<p>On 26 April 2012 in Bonn, Germany, the opening event of the newly begun Forum on "Fish Protection and Downstream Fish Migration" took place on the premises of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Reactor Safety (BMU). Approximately 120 participants, including representatives of water utilities, other departments of the federal and state governments, fisheries, trade organizations, and the energy industry in addition to other scientists and engineers, met at the conference center in Bonn to discuss the main themes of the forum and hear the opinions of external experts.</p>&#13;

<p>The first Baltadapt Policy Forum on "Climate Change Adaptation in the Baltic region" was held in Berlin, on 24 April 2012, as part of the Baltic Sea Days. The Policy Forum kicked off the working process on the macro-regional climate change adaptation strategy. In several workshops the participants discussed about the challenges and objectives of such a macro-regional strategy and the needed consistency within the region. The Ecologic Institute supported the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and carried out a digital-survey.</p>&#13;

The 21st Climate Talk, which took place on 6 March 2012, addressed issues regarding fracking and was entitled "Shale gas and fracking - an energy revolution in Europe?"&#13; Shale gas - natural gas trapped deep in underground rock formations - has provided hope for an energy revolution in Europe. Because the gas can only be retrieved with the technique of "hydraulic fracturing" (short: "fracking"), which uses great quantities of water and sand as well as chemical components, the potential environmental effects are being discussed intensely and controversially.