All it took was a War.
Policies based on fashion can be dead-set one day and gone the next. Until Saturday Germany was about to close its last nuclear power plants, gas production had been falling for 20 years and it planned to phase out coal plants by 2030.
Germany was the largest energy consumer in Europe, but was also determined to pursue Energiewende, the policy of transitioning from fossil fuels.
On Sunday all that changed:
Nuclear, coal, LNG: ‘no taboos’ in Germany’s energy about-face
By Christoph Steitz, Riham Alkousaa and Maria Sheahan, Reuters
In a landmark speech on Sunday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz spelled out a more radical path to ensure Germany will be able to meet rising energy supply and diversify away from Russian gas, which accounts for half of Germany’s energy needs.
“The events of the past few days have shown us that responsible, forward-looking energy policy is decisive not only for our economy and the environment. It is also decisive for our security,” Scholz told lawmakers in a special Bundestag session called to address the Ukraine crisis.
This will include building two liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, one in Brunsbuettel and one in Wilhelmshaven, and raising its natural gas reserves.
Graph, gas production, Germany, 1998 – 2020 | Statista
An energy crisis is also a security crisis. Germany cancelled the Nord Stream gas pipe that would have brought even more gas from Russia.
Germany follows the UK and France in shifting energy policy away from unreliable intermittent green power. Last September the UK announced they were getting into small modular reactors. By October they were putting nuclear power ahead of the intermittent unreliables as a way to transition to “Net Zero”. Late in 2021, France decided to build up to 14 new nuclear reactors.
As of Sunday, Germany is also spending a lot more on their military.
In 2018, one World leader did warn Germany that they were too dependent on Russian gas, and they should have spent more on their military.
Note the reference to the corruption that plagues all of the West: “The Former Chancellor of Germany is the head of the pipeline company that is supplying the gas” … “you tell me, is that appropriate?”
Will our own effing idiot politicians now wake up and smell that lovely coal smoke again, or will they continue to un-lead us down the green garden path to oblivion?
600
With CSIRO research, they will continue to head down the path of Windmills and Unicorn farts! An eastern grid blackout is what will wake people up, perhaps?
510
That, or more likely, the “hip pocket” nerve ending.
80
I have been saying that for yeats. It will take a real electricity for the populace to wake up. And then behold their wrath.
30
An upset of the Great Reset? Looks like that settled science was only ever just reset-led science.
350
Mr T was right again. The usual suspects won’t like it at all and won’t mention it.
480
Pity the fool.
50
Those LNG terminals wouldn’t be for American gas by any chance? Good to see the Americans turning a buck on the backs of the misery in Ukraine. Mind you this is standard practice for the USA.
955
Plus funding the military industrial complex!
170
It was always politics.
It was never about science or the environment.
It was never about public health.
They’re just going to look us straight in the face and say, “whatever were you on about?”
351
Misplaced not a reply
20
Even with “your” Leftist man Biden, or rather his handlers in power, you and other Leftists simply can’t hold back on your hatred of the USA can you, Peter?
Biden is shutting down all reliable energy in the USA; turning the US from a net energy exporter to an importer; deliberately weakening America; introducing Marxist policies; primting vast amounts of money; is waging a war on the traditional and guaranteed constituonal rights of Americans; opening the borders to all manner of illegals; letting the enemies of the US and the West, Russia, China, the Taliban and Iran do as they please; and many more evil and destructive policies.
What more could the Left want of the US?
580
Poor PF. It hurts when you first learn that the Easter Bunny isn’t true. There is a tendency to lash out, even if it is at those you love (like the Biden Democraps).
400
Very convenient for USA to pressure Europe over Russian gas so it can buy more from the USA. Typical game.
230
Being terminals they can bertg and unload ships from any source, which is a good thing if you want diversity of supply, compared with a pipeline. Everything else is your own mental cinema.
50
‘Pipeline Ploy: How U.S. Natural Gas Interests Are Fueling the Ukraine Crisis’
‘Companies like Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell, along with the hundreds of drilling and shipping contractors that work with them, want to massively step up exports to a Europe starving for gas, but standing in the way is Russia and its state-owned Gazprom company. Currently, Russian natural gas accounts for over 30% of all imports into the European Union. Leading EU powers Germany and France get 40% of their gas from Russia, while some other countries, like the Czech Republic and Romania, use only Russian gas.’
‘And one international pipeline project, known as Nord Stream 2, stands as a particularly threatening constraint on U.S. sales. Constructed jointly by Germany and Russia under the Baltic Sea, the pipeline would provide easy and affordable access to gas for the EU. For Russia, it is a guaranteed means of accessing its biggest buyers. For both the EU and Russia, Nord Stream 2 is a way to bypass the added costs of middleman Ukraine, whose territory current pipelines pass through. Once operational, it will carry more than double the amount of Russian gas that currently flows under the Baltic.’
https://www.globalresearch.ca/pipeline-ploy-how-us-natural-gas-interests-fueling-ukraine-crisis/5772100
It’s the same reason the US tried to install a puppet government in Syria.
11
Mr. Fitzroy: Well, ya just can’t keep us yanks down. So you suggest we should withhold the NG, and then the Ukrainians would be less miserable?
10
Gas isn’t barcoded, they could buy our gas if we are competitive. We ARE a big exporter.
20
So fears of Russia cutting the supply of oil and gas to nations make them re-think their insatiable thirst for renewables and hatred of fossil fuels. If I were to be PC I would call that a Eureka moment but since I refuse to be PC I would call it desperation by deceitful and draconian leaders who don’t give a damn about the health and safety of their own citizens. Now it’s your turn PM Morrison. Scrap the net zero emissions target, tax renewables and subsidise new coal and nuclear power stations. I would not care if that loses you the election. Howard gambles his chances with the GST and won. Perhaps our PM could grow a spine and gamble it too. At least we have a chance for common sense in politics. In any case, whoever wins the next election might end up being forced to scrap the net zero emissions policy if war escalates and we need to rebuild our manufacturing industries. That means more power is needed, and it won’t be coming from solar and wind farms. Or are we to resign to the possibility we’ll just surrender to China, who will only build coal and nuclear power stations here anyway? Why oh why do we elect parties that go out of their way to destroy our economy and society? Are we suicidal as a nation or just plain fools?
490
PeterS:
There would be no need to subsidise new coal power stations if renewables weren’t subsidised and given priority access.
Without those they would die a quick death, although there would still be a few (initials such as PF?) claiming that “renewables are the cheapest source of electricity” while ignoring the fact that everytime States or Countries start relying on sun & wind, the cost of electricity goes up. And China, India and lots of other countries aren’t installing coal fired plants because they are expensive.
For Germany to say that they have canceled Nord Stream does that refer to Nord Stream 2 (which wasn’t yet allowed to work) or Nord Stream 1 which was supplying a lot of current gas usage? If the latter Germans had better pray for warmer weather immediately.
210
Another example of German cowardice. They’ve cancelled something that is not yet operational. Nord Stream II.
Nord stream I? Well, that’s not to be touched. After all, it’s Merkel’s perpetual Euro bribe to her Communist comrades. The bribe that the SWIFT system has ring-fenced.
50
Yes there would be no need for the subsidies under normal circumstances but my thinking is given how slow it takes for people to pull their fingers out and build them it would be helpful if subsidies for them were provided to accelerate things, at least for a while.
10
Subsidies are not required. More a trustworthy guarantee that the rug will not be pulled out from under the investors after they have spent the money. A guarantee that the competition will not be subsidised, fuel will not me taxed and the market will not be corrupted.
40
I wrote here 22.9.2021:
Situation today requires that we have social and technological experiments that lead to sustainable prosperity for everyone. Decentralized decision makers cannot force “solutions” that does not work like global and federal rulers do.
110
Germany and Once Great Britain had among the more fanatical commitments to unreliables, perhaps surpassed only by Australia.
But both nations now have a reality check. (Jo reported recently how Once Great Britain might use known deposits of onshore gas.)
However, both those nations and others in Europe can still rely on proper and cheap energy supply from NATO countries such as nuclear electricity from France or hydro electricity from Scandanavia or LNG from somewhere else.
With Biden’s handlers shutting down reliable energy supply plus shutting down much exploration in the US, it will be interesting to see where Germany gets its LNG from.
Perhaps it will get the LNG from Dubai, and there are proposals for a Mediterranean LNG plant in Israel for the Leviathan Gas Field.
LNG for Germany certainly won’t be coming from Australia, not since John Howard contracted to give most of Australia’s national natural gas supply to the Chicomms on the world’s cheapest and most bizarre gas contract with the gas sold to the Chicomms not much above cost and with no provision for market price adjustment or inflation and on a contract length of 30 years. There are gas shortages in Australia but China has plenty of cheap Australian gas.
The more green-fanatic European countries have seen common sense but Australia’s main political party(ies), the Lib/Labs have not and maintain their fanatical commitment to unreliables and blowing up proper power stations.
Australia cannot import energy from neighbouring countries like European countries can. Plus Australia’s politicians and Sheeple are terrified of nuclear power.
Europe might now have some hope, but Australia, not yet.
380
Bearing in mind Oz has ordered nuclear submarines in a deal that angered the French has this not altered people’s opinions of nuclear especially as a energy source? Why does Oz have this fear in the first place?
251
Tony, Australians that post on Jo’s blog (with a couple of notable exceptions) are not representative of Australians in general. The rational thinkers that post here possibly are representative of about ten percent of the voting population. The rest of the voters more or less accept the green madness and they might even complain about their natural gas or electricity bills but are clueless as to why they have gone from some of the world’s cheapest energy to the most expensive.
And Australia’s one major political party, the Lib/Labs keep saying that the solution is ever more windmills, solar panels and Big Batteries.
However, even I was impressed when overnight, a decision was made to drop the absurd French diesel sub contract and purchase nuclear subs, the only common sense thing to do. It would be interesting to know the inner machinations of Government thought on that matter. I have no idea what that outbreak of common sense may have been due to.
360
Yes David and I felt the same way as you, but I think most Aussies feared for SUB crews trying to fight against Nuclear powered SUBs sometime in the future.
They would have had SFA range and speed and would’ve been sitting ducks for the Chinese crews etc.
180
I hadn’t realised “a decision” had been made; I supposed the Australian government was doing what it had been ordered to do.
If we’re lucky tomorrow they may be ordered to repeal the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 and we can watch the nation resurrect.
110
Tony it beats me why Aussies have this stupid fear. Certainly Nuclear power is very safe and yet UNRELIABLE, TOXIC S & W are a disaster and have to be replaced in about 20 years, FOREVER.
191
Nuclear is a complete dud. Plant needs decommissioning within thirty years and waste disposal remains an intractable conundrum.
026
Serp: NOT TRUE what you say.
DON’T believe everything greens tell you, they rarely , if ever, state the facts.
And there is no technical problem safely disposing of nuclear waste either.
Although, it is tragic that nuclear waste from the civilian nuclear fuel cycle is buried with 99% of its original energy intact. It should be run through a breeder reactor to release all the energy and so produce a much less radioactive waste product.
And compare your false claim of a nuclear reactor having to be decommissioned at 30 years. In reality it’s is 40 plus years and it could be indefinite.
TELL ME: What is the average age of decommissioning wind and solar subsidy farms?
230
I’ve just watched the SBS documentary on Hinkley Point 3 and it’s to provide sixty years service so I stand corrected on that assertion.
60
“Why does Oz have this fear in the first place?”
some people here in the land of OZ still believe that the governments are there looking after them and that we have cheap energy compared to others because of the renewables, happy being within their bubble without much need but are starting to wake up as the BS is getting pretty thick even to those city folk while sipping their latte
no need for a Chernobyl plant here, our Vicdanistan government is very left wing and has a hell of a lot to do with indoctrinating the children at school on more than just LBGXYZ subjects
at least in Vicdanistan it is nearly impossible to go anywhere without seeing wind turbines that are not turning LOL
we even have areas of interest for them, look outs to see the vast areas of wind farms with no turbines turning LOL
so ugly IMHO
180
Bayu-Undan is a massive gas field between Australia and East Timor. the owners of that, aside from ConocoPhillips (now it’s Santos), are all Japanese, and the gas is destined for the Japanese market.
Wheatstone, another big development doesn’t have Chinese investors/owners. they also send a lot of their gas to Japan.
Gas from the North West Shelf joint venture, and Gorgon do go to China, amongst others. The NW Shelf JV is the disastrous contract you mention, the vendors were imbeciles to say the least.
Australia should have ridiculously low gas prices, and no end of opportunity, but it seems even with this, Australia is generally too stupid to properly value-add on its abundant natural resources.
330
Donald Horne coined “The Lucky Country” – ironically. Blessed with resources but attended by stupid political caste and an utterly apathetic people. It is so and getting worse.
150
What Horne was alleged to have said is one of the most inappropriate misquotes in Australian history.
Only the first five words are usually quoted and the context is entirely missing.
Notice the Leftist “fact” checkers never check thst one!
In any case, whatever “luck” Australia may have once had is well and truly gone as we descend into mediocrity and lower.
What he really said was:
150
Bear in mind that Horne was part of the intellectual set who despised Australia and promoted the Cultural Cringe while pretending to despise that too.
He calls Australia “lucky”, while ignoring the prodigious amount of effort and intelligence it took to make it what it
iswas.Unfortunately, we have now bred generations who are so convinced of this “luck”, which they refer to as privilege , that they have come to believe in it as some kind of Divine Right, which no amount of stupidity will disperse.
Like the children of the rich, too many of us simply believe that the money will always be there, and no extravagance or foolishness will cause it to run out.
60
The NW Shelf gas contract was forced on the JV by the Charles Court government who wanted development at any cost.
00
Bearing in mind the greens are a major coalition partner in Germany it will be interesting to see if this plan makes it through Patliament.
190
I watched a YouTube recently on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline where they were laying pipe number 200,000 or so. It was the last pipe in the water. The major part of the pipeline is complete so Germany cancelling is simply leaving the tap turned off. Should Putin retreat or be replaced and the Kremlin once again become part of the civilized world then the tap can be turned on and the need for other power sources turned off; until next time. Politicians do what is expedient not what is right or what is needed. Morrison could spend some money on a nuke or on another Bayswater but the nurses union want more members in aged care and there is an election. What will Morrison spend money on? We need a Trump.
162
We had a Trump, sort of, maybe ten percent of a Trump, in Tony Abbott.
And look what happened to Abbott. A Leftist war against him resulting in his removal from office, just as with Trump.
190
Abbott didn’t talk or act big when he had the chance. I understand the political situation he was in, but essentially he squibbed the hard decisions.
60
Abbott was/is a good man. But his true role was the strong right arm of a more charismatic leader.
Unfortunately that leader wasn’t available, and the ‘First Mate’ had to step up to a role he didn’t have all the qualities for.
50
Small correction: Germany gets about half their gas from Russia, not half their energy.
162
49%
% russian gas to european countries
Finland 94
Latvia 93
Estonia 70
Lithuania 41
Poland 40
Germany 49
France 24
Netherlands 11
Even the UK gets 4% of its gas from Russia (indirectly from the European pool – supplied mostly from Norway.
90
Things will get back on track when this conflict is sorted out. It may take time but the realities of supply and demand will override all.
60
And that is before anything was started with Nordstream 2 !
Are they doing anything about that current 49% ?
What happens if Putin shuts that off next week ?
(Especially if the sanctions prevents Germany paying for it.
Ditto the rest of those European countries heavily dependant on Russian Gas supplies ?
40
It’s pretty obvious to those that choose to see.
When a leader is not reliant on political parties and vested interests for their power, they can speak the truth. This is why Trump usually got it right. Meanwhile, the political puppets in most western democracies are not allowed to say what’s logical or true. They can’t say even the most basic truths like: “There are benefits to a warming world” or “Electrifying cars will require a huge increase in copper and lithium mining”, or “Wind and solar don’t work on still nights.” If they dare to utter these basic truths, they’ll lose their funding, their media support, their junkets and their power.
250
Most definitely – because Trump nominated very late he hadn’t been unduly affected by the political machine. He had no fear in saying things honestly. But the problem was there were nearly as many Republicans in the swamp as Democrats. Contrast with Sleepy Joe who has virtually done nothing but politics in his lifetime. Regrettably its just as bad with our politicians. They come up through the ranks mostly as advisors or union delegates then become politicians. It’s hard to name any major politicians with some sort of technical professional background.
110
Your reckless behaviour leaves us with no choice but to ding your Credit Score
110
Hiden Biden on Climate Change
120
Today’s Thread Topic summed up by Johannes Leak
200
The man is a genius. Leake I mean. Putin has done well from Europe’s foolishness. He should just have kept going and eventually Europe would collapse under its own hubris. Go woke, go broke on a continental scale. Be practical and make a fortune.
190
We can only hope but slowly, slowly the West is coming to its senses when it comes to energy. It may take a few extended blackouts here and there but surely Australia will come to its senses soon. Australia is an energy powerhouse and we should get our Electricity Grid back to where it used to be. By all means, phase out the old coal fired power stations but for goodness sake, replace them with the new high tech ones. They are less polluting and more efficient. Stop this renewables madness now……………..
271
That was Trump at his very best and yet the MSM hated him for telling the EU and NATO the truth.
Let’s hope they now have enough clues to concentrate on ONLY RELIABLE BASE-LOAD energy and abandon the UNRELIABLE, TOXIC S & W disasters.
And ditto for Aussies but I wouldn’t hold your breath hoping it might happen any time soon. Certainly the data proves this is the best time for Human health and wealth in history, no ifs or buts. Just look up the UN data for yourselves and WAKE UP.
230
Via Chiefio
““What’s the difference between a Conspiracy Theory and Truth?” “About 6 months.”
60
Neville you poor fool. The media hated Trump and every move he made because he was showing them how stupid they were. The press hate being shown they were wrong which is quite easy these days because they usually are wrong.
220
Speaking of such things: (note the dateline)
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/exclusive-russia-china-agree-30-year-gas-deal-using-new-pipeline-source-2022-02-04/
70
Donald Trump was right, yet again.
1) Europe cannot and should not rely on Russia for energy.
2) Russia cannot be trusted.
3) The World needs proper coal, gas, nuclear and real hydro (not Snowy Hydro 2) power generation because modern industrial society needs cheap, on-demand, 24/7 power.
Are you missing him yet?
290
Incidentally, for those who say Donald Trump would be too old (78->82 years) for the next Presidential term, if Evil Doers such as Anthony Fauci (81) and Klaus Schwab (82) can be fully functional at that age, I don’t see why a person on the side of goodness and righteousness can’t be.
340
I’ve lost count on the number of things Trump either stated correctly or got right in policy ambitions. Even now I’m thinking about adding an extra one. When Fauci came to Trump about SarsCov2 way back in early 2020, Trump’s first comment was ” .. but it’s only the flu”. More and more as the whole COVID story unfolds those words are ringing true.
180
And in Australia, I don’t know about other countries, the average age of death attributed to covid exceeded the average age of death for all causes. And that was even before “vaccines” were available. (And even those figures were probably exaggerated because people who died had an average of three comorbidities.)
150
I’m pretty sure that’s been the case in the UK.
20
Interesting 4 Feb 2022 – to settle in euros
50
Was response to Bruce at 13
20
To add to the German U-Turn on Energy – WHEN DONALD TRUMP ASKED THEM TO DO THIS, HE WAS ACCUSED TO TRYING TO WEAKEN NATO: In Dramatic Shift, Germany Begins Military Rearmament.
150
1) It’s a good timing, as sligtly cheaper SMRs are going to be available at the time they will be making purchasing decisions.
2) For heat production (city heathing or industrial heating) cheaper reactors can be designed than for electricity production. Heating is a big energy budget in many parts of northern Europe.
3) Germany has some pilot facilities to make fuel from CO2, eg.
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/08/audi-expanding-output-of-sustainable-diesel-fuel.html
with nuclear as a primary energy source it is technically viable. Not sure about economics.
4) Could coal chimneys could be scaled to the size, that makes mercury emissions to settle in Russia ?
70
The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine Paperback – May 25, 2021
This definitive history of Ukraine is “an exemplary account of Europe’s least-known large country.” (Wall Street Journal)
As Ukraine is embroiled in an ongoing struggle with Russia to preserve its territorial integrity and political independence, celebrated historian Serhii Plokhy explains that today’s crisis is a case of history repeating itself: the Ukrainian conflict is only the latest in a long history of turmoil over Ukraine’s sovereignty. Situated between Central Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, Ukraine has been shaped by empires that exploited the nation as a strategic gateway between East and West—from the Romans and Ottomans to the Third Reich and the Soviet Union. In The Gates of Europe, Plokhy examines Ukraine’s search for its identity through the lives of major Ukrainian historical figures, from its heroes to its conquerors.
This revised edition includes new material that brings this definitive history up to the present. As Ukraine once again finds itself at the center of global attention, Plokhy brings its history to vivid life as he connects the nation’s past with its present and future.
10
The Crowded Road to Kyiv
One of the oddest commentaries about the Russian invasion of Ukraine is the boilerplate reaction that “borders can’t change in modern Europe” or “this does not happen in the 21st century.”
But why in the world should the 21st century be exempt from the pathologies of the past 20 centuries? Are we smarter than the Romans? More innovative than the Florentines? Do we have more savvy leaders than Lincoln or Churchill? Are they more mellifluous than Demosthenes? Does anyone now remember that some 130,000 were slaughtered just 30 years ago in the former Yugoslavia, as NATO planes bombed Belgrade and nuclear America and Russia almost squared off?
Has globalization, the “rules-based order,” the Davos reset elite, the “international community” so improved the very way humans think that they have rendered obsolete the now ossified ancient idea of deterrence? Will the Kardashians and Beyoncé tweet our pathway to global peace?
How about transnational NGOs? NATO? WHO? The U.N.? Are all their recent records of service proof of our more exalted modern morality? Will some new engineered Wuhan virus alter human nature, end its innate ancient pathologies, and so eliminate war as we knew it? Are we not the League of Nations because Putin is now chair of the Security Council?
In truth, anything can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time—and has and will until the end of time.
So let us walk down the crowded road to Kyiv.
– The Russian Agenda
– Will Ukraine Survive?
– Fossil Fuels
Gas and oil, and thus who tried to curtail both, explain a lot of the current mess. The nihilist Biden’s decision voluntarily to cancel new pipelines, federal leases, ANWAR, and leverage loss of bank financing for fracking, and to give up well over 2 million barrels of daily production will be seen not just as an economic disaster. It was a strategic catastrophe.
When Europe, or indeed the West, is dependent on Russian goodwill to drive and keep warm, it can never be free. Ending American energy independence is not just an AOC obsession. Russian hackers in January targeted our Colonial pipeline, shutting down in a day over 1 million barrels of transported oil. The more we discount the strategic consequences of having or lacking oil, the more our enemies fixate on it.
A couple of questions for Joe Biden: Before he took office, was the United States begging Russia to sell it more oil? After he took office, why was it?
– A Deterrent Military?
– American Goliath?
America may be woke. It may feel it has transcended dirty fossil fuels and can thrive on wind, solar, and batteries. It may assume it is morally superior, and like 19th-century pith-helmeted British foreign officers, can sermonize to the world, from pride flags and George Floyd murals in Kabul to no need for security in Benghazi.
But we also are mired in $30 trillion in debt. We print $2 trillion a year in mockery of inflation. Our major cities are crime-ridden and the streets medieval with the homeless and sidewalk sewers. Race relations are the worst in memory.
We have no southern border. Nearly 50 million residents were not born in our country—and this challenge at a time when we have given up on assimilation and integration. The woke virus has warped racial and ethnic relations and is destroying the idea of meritocracy. We are in the hold of a Jacobin madness, in a top-down elite race to perdition. To praise America’s past is a thought crime. The ignorant, who have no idea of the date when the Civil War began, nonetheless lecture to the nodding that 1619 not 1776 was America’s real foundational date.
In short, the America of even 1990 no longer exists. To retain our deterrence abroad, we must tighten our belts at home, pump oil and gas, start to balance our budget, junk wokeism as a nihilist indulgence, and recalibrate our military.
– NATO
– China
– Left-Wing Mania
– Biden
Left unsaid are the years of rapacious Biden family profiteering in Ukraine, a decade of leftist passive-aggressive love and hate of Russia, from obsequious reset to greedy Uranium One to pathetic “tell Vladimir . . .” to unhinged vetoing of sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
What a crowded road to Kyiv.
40
‘Great Reset’ architect backs Ukraine
The World Economic Forum (WEF) and its chairman, Klaus Schwab, have thrown their support behind Ukraine, vowing to do “whatever is possible to help” the country against Russian “aggression.”
In the statement on Sunday, Schwab – the author of ‘Covid-19: The Great Reset’ – and WEF President Borge Brende said they “deeply condemn the aggression by Russia against Ukraine” and “the attacks and atrocities.”
“Our full solidarity is with Ukraine’s people and all those who are suffering innocently from this totally unacceptable war,” they stated.
“We only hope that – in the longer-term – reason will prevail and that the space for bridge-building and reconciliation once more emerges,” they said, joining NATO, the European Commission, the UN chief, and other Western powers in publicly condemning Russia’s military action in Ukraine.
A Long Excellent Summary of Klaus Schwab
F@scism was all about using the state to protect and advance the interests of the wealthy elite.
Schwab was continuing this approach when in 1971 he founded the European Management Forum, which held annual meetings at Davos in Switzerland.
Here he promoted his ideology of “stakeholder” capitalism in which businesses were brought into closer co-operation with government.
“Stakeholder capitalism” is described by Forbes business magazine as “the notion that a firm focuses on meeting the needs of all its stakeholders: customers, employees, partners, the community, and society as a whole”.
Even in the context of a particular business, it is invariably an empty label. As the Forbes article notes, it actually only means that “firms can go on privately shoveling money to their shareholders and executives, while maintaining a public front of exquisite social sensitivity and exemplary altruism”.
But in a general social context, the stakeholder concept is even more nefarious, discarding any idea of democracy, rule by the people, in favour of rule by corporate interests.
Society is no longer regarded as a living community but as a business, whose profitability is the sole valid aim of human activity.
150
If neoconservatives and progressives truly understood fascism, they would stop using the word as a smear term. That is because both groups, along with most political figures and commentators, embrace fascist ideas and policies.
Fascism’s distinguishing characteristic is a “mixed economy.” Unlike socialists and communists who seek to abolish private business, fascists are content to let business remain in private hands. Instead, fascists use regulations, mandates, and taxes to control business and run (and ruin) the economy. A fascist system, then, is one where private businesses serve politicians and bureaucrats instead of consumers. Does the modern American economy not fit the definition of fascism?
Fascism benefits big businesses that can afford the cost of complying with government regulations, unlike their smaller competitors. Big businesses, which have more political influence than entrepreneurs or small businesses, also significantly benefit from government subsidies. In order to maintain their power, big businesses finance the “deep state” — the network of lobbyists, journalists, think tanks, bureaucrats, and congressional staffers who work behind the scenes to shape government policy.
Obamacare is an example of fascism that is often mislabeled as socialism. Obamacare did not create a government-run “single payer” system as would exist under socialism. Instead, Obamacare extended government control over health care via mandates, regulations, and subsidies. The most infamous part of Obamacare — the individual mandate — forces individuals to purchase a product from a private industry.
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2016/06/ron-paul/fascism/
70
Max…
If you truly understood fascism and socialism, you would realise that they are nowhere near as far apart as they appear.
Once the superficial slogans and symbols are discarded, the similarities are stark.
In both cases, the State is supreme, and the State is run by a self-selecting oligarchy.
In both cases, that oligarchy controls all forms of production, distribution and exchange. Whether the titular owner of business is the State or not, those who run business, do as they are told by the State. The reality is that they and those they love will find themselves in a camp or up against a wall if they do not comply.
The Fascist State does not run business to benefit business. Or the people. Business is run to benefit the State , which means the Party/Oligarchy who form government.
40
All “stakeholders” are equal, but some are more equal than others.
60
Well that was easy! ROTFLMAO……
30
Solid-State Batteries Drive the Future of the EV Market
Feb 23, 2022
But you will still need to generate a lot of Electricity to Charge
Solid-State Battery Advantages
A lithium-ion battery utilizes a liquid electrolyte solution that can be volatile and flammable at high temperatures. These batteries are considered a safety risk because they can catch fire if there is a short circuit or physical damage. Also, the only way to expand energy density in EVs is by adding more batteries, which takes up valuable space, adds weight, and drives up costs.
Will McKenna, marketing communications director for Solid Power, a Colorado-based solid-state-battery start-up, indicates there are four key limitations to today’s liquid electrolyte-based lithium-ion battery cells:
Limited drive range
Short calendar life
Low abuse tolerance
Expensive materials and pack systems
“Today’s battery packs are also complex and, due to temperature sensitivity and the highly flammable and volatile components, require cooling systems to maintain stability and considerable engineering to mitigate risk,” said McKenna. “This increases the cost of battery pack production.”
Solid-state batteries rely on a solid electrolyte, which is more stable, less flammable, and safer.
70
A RETURN TO ENERGY REALISM?
It is increasingly obvious to everyone who isn’t an idiot (which excludes John Kerry, most of the Biden Administration, and climatistas everywhere) that our anti-fossil fuel holy war has been foolish in the extreme, and weakened the West’s geopolitical strength as well as our economic vitality. Slowly you can hear the gears grinding toward some changes. Start with France declaring two weeks ago that it will build 14 new nuclear reactors over the next decade. This is a reversal of the announcement a few years ago that France would follow Germany in phasing out its nuclear fleet. Maybe Germany will follow.
The media is starting to notice and report that some of the green energy dreams are just that—dreams. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday:
Why All Those EV-Battery ‘Breakthroughs’ You Hear About Aren’t Breaking Through
Type the words “battery” and “breakthrough” into your search engine of choice, and you’ll encounter page after page of links. They include breathless news articles and lofty pronouncements from battery startups.
And yet, according to scientists, engineers, startup founders and analysts, the use of the word “breakthrough” in the context of battery technology is misleading at best. Claims that the latest research finding or startup launch will bear fruit in the near future are almost always nonsense, they say. . .
“People like a breakthrough, but when we write papers we try to avoid using these kinds of words,” says Xin Li, a researcher at Harvard University whose team recently published a paper on a new kind of higher-capacity solid-state battery in the scientific journal Nature. “There are too many battery ‘breakthroughs’ in my opinion in the past 5 years, and not many can be implemented in a commercial product.”.
Then there’s this story on the sudden resilience of coal out of Italy:
And this from Reuters:
Geopolitical clouds gather over Europe’s climate change plans
Finally, looks like the big banks that pledged multi-millions in funding for various climate “investment” initiatives at the Glasgow climate summit are stiffing the climatistas:
Climate ETF on brink of failure months after UN summit launch
80
Why All Those EV-Battery ‘Breakthroughs’ You Hear About Aren’t Breaking Through
To recharge an iPhone is to unscramble the proverbial egg of its battery. This process is never perfect, and is the primary reason the capacity of even the best batteries degrades over time.
Many approaches that in theory could double or triple the capacity of existing batteries haven’t been made to work beyond a few charge cycles. A prime example are lithium-sulfur batteries, which on paper could have nearly 10 times the capacity of current cells. The only problem: If you make one the same way you make current batteries, it breaks down almost completely after just one or two charge cycles.
Most batteries produced today go into electric vehicles, not consumer electronics, in part because cars require so many more of them. The smallest battery pack Tesla makes contains the same amount of energy as the cells in 1,666 iPhones; an Electric Hummer is the equivalent of 7,000 of them. As a result, EVs are now the primary driver of demand for batteries, and the requirements of auto makers are the de facto standards which battery makers must meet.
And yet the requirements of auto makers are often not reflected in the way that researchers and startups report the performance of their batteries.
While it’s easy to create a battery in the lab that performs well by one measure, the way such results are reported is often a kind of sleight-of-hand, says Ms. Hamilton. Such reports tend to play down the fact that a real-world battery must perform well by at least a half-dozen different measures that matter for electric vehicles. Those include delivering power for acceleration, storing a lot of energy per gram of weight to enable long range, lasting for thousands of charge and discharge cycles, operating in a wide range of temperatures, and not catching fire too easily when damaged.
Also, batteries can’t cost too much, since their price is the primary driver of the cost of electric vehicles.
Even when a promising new battery technology can be made to work by all the measures that matter, another challenge looms just as large: production.
90
Yes. Those breakthrough super batteries don’t (can’t) last because there is only so far you can push the chemistry. The greater the electric potential, the greater the reactivity of the constituents. That suggests two problems. One is that the more stable the reactants, the harder it is to restore them to their initial state. Also, the more reactive they are, the less stable they are over time. it’s not just that the egg is scrambled (lol good analogy), but it is also then over cooked.
It seems to me that there’s an upper limit on lifetime and performance beyond which it’s impossible to go. I think we’re probably close to the limit that chemistry permits. So, unless we can discover some exotic physics, the promise of electric vehicles that can compete with conventional fuel powered ones is a pipe dream.
Here is an intro to some some chemistry basics, for anyone who wants to begin exploring it further.
https://www2.chem.wisc.edu/deptfiles/genchem/netorial/rottosen/tutorial/modules/electrochemistry/02half_reactions/18_21.htm
Good luck unscrambling those burned eggs.
80
correction
i should have written “products” rather than “reactants;” ~middle of 1st paragraph.
00
The main advantage of todays current lithium batteries is that they actually exist and are available, !
Solid state cells are another of those “breakthroughs” that have yet be be commercialised.
40
The left don’t have values, only fashions.
50
yes indeed
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vO9gafQtFb4
10
Analysis: Push for Green Energy Not Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Driving up Oil Prices, Threatening Security</strong>
The website oilprice.com posted an analysis about how the push for green energy years before Russia invaded Ukraine – and on steroids since Joe Biden became president – is to blame for soaring oil prices and foreign policy weakness.
The analysis begins with a story about a team from MetalMinder, “the largest metals-related media site in the U.S.”, on a trip to Germany in 2018 where they discovered people’s health suffered from coal pollution because after the Japanese Fukushima nuclear disaster it began shutting down its nuclear energy operations.
“In hindsight, that decision by Germany appears both foolish and ironic,” the team concluded. “Foolish because Germany has lost its negotiating power (pun intended) with Russia for which it relies. It’s ironic because the country already had ‘clean energy’ but now must turn back to dirty energy to avoid blackouts.”
And as a result of the less reliable wind and solar, the market has shown an uptick in gasoline-powered home and commercial generator sales, according to one seller Generac — including in the Ukraine and Russia.
The analysis said this means people here at home think the power grid is unsustainable.
“The green narrative centers around climate change as the root cause of more severe weather but the other factor relates to the unreliability of green energy and power companies have failed to make the investments in backup energy sources needed to support wind and solar,” the analysis said. “Green energy goes down far more often than either nuclear or coal plants.”
Aside from generators, the analysis said another fossil-fueled spinoff from the push for electric vehicles will include diesel vehicles made with mobile generators to charge cars that have run out of juice on highways.
60
The website oilprice.com posted an analysis about how the push for green energy years before Russia invaded Ukraine – and on steroids since Joe Biden became president – is to blame for soaring oil prices and foreign policy weakness.
The True Cost Of The Green Energy Boom Is Now Being Realized
. Renewable energy has taken center stage in the global fight against climate change.
. The energy crisis in Europe has highlighted some of the challenges the world is facing in the global energy transition.
. It is becoming increasingly clear that fossil fuels will remain a key part of the energy mix for years to come.
60
Russia Has $630 Billion To Spare As It Considers Cutting European Gas Flows
. The plethora of sanctions that were announced by Western powers after Russia invaded Ukraine and one notable absence: energy industry sanctions.
. The reason European powers are so reluctant to sanction Russia’s oil and gas industry is that they need Russia’s natural gas far more than Russia needs their money.
. Thanks in part to high energy prices, Russia now has $630 billion in foreign exchange reserves, a sum of money that means it could survive turning off the taps to Europe.
60
Not so as the $630 Billion in US Dollars is mainly held in investment assets that have just been frozen. So, the Russian Central Bank cannot now use those funds to support the crashing Ruble.
00
I doubt it, they have been de dollaring and buying gold held in Russia for years now
20
Yes, I think you will find they hold all those assets in foreign currency and gold etc on their soil.
20
The Russian Central Bank has been unable to liquidate those assets to support the Rouble which is why the Rouble has crashed 30% against the US Dollar and dropped considerably against the other major other currencies………………………
00
Apparently the Russians could pay off all their debt tomorrow if they chose. In fact, pay off their debt x3. Whereas the US and probably most western countries, including Australia, have debt to financial incomes ratios much greater than 100%. So couldn’t pay off their debt without bankrupting their country and probably barely able to pay the interest. Russia – pay off their total debt with heaps left over.
40
Why would they not keep supplying and taking their money, it just highlights EU hypocrisy.
10
Our farmers have had the best year on record and is about 81 billion $ and that is about 12 billion $ higher than the previous year.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/agriculture-hits-new-records/ar-AAUqrbM
40
The share of land devoted to agriculture (37 % of world land surface) hasn’t changed since 1990, according to a 2015:2030 FAO/UN perspective report. We have been able to feed 34% more people in that time and feed them better than ever, using the same amount of land. Yep, damn that climate change, having a huge impact on agriculture – not!!
70
We are doing our best, but the price of nitrogen fertiliser has doubled in 12 months. Half of Europe’s manufacturing capacity has closed because they cannot make product at a price that farmers can pay and still make a profit.
The feedstock for ammonia fertiliser is natural gas.
Fuel, chemicals and transport are all seeing cost increases faster than the official inflation rate
I probably won’t be sowing wheat this year. Maybe canola.
Gosh Gee! Who would have thought that panicking over Climate Change and Covid would drive up food prices?
30
“I’m from the government and I’m here to help you” (/s)
“https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2022/02/28/did-you-notice-what-was-ridiculous-about-femas-advice-about-a-nuclear-attack-n2603877
In case of Nuclear attack, make sure you wear your mask and when calling 911, make sure you tell them if you have COVID”
Via a comment at Chiefio
60
This nuclear update was:
-requested by someone
-reviewed by one or more people
-approved
-actually pulished
How totally stupid can FEMA be? If the do this what else lurks in their output?
20
‘America Defeats Germany for the Third Time in a Century’
‘As President Biden explained, the current U.S.-orchestrated military escalation (“Prodding the Bear”) is not really about Ukraine. Biden promised at the outset that no U.S. troops would be involved. But he has been demanding for over a year that Germany prevent the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from supplying its industry and housing with low-priced gas and turn to the much higher-priced U.S. suppliers.’
‘A major aim of today’s New Cold War is to monopolize the market for U.S. shipments of liquified natural gas (LNG). Already under Donald Trump’s administration, Angela Merkel was bullied into promising to spend $1 billion building new port facilities for U.S. tanker ships to unload natural gas for German use. The Democratic election victory in November 2020, followed by Ms. Merkel’s retirement from Germany’s political scene, led to cancellation of this port investment, leaving Germany really without much alternative to importing Russian gas to heat its homes, power its electric utilities, and to provide raw material for its fertilizer industry and hence the maintenance of its farm productivity.’
‘So the most pressing U.S. strategic aim of NATO confrontation with Russia is soaring oil and gas prices, above all to the detriment of Germany. In addition to creating profits and stock-market gains for U.S. oil companies, higher energy prices will take much of the steam out of the German economy.’
https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/03/01/america-defeats-germany-for-the-third-time-in-a-century/
30
If the aim of the Biden administration is to sell more US energy to Europe, I’m curious to know why it has acted to reduced hydrocarbon fuel production?
Prices are not increasing in the US because they have production to spare.
20
Reality usually wins in the end.
10
” Germany cancelled the Nord Stream gas pipe that would have brought even more gas from Russia.”
That’s a typo. It’s actually “The US cancelled the Nordstream gas pipe….”
10
Reality vs Renewables.
Reality wins.
10
I can’t believe what Joanne wrote. Some issues define us. This issue defines many greens. From my many conversations with greens on nuclear power, it seems a good half of them can never change their minds on the topic. If the Party voted pro nuclear power, it must result in a split because there are still many hard-cord anti-nukes there.
20
Mark I can’t believe you think half of the greens would change their mind on nuclear power , like with CAGW their belief system is so strong as to create a rabid ideology that can’t be questioned.
20
People here might be interested in Christopher Monckton’s take on the whole climate alarmist movement:
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2022/03/the_strategic_threat_from_netzero_emissions_.html
When reading it, I half expected George Smiley to make an appearance. It’s an amazing read and at least for the first part of it, I think Viscount Brenchley had first hand knowledge. It’s amazing that so much of it has been declassified.
30
[…] h/t JoNova; Bye bye German green revolution – “There are no taboos on deliberations”, according to senior Green Party member Robert Habeck. […]
10