Tailing ponds are among the largest and most dangerous structures engineered by humanity, but their operation is virtually unknown to those who don’t live in their vicinity. Europe is no less at risk from incidents than the rest of the world. 

With COVID-19 in the spotlight, refugees and undocumented migrants disappeared from public attention. Precisely what swept these communities away from the agenda, however, disproportionately affected them.

Mental health resources in the European Union were scarce even before the pandemic. COVID-19 has caused a tsunami in mental health, and access to care is more difficult today. About 75 percent of psychiatry services in the EU have been taking place via telemedicine, but this is not a viable option for all patients.

In terms of CO2, energy production is the human activity with the worst impact on the environment in Europe. Emissions in the EU may be falling, but there are still major obstacles to achieving climate neutrality. Meanwhile, to the east, dozens of new coal plants will be built in the near future.

Our analysis looks at the rise in average temperature for about 100,000 municipalities in Europe. Mean temperature values of the 1960s were compared with those of the 2010s, in order to explore the import of global warming at a local level.

In recent months, Covid-19 has put Western democracies to the test. In the larger European countries, the space for democratic deliberation has been greatly reduced. In this regard, new technologies represent a major opportunity.