Ido Liven

Who Gets to Decide How Much Is ‘Enough’ to Live a Good Life? Opinion | The concept of setting sustainable limits on consumption faces a political challenge as it begins to influence policy.

" #sufficiency is not only an environmental proposal but a democratic test."
Excellent Peter Sutoris piece: undark.org/2026/01/21/o...

An unpaywalled version here: archive.ph/VtQS8

Opinion | I’m the Prime Minister of Spain. This Is Why the West Needs Migrants.

This used to be a rather mainstream take on migration across Europe until not that long ago. It's not radical in any way. But the fact such position now stands out tells more about how xenophobia has taken hold in Europe.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/o...

Europe Needs to Learn Its Lesson: Stop Relying on Imported Energy Growing reliance on American gas looks foolish given how unpredictable the White House has become.

"It’s no fun relying on other countries for your energy needs when major powers start using their resources as a bludgeon. Europe is finding that out the hard way, again." www.wsj.com/business/ene...
Maybe time for a #REPowerEU sequel?

Fear and fossil fuels in Romania - Bankwatch A draft law supported by thirty members of the Parliament, aims to roll back Romania’s coal phase out and, at the same time, delivers a masterclass in manipulation.

That said, not only is the government relentlessly pushing a fossil gas expansion, the former energy minister just tabled a bill to undo the energy transition and revive coal under a very lame energy security pretext. This by @ioana-ciuta.bsky.social: bankwatch.org/blog/fear-an...

‘The trend is irreversible’: has Romania shattered the link between economic growth and high emissions? Emissions have plunged 75% since communist times in the birthplace of big oil – but for some the transition has been brutal

I'm not sold on decoupling, certainly not as a universal formula, but gotta admit Romania has made important progress in expanding renewables. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

80% "have already experienced at least one climate-related impact over the past five years."
Earlier, 85% of Europeans said they want climate action made a political priority (my take: idoliven.medium.com/the-silent-c...).
For the next time someone tells you, it's not the time to discuss climate.

Energy security after gas: Why Europe needs a fresh mindset | Euractiv The electricity grid is fast becoming the backbone of Europe’s economy, climate strategy and security architecture. Without major, sustained investment in the grid, renewables cannot scale, electrific...

The EU is (mostly) serious about getting off volatile and easy-to-weaponize fossil fuels

Now it needs to get serious about electrification

This means investing much more in the grid and stepping up physical and cyber security

Me for @euractiv.com

www.euractiv.com/opinion/ener...

After the ‘ceasefire’, the global silence – a message from Gaza Gaza is treated as a temporary humanitarian problem rather than a long-term political failure requiring accountability, protection, and reconstruction. Once the violence becomes less visible, so does ...

"Weather alone does not kill at this scale. It becomes lethal only when combined with policies that have stripped people of shelter, safety, and the ability to rebuild."
After the ‘ceasefire’, the global silence – a message from Gaza | Mahmoud Shehada euobserver.com/201377/after...

Interesting. Could you share the source?

Poland to become EU’s last remaining producer of hard coal as Czech mine closes

After the last Czech coal mine shuts down this month, Poland will remain the EU's last (hard) coal land.
notesfrompoland.com/2026/01/30/p...
The just transition process really needs to be sped up.

The cover of the Polish version of the book Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women. The title - in large, colorful letters on a dark background - occupies most of the cover, with a full moon above and few stars around and in between the words.

We're reading Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls by Francesca Cavallo & Elena Favilli and the kid's loving it.
She cheered for surfer Maya Gabeira and drew a portrait of weightlifter Amna al Hadad. And totally melted my heart.

Stanley Kubrick's multi Academy Award nominated Cold War black comedy “DR. STRANGELOVE” starring Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Peter Bull, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens and Tracy Reed premiered #OnThisDay in 1964 at the Columbia Theatre, London

🎬 Columbia Pictures

Explainer: Out of Paris, but will the US formally quit the UN climate regime? The Trump administration has decided to withdraw the US from the broader UN climate convention, raising questions about the legality of the move and what it means in practice

The Trump administration has decided to withdraw the US from the broader UN climate convention, raising questions about the legality of the move and what it means in practice

A Call to Action for Foundation and Nonprofit Communicators in 2026 — The Communications Network What communicators need to remember and practice ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.

"This isn’t a crisis of attention. It’s a crisis of trust.
That makes communicators—especially those working in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector—essential to what comes next. [...]
We remember what we already know: that communication is not decoration. That words create worlds."

Me. Glasses,

At long last, a new profile pic.

Phasing out of Russian gas :
🇭🇺🇸🇰 voted against,
🇧🇬 abstained,
🇫🇷 voted in favour but made it clear that this is the last time it would agree to such a ban, which is akin to sanctions

Poland to send hundreds of generators to Ukraine amid winter heating crisis

And kudos to Poles - civilians and government - who, very practically, continue to stand with Ukrainians. notesfrompoland.com/2026/01/24/p...

Screenshot of a LinkedIn post by Anna Ackermann: "Dear network, please follow & donate if you can to NGO Ecoclub, RePower Ukraine Charitable Foundation, Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation, Ukraine2Power - members of Build Ukraine Back Better (BUBB) Platform providing support to communities on the ground in these challenging times. We need decentralised energy solutions in every corner of the country asap. [...]"

A number of Ukrainian NGOs have been mobilising to aid communities struggling with the lack of heating, electricity and water in the midst of a freezing winter. And they could use our support: www.linkedin.com/posts/anna-a...

The Russian weaponisation of energy has become a hallmark of this horrible war. To be sure, targeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime.

A screenshot of the project's homepage with the top strip featuring the Eye on the Arctic logo on the left and Radio Canada International's on the right. Below are the current top stories under six categories: environment, politics, society, science, business, and art & culture. Check it out.

Since the Arctic is pretty hot nowadays, a shout out to @eyeonthearctic.bsky.social, one of the longest running transboundary news collaborations I know: www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-a...

Full text: Charter of Trump’s Board of Peace No mention of Gaza, which bolsters ToI's reporting that US also envisions panel helping resolve other conflicts worldwide; member countries must pay $1 billion for permanent spot

I’ve been reading Trump’s "Board of Peace Charter," and despite the name, this isn’t a multilateral institution, it’s a centralised structure built entirely around the authority of one person (Trump).
www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-ch...

Throwback to the 1930s.

An Israeli exit from Paris Accord and UNFCCC would change little for global emissions or even Israel's climate policy. But this Trump orchestrated move could start an international domino effect that would effectively supercharge the climate crisis.

Screenshot of a news alert from Haaretz titled 'Under U.S. Pressure, Israel Mulling Departure from Paris Agreement, UN Climate Change'.

Pressured by U.S., Israel considering withdrawing from Paris Agreement and UN Climate Change Convention -- Haaretz
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

A double-page magazine spread featuring a photo of two Canadian soldiers next to a military tent pitched within a vast icy landscape. Next to it, the story title 'The Cold War' (in Hebrew), and a lede reads 'Who owns the ocean surrounding the North Pole? Who will benefit from the oil and gas reserves possibly lying under ice layers gradually melting due to climate change? And how is ownership determined over a frozen region borders some of the world's mightiest nations? Ido Liven explores the questions that heat up the cold arena.'

I once wrote about the climate-militarisation nexus in the Arctic. “At times, steps taken by one country lead to countermeasures by other actors, and these could turn into a spiral leading to militarisation of the region that no-one wants," @atlandkristian.bsky.social told me. That was 15 years ago.

How South America’s Oil Rush Collides with the Climate Crisis A break down of why Venezuela’s oil boom is clashing with a hotter, more fragile planet

Super fun to talk about the US-Venezuela-Guyana oil triangle with @kendrawrites.com for SciAm's Science Quickly pod: www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/epis...

A double-page magazine spread featuring a photo of two Canadian soldiers next to a military tent pitched within a vast icy landscape. Next to it, the story title 'The Cold War' (in Hebrew), and a lede reads 'Who owns the ocean surrounding the North Pole? Who will benefit from the oil and gas reserves possibly lying under ice layers gradually melting due to climate change? And how is ownership determined over a frozen region borders some of the world's mightiest nations? Ido Liven explores the questions that heat up the cold arena.'

I once wrote about the climate-militarisation nexus in the Arctic. “At times, steps taken by one country lead to countermeasures by other actors, and these could turn into a spiral leading to militarisation of the region that no-one wants," @atlandkristian.bsky.social told me. That was 15 years ago.

"The fossil fuel industry is essentially running the United States government from the inside. It's a desperate industry. They know that clean renewable energy is cheaper. "

🌡️ WMO confirms 2025 was one of warmest years on record.

2025 was one of the 3 warmest years on record, with the global average surface temperature at 1.44°C ± 0.13°C above the 1850-1900 average, according to WMO’s consolidated analysis of 8 datasets.

🔗 https://bit.ly/49xpkWP