15. July 2026
NEWS July 2026
Renewable electricity saves Spaniards €10 a month
Spain grew its wind and solar generation by 37% between 2021-25, helping it reduce the influence of fossil fuels on electricity prices by 75%, delivering prudent and protective Meconomy benefits. Just 7% of Spaniards have not been able to pay their electricity bill on time in the past year, whilst 29% of EcoVox respondents are “very satisfied” with renewables based electricity, compared with 17% for fossil fuels. >more
Americans step off the gas
Americans charging EVs at home are saving almost $1,500 a year compared with those driving a gas-powered car, as the war in Iran continues to impact. EV uptake is strongest across the nine US states where people pay more than average for gas and less than average for electricity, led by California. In Washington, where gas prices are high and electricity is cheap thanks to hydroelectric power, savings reach as high as $2,346 a year. As “dollars per kilowatt” mindsets begin to overtake gas price fixations, people home charging EVs in Oregon report that their monthly fuel bills have fallen from $200 to $25, with the added satisfaction of not queuing up at fuel pumps. >more
Washing machines are the new EVs
The 50L Home coalition is commencing a pilot scheme in England and Wales using "superior appliances, fixtures and consumable products" from its members Electrolux Group, IKEA, Kohler, and Procter & Gamble to bring about customer water, energy and cost savings. A similar scheme in Los Angeles saw average indoor water consumption per person per day fall from a city average of 182 to 79 litres. >more
European children threatened by heatwaves
European children are amongst the 1.5 billion exposed to severe heatwaves. High heatwave scores in France (6.82/10) and Italy (6.2/10), where 22% of adults tell EcoVox they’ve experienced heat levels that made them “concerned for the health of children they know”, confirm the need to act to protect the Healthy Habitats of the bodies and environments we live in with a focus on families and futures. >more
Plant-based healthy habitats for humans
Copernicus satellite data from Belgium during the June heatwaves starkly visualised the urban heat island effect in Brussels, where a recorded Land Surface Temperature of 47°C was 22.5°C higher than that registered in the nearby Sonian Forest, underlining the potentially life saving value of vegetation's cooling effect >more
Nature reclaims over a third of Italy as forest
A new official study shows that 36% of Italian territory is now forest, representing 11 million hectares, an area the size of Austria and almost double that recorded in 1970. The report concludes that this has happened “almost without our knowledge, and perhaps even in spite of ourselves,” as people abandon rural areas and cultivation in mountainous areas. Whilst humans cannot take credit, this offers a lesson in the power, potential and health benefits of natural rewilding: Italy’s expanded forests now absorb the CO2 equivalent of half of its transport emissions. >more
Plastic gets a bollocking
Greenpeace's Defend Your Balls campaign warns how sperm counts have dropped by nearly 62% since the 1974 World Cup, citing research suggesting that plastics - and by inference brands that are dependent upon it like World Cup sponsors Dove - could be a cause. Plastic's graduation from environmental eyesore to personal health threat is indicative of how self preservation and personal protection are great tactics for winning engagement on broader planetary issues. >more
Media sidesteps climate change debates. Should marketing?
Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit research shows that 72% of UK articles referring to “heatwave” or “extreme heat” during June didn’t reference climate change. EcoVox research shows that 58% of UK people either disagree or are undecided if “Humans releasing CO2 into the atmosphere is the reason the planet is getting warmer”, raising the question: Rather than waste time arguing the environmental case, should campaigns instead concentrate on delivering what we all need (protection, prudence, pleasure)? >more
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