a policy.
glynmoody, Jared #Kushner Has Big Plans for Delta of Europe’s Last Wild River - https://e360.yale.edu/features/jared-kushner-albania-vjose-vjosa-river-hotel " #Albania’s Vjosë River is known as Europe’s last wild river, and its pristine delta is a haven for migratory birds. As plans for luxury developments there — spearheaded by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — move ahead, conservationists are sounding the alarm." appalling, destructive greed
NatureMC, @glynmoody It stinks very much of corruption in the Albanian government.
At least this lets hope: " #PPNEA and #EuroNatur are among several conservation groups taking the government to court over the issue."
And as Albania wants to become a member of the EU, pressure by EU-states and @EU_Commission could possibly help, too.#ecology #river #protection #conservation #ecosystem #Vjose #biodiversityLoss #biodiversity #superRich #luxury #migratoryBirds #birds #greed
glynmoody, @NatureMC yes, the EU angle helps @EU_Commission
jackhutton, [Gifted link. NYTimes]: Kushner Developing Deals Overseas Even as His Father-in-Law Runs for President
Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who was also a senior White House official, said he was close to finalizing real estate projects in Albania and Serbia. By Eric Lipton, Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman#kushner #jaredkushner #richardgrennell #corruption #albania #graft #greed
jimmygnarly, why there's famine " .. at all? mixed with theocracy toxic male crap..
yep
'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_gas_field
Nonilex, #JaredKushner Pursuing Development Deals in #Albania & #Serbia
#Trump’s son-in-law said he was close to finalizing real estate projects in the two #Balkan nations, an example of the Trump family’s pursuit of deals abroad as the former president seeks the White House.
Nonilex, Follow ups to this story:
#Kushner Deal in #Serbia Follows Earlier Interest by #Trump
More than a decade ago, before running for president, Donald Trump expressed interest in developing the SAME site in Belgrade that his son-in-law now plans to invest $500 million in rebuilding.
#NationalSecurity #corruption #influence #FARA #Power
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/17/us/politics/kushner-deal-serbia-trump.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb
Nonilex, News of the #Kushner proposal provoked strong objections…from opposition party ldrs in #Serbia….
Opposition party ldrs said they had not been properly informed of the plan & called it inappropriate that an American company owned by a #Trump family member would… #profit off a site that a #UnitedStates led coalition bombed 25 yrs ago.
#NationalSecurity
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/us/politics/jared-kushner-serbia-president.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb
br00t4c, Can we drill for hydrogen? New find suggests additional geological source.
glynmoody, Albanian court to rule on migration deal with Italian government - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/18/albanian-court-to-rule-on-migration-deal-with-italian-government "Judge to determine whether agreement criticised by human rights groups violates constitution" this is what civilised countries do... #albania #italy
alan, I have been going through some links I saved when I used to travel a lot in the Balkans. Sadly many of the links are now dead, but I did find this lovely map of the rail network in Albania in 2011, including departure times:
http://www.matinic.us/albania/HSH.pdf
@jon It wasn't a great network even then, but the Albania leg of your 2024 Balkans trip would have been more interesting (or at least more rail-based) if there were still trains to Shkodra and especially Pogradec.
alan, @jon Let's hope so!
It turns out that the "still working" links in my collection include a blog post of yours about train travel in Bulgaria in 2015. That must have been the first time I came across something you wrote - much longer ago than I would have guessed.
jon, @alan and I still really like travel by train in Bulgaria. Sure, they lack investment, but unlike most of the rest of the railways in South East Europe, the basics still mostly work there, and some of the routes are majestic.
theTractor, Migranti in Albania, i costi sono già raddoppiati: 200 mln di euro
A sorprendere però sono i costi esorbitanti dell’operazione. Il decreto prevede una spesa che si aggira intorno ai 60 milioni all’anno solo per il 2024, a cui si arriva a circa 90 nei prossimi cinque anni. A questo si dovranno aggiungere alcuni costi che nel disegno di legge non sono stati indicati – come i rimborsi spese per gli avvocati che non possono fare udienze da remoto – tra cui le spese da liquidare all’Albania per l’accordo e quella per le navi per trasportare i migranti. In tutto circa 200 milioni. In valore assoluto, rispetto ai 19 che vengono spesi per i nuovi Cpr da costruire in Italia fino al 2024, la proporzione è di circa 10 volte. Se proporzionato al numero di migranti rinchiusi nei centri invece stiamo parlando del 30% in più, circa un terzo: per ogni migrante nei 10 Cpr italiani (1.100 al massimo) lo Stato spende 16 mila euro contro i 22 mila per i 9 mila che, al massimo, potranno restare in Albania (la stima è di circa 720 al mese).
hanse_mina, Russia, expelled from the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2022, seeks to rejoin the Geneva-based body.
Several U.N. diplomats and analysts suggest that Russia aims to leverage its control over wartime grain shipments and arms and energy sales to gain support in a secret vote scheduled for Oct. 10. Alongside Russia, #Albania and #Bulgaria are competing for two seats representing eastern Europe.
daniel_wengelin, @hanse_mina jeez, the stomach turning irony.
rvps2001,
ronpatz, Amazing mountain scenery today on the #CrossBorderBus from #Tirana to #Skopje today.
On the side of the road, one could also see the defunct single train track from Elbasan to Prremjas ( #Albania) and the (seemingly active) single train track from Ohrid (#NorthMacedonia) north.
Would be nice for the EU to support candidate countries‘ rail where possible, wouldn’t it be @jon?
jon, @ronpatz oh is there progress near Ohrid? Was all derelict when I was there in 2019… And yes, beyond Elbasan it’s been derelict some years.
ronpatz, @jon Not sure where the line actually started, so not sure about any progress. (Now googling I realize I may only have seen the line further north of Ohrid where it’s been actually active for a while).
Bossito, The prime minister of #Albania goes hard on the jokes 😂
Loukas, @Bossito savage
Loukas, @Bossito I see he's a successful painter which just goes to show that's no cure for politics
thomas, Back from #albania! Are there any Albans here on Mastodon? You have a beautiful country and such helpful fellow citizens. 😊
In my vacation I've learned how to integrate in Albanian traffic as a pedestrian: Simply by not giving a fu** 👌😅. Got praised by Albans for that 🤣
vanessawynn, @thomas Glad you had a good vacation! I'd love to visit there some day!
thomas, @vanessawynn I can recommend! :)
thomas, Another thing I noticed in #Albania:
Albans seem to be crazy about German cars (esp Mercedes, Audi, Volkswagen), Busses (I've found myself in German busses only!) and obviously... Washing Machines? 😮
thomas, Okay telecom guys from #albania - no offense, but how do you keep track of this? Looks like a maintenance nightmare 😂
Still: Connecting a new house to the fiber network (yes, there is some fiber optics up there!) is probably just a matter of hours. Looking at you Germany! 👀
thejaysunday, French @thomas you should see the local fiber optic cables cabinets in France!
schufrau, German
glynmoody, #Albania: fears grow over environmental impact of new airport - https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/jul/20/albania-fears-grow-over-environmental-impact-of-new-airport sounds pretty bad...
Elleaster, @glynmoody What a shame. The roads in Albania are atrocious, but a train seems like a better idea.
glynmoody, @Elleaster yes, indeed
Trutnut, Bunkart in Tirana.
#bunkart #tirana #albania #traveleurope #travelbalkan #sustainabletravel
arnie_dxer, Polish So far the best thing from #Albania have been those hands on display... and the final. #Eurovision
Magic_Cauldron, German
dentaku,
br00t4c, Once-Hidden Hydrogen Gas Deposits Could Be a Boon for Clean Energy
br00t4c, How ex-Arsenal defender Sylvinho became Albanian hero