Category: Technology
Scholz: expanding sustainable energies faster
(GermanPolicy.com) – The SPD candidate for the office of Federal Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, would like to see renewable energies expanded more quickly. For this there must be changes in the law so that CO2 neutrality can be achieved by 2045. With regard to a coal…
A ‘future fund’ for the car industry
(GermanPolicy.com) – The Federal Government will provide a “future fund” of one billion Euros for the changing automotive industry by 2025, as announced by the Federal Minister of Finance and SPD Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz. 340 million Euros are to flow into regional cooperations and…
Germany and Saudi Arabia to cooperate in the field of hydrogen production
(GermanPolicy.com) – Germany and Saudi Arabia want to work together as to hydrogen production. The Cabinet of the Kingdom has approved a letter of intent to this end. As Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer, explained, the company is looking for buyers in key…
Faster expansion of the charging network for e-cars required
(GermanPolicy.com) – The charging network for electric cars is to be expanded more quickly. This is what the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) has called for. One million charging points would be required over the next nine years. “To achieve the goal, 2,000 new…
Flood protection: North Rhine-Westphalia takes greater account of small rivers
(GermanPolicy.com) – The government of North Rhine-Westphalia would like to give greater consideration to small rivers when it comes to flood prevention. For example, it must be checked where floodplains and other retention options could be set up. In addition, more measurement and control systems…
Technical solutions and improved civil protection suggested in Germany to prevent future flooding
by Thorsten KochGermanPolicy.com The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance would like to see risk areas that might be subject to flooding better mapped – with a special focus on smaller rivers. A spokesman announced that there is already data for larger rivers…
Environmental associations call for new locations for houses and more space for water
by Thorsten KochGermanPolicy.com Several environmental associations have called for reconstruction efforts after the flood disaster in western Germany to be adapted, with a view to tackling climate change. Rivers need to be given more space and some buildings rebuilt elsewhere instead of erecting them as…
Additional warnings to the population by SMS
Warnings to the German population through ‘cell broadcasting’ have been ordered since Wednesday. This was announced by Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU). All smartphones dialed into a certain radio cell will in future notify about disasters via SMS push notifications, for example in the…
Heavy rains caused damage to agriculture, rail, and motorway routes
by Thorsten KochGermanPolicy.com Agriculture has suffered much damage in the disaster areas in western Germany. “Several thousand hectares” of fields are affected, said a spokesman for the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture. Satellite images will allow for a more precise overview. In addition to the…
Flood disaster in Germany: in search of solutions
by Thorsten KochGermanPolicy.com The situation in the wake of the severe floodings in the west of the Federal Republic of Germany has stabilized. Authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate announced that officials and helpers are now getting a comprehensive picture of the situation. It is…
Fewer complaints against online hatred than expected
In the fourth year after the passing of the Internet Hate Act (NetzDG), fewer Internet users in Germany complained that social networks were deleting hate speech posts than had been expected. From October 2017 to June 23 of this year, the Federal Office of Justice…
Building materials for new homes more expensive
New residential buildings have become more expensive in May of this year. The rate of inflation was last that high in 2007. Conventionally built residential buildings cost 6.4 percent more in May than in the respective month of the previous year. Building materials such as…
Damage of Property Relating to my Latest Book Project
Two days ago, my desktop files were deleted in what, according to all likelihood, was government or government-sponsored hacking of my work computer. Four months of research on German politics for a new monograph are forever lost, and hundreds of hours of work on my…
Air force delivers ventilators to Brazil
The Bundeswehr has delivered 80 ventilators to Manaus, Brazil, after Germany was asked for help in the wake of the Corona pandemic. Brazil is currently suffering from numerous new infections with the Coronavirus.
Kretschmann for less data protection during the pandemic
A high level of data protection is inappropriate during the Corona pandemic, said the Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann (Greens). By complying with data protection, the warning app for smartphones is “just a crutch” instead of a powerful control instrument.
SMS greetings for people entering Germany
From this Monday, March 1, people entering Germany will automatically receive a text message on their cell phones, the Federal Ministry of Health announced. The SMS contains a link to the entry and protection rules against infections applicable in Germany.
Fiber optic expansion by Telekom will be accelerated
Deutsche Telekom wants to present an increased speed in the expansion of the fiber optic network. Gigabit speed should be possible in around 10 million households in Germany by the end of 2024. Another 1.2 million households are expected to benefit from this in 2021….
EU Commission wants to see elimination of roaming charges extended
The EU Commission has spoken out in favor of cutting roaming charges in the EU for another ten years. Consumers in EU countries others than their own should use the same telephone quality and data speed for which they have concluded contracts, at no additional…
Plans: five times as much wind power by 2030
Wind power from plants off the European coasts should deliver up to five times as much energy within the next ten years as before. The EU Commission named an increase from the current 12 gigawatts to 60 gigawatts. Over the next 30 years, 800 billion…
New functions for the German Corona warning app – continued voluntary use
by Thorsten Koch Several politicians have called for the official Corona warning app to be more effective. As CDU health politician Sorge said, “alleged privacy concerns” have slowed down the app. In the future, the health authorities should have direct access. This opinion is not…
Motorway guidance system against traffic jams
An electronic control system on German autobahns will help prevent traffic jams in the future. It should also provide more security. Control centers are to be built in Dresden and Frankfurt, so that from 2021 the 189 motorway maintenance centers and 40 traffic control centers…
Faster availability of electric cars called for
Federal Transport Minister Scheuer (CSU) has asked the automotive industry to “speed up” electromobility. Electric cars should be available faster and in large quantities on the market. Long delivery times are a stumbling block for electromobility.
Authorities took action against Islamist Internet content
The Federal Criminal Police Office, BKA, along with the authorities of 18 countries, have completed concerted action against Internet content with an Islamist-terrorist background. More than 1900 URLs have been reported to providers. The internet content behind the addresses was to be deleted. The websites…
Bayer reaches settlement over Glyphosate
The pharmaceutical company Bayer has reached a settlement in the legal dispute over Glyphosate, a weed killer. Bayer is committed to paying up to 10.9 billion USD to settle ongoing cases, and future cases, should these occur. The agreement brings about the resolution of three-quarters…
Protection of the Constitution will monitor extremist communication
Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer (CSU) has announced that the grand coalition has reached agreement on the powers of the Constitutional Protection against extremists. The SPD has approved more digital competencies. The Union parties then decided against the online search measure, in which…