Germany’s Downward Energy Spiral In COVID-19 Pandemic Has Grim Ramifications For California – OpEd

Germany’s energy transition (“Energiewende”) from fossil fuels for power and electricity to renewables, particularly wind turbines, has caused the highest electricity prices in the world. These policies have led to electrical output reductions triggering serious implications for how effectively Germany can ward off COVID-19.

But in the age of a global pandemic leading to economic depressions Germany better return to fossil fuels for reliable electrical generation. The world is moving in that direction through the use of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals that have their origins in the over 6,000 products that come from a barrel of crude oil.

Monies spent towards skyrocketing electricity prices could be used towards fulfilling their NATO two percent defense requirements (which they aren’t), finding alternative natural gas avenues other than Russian-owned Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and doing their part to keep the fractured European Union (EU) solidified. 

Otherwise Germany’s energy policies, which a 2019 McKinsey & Company report said “pose(s) a significant threat to the nation’s economy and energy supply,” will devastate their country, the EU, and western-aligned nations battling the Chinese virus unleashed on the world. There doesn’t seem to be a compromise between climate change enthusiasts who embrace renewables, and opponents of both actions in the Merkel government. 

Chancellor Merkel has vowed to fight undefined climate change by spending 50 billion euros on top of the 580 billion euros already spent on Energiewende. Merkel also wants to tax productive German industries who emit carbon, and dot the German countryside with expansive, land-grabbing wind turbine farms for energy to electricity that do not work as advertised. 

Policy proposals that deem anthropogenic global warming/climate change an existential threat to mankind is based on the fear that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels causes irreversible destruction. This “existential threat” echoed by actor Leonardo DiCaprio, and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is “highly questionable according to many scientists,” here, here, here, and here.

Berlin’s embrace of the proposed 11 trillion euro, European Green New Deal – that  has their launching point from the American Green New Deal would “finance the transition away from fossil fuels to decarbonizing Europe’s economy.” Merkel has never explained how Germany would transition from the thousands of products that protect her country, and drive her export-driven economy that have their basis from a barrel of crude oil.

This drive for decarbonization, and riddance of zero-carbon nuclear power has consequences when Berlin wholeheartedly uses renewables. By eliminating coal-fired and natural-gas fired power plants this requires: 

“Literally millions of wind turbines, billions of solar panels, and several billion batteries like the half-ton power sources used in Tesla vehicles.”

Berlin would then be propelling a gargantuan increase in mining for “lithium, cobalt, copper, iron, aluminum, and numerous other raw materials.” To power this drive for renewable energy to electricity technology is fueled by earth-moving transportation that is largely run off fossil fuel. Currently, only small amounts are being mined globally since the world uses fossil fuels for over 80 percent of all energy needs.

Add the need for precious minerals that supply computers, smartphones and electric vehicles (whose sales have plummeted during coronavirus) will mean Merkel’s government is financing, and promoting environmental destruction. Mining operations take place in failed nation-states such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and duplicitous China.

Expanding mining to meet European and American New Deal requirements for solar panels and wind turbines will:

“Impose substantial harm on the men, women, and children who work in battery – and renewable energy-related mines, processing plants and factories in other countries.”

German energy policies will promulgate environmental degradation, wildlife de-placement and destruction; and human misery without achieving emission reduction or working towards alleviating the coronavirus outbreak. In actuality since billions have been spent – German emissions have increased the past ten years – and with COVID-19 attacking respiratory systems – this is a major problem. Environmentalists in Germany, and other renewable-usage-heavy nations are also seeking bailout money that should be going to small business owners, and blue- collar workers.

The larger issue coinciding with poor German energy policy is the collapse of U.S. oil prices called West Texas Intermediate (WTI). Energy jobs in the U.S. are being lost. U.S. power demand has now fallen to 16-year lows. German and EU security depends on America “maintaining energy dominance.” North Slope in Alaska had a major oil discovery earlier this year that is now put on hold whereas Brent Crude that hasn’t collapsed since it is based out of the North Sea and still has plenty of storage; this means the EU can fall under Russian energy sway. 

Then you have leftist, green-dependent American politicians in New York and Virginia following Berlin, and most of the EU’s choice of banning fracking and embracing global warming and renewables. These choices create a security dilemma – with Russia and other Middle Eastern dictatorships – waiting to fulfill European energy, and electrical generation needs. Does Germany, and the EU want to trust American leaders who embrace global warming and renewables, such as Speaker of the U.S. Congress Nancy Pelosi, who has extensive ties to China along with American Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden?

The pandemic has revealed how useless many environmental policies truly are when states, counties and cities in America who have banned plastic bags now reverse course when it was found reusable bags spread COVID-19 instead of using plastic bags that end up in a landfill.

Use critical thinking to reopen German energy markets, and global economies as well, which Germany is dependent on for their growth. Stop giving German taxpayer handouts to wind and solar firms leading to energy poverty.

The world has returned to fossil fuels, because renewables are chaotically intermittent. Germany hasn’t figured out how to store and transmit energy when the sun doesn’t shine, or the wind doesn’t blow. Germany needs energy security to fight off Russian aggression, maintain European sovereignty, and have consistent energy to alleviate the COVID-19 pandemic. Current Energiewende policies, if continued, will lead to the coronavirus spreading, and weaken Germany.