Ethereum Merge - What does it mean?

Hey there! Welcome to Clean Tech News, the newsletter that's more informative than an encyclopedia.

In this week's edition you can expect:

• Dangerous Rainwater

• Meme - I have the power

• Ethereum Merge - What does it mean?

• Stat of the week

• Bite-sized Bits

Dangerous Rainwater

Rainwater all over the world has high levels of poly-fluoroalkyl substances and per-fluoroalkyl substances. (also known as PFAS).

PFAS are part of a large family of human-made chemicals that can't be found in nature. Some people have nicknamed them "forever chemicals," as they don't break down in the environment. PFAS also have non-stick or stain repellent properties and can be found in household items like food packaging and electronics.

The health risks of being exposed to these substances have been thoroughly researched. According to scientists, they may be linked to fertility issues, an increased risk of cancer, and developmental delays in children.

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Meme of the week

Ethereum Merge - What does it mean?

The second biggest cryptocurrency, Ethereum, has switched to a new operating model that uses 99.9% less energy.

 Currently, Ethereum uses as much energy as a medium-sized country.

What is the Ethereum merge and what does it mean?

The Ethereum merge has switched from using a system called Proof-of-Work to a system called Proof-of-Stake. Proof-of-Work is used by many popular cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, and it is where volunteers "prove" crypto transactions through immense computer power and are rewarded with a small amount of crypto called a "gas fee". Whereas Proof-of-Stake vastly reduces the number of computers needed to maintain the blockchain, and volunteers are replaced with a smaller number of "validators", who stake their own stash of Ethereum coins against their work. They lose it automatically if they make a mistake.

As well as reducing the energy burden of Ethereum, Proof of Stake reduces the amount of coins given out as a reward, and organisers say it will decrease the overall number of coins in existence.

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Stat of the week

In the EU 22.2% of the fuel consumed last year was renewable.

Bite-sized Bits

• Solar power helped the EU avoid €29 billion in gas imports this summer and accounted for 12.2% of the European Union’s electricity generated.

• Migros, a Swiss company, has launched an allegedly "eco-friendly" alternative to coffee capsules. CoffeeB "coffee balls" are pre-ground, condensed spheres of coffee that dissolve in a capsule-like machine.

• A South African court has banned Shell from searching for fossil fuels along the country’s Wild Coast, a decision hailed by campaigners as a “massive victory” for our planet.

• Hawai'i's only remaining coal-fired power plant closed this month after 30 years of operation, removing the state's dirtiest source of electricity. The facility produced up to one-fifth of the electricity on Oahu - the most populous island in a state of nearly 1.5 million people.