France is building new nuclear reactors. So is the UK, Czechia, Finland, Canada and the U.S., to name a few. I’ve even seen an article that Poland intends on building 79 small modular reactors that are the same design SaskPower has chosen. 79! And they want to do it by 2038. But Germany? They know better. They had shut down all of their numerous reactors except three, and today, those last three are done. But hey, they just bulldozed another village to burn coal.
Michael Campbell opined Germany, by shutting down nuclear plants, thus creating reliance on Russian oil, paid for the Ukraine invasion.
Another irony of the green appeasers, also pointed out, is climate loons attacking mining factors of production vital for renewables.
Failure is programmed in, by an ideological blind spot of epic proportions, or more succinctly put, the ultimate end of progressivism.
Poorer people are more dependent on government, which makes it more powerful, more corrupt and inevitably coercive.
As Margaret Thatcher has taught us, progressives “would rather the poor were poor provided the rich were less rich.”
Except their virtuous rich of course.
Self-serving government is poor at picking winners, but self-serving losers are great at picking government, having erected an industry around rent seeking public lucre, those transactions of decline, over the target of power not public welfare, evermore shrink citizens.
“Don’t blame me I didn’t vote for those idiots” doesn’t cut it anymore. The results of that speak for themselves. Time to up our game.
Merkel announcing the phasing out of nuclear power in response to the Fukushima disaster was an act of staggering stupidity.
I credit her with having some brains. How could she have made such an obvious and avoidable mistake?
The fact that West Germans elected the Stasi Princess within ten years of reunification says much about the level of critical thinking of the German people as a whole.
Cutting off the branch one is perched upon as regards to energy policy … well that’s just facing the wall and dropping your drawers that final inch.
I can only think that Merkel believed environmentalists when they told her that wind and solar were viable alternatives. Yet even a cursory investigation would have revealed serious problems with relying on intermittent low-density power.
Fifty years of anti-nuclear lobbying works. It’s funny that the Germans prefer dirty coal to uranium.
Did the Stasi fund the West German Greens in the same way that the KGB had their tentacles in various western environmental movements?
You’d have to ask Klaus Schwab.
Arty, you mean “Dr. Evil”.
https://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fsuper-villain%2Fimages%2F9%2F91%2F3998596-dr-evil.jpg%2Frevision%2Flatest%2Fscale-to-width-down%2F355%3Fcb%3D20140805055410&tbnid=FyORxc3luL_yvM&vet=12ahUKEwjz7rn6ga3-AhVzI2IAHbtkAI4QMygDegUIARDmAQ..i&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsuper-villain.fandom.com%2Fwiki%2FDr._Evil&docid=Z2TGEwM-aAPLSM&w=355&h=397&q=dr.%20evil&ved=2ahUKEwjz7rn6ga3-AhVzI2IAHbtkAI4QMygDegUIARDmAQ
Cursory examination equals basic math. I’m tired of people who cannot do basic math, leaders included
Merkel has always puzzled me. Affirmative-action voting by masochist ‘liberals’ has been a curse. Unless elections have never been a reflection of public mood at all.
This wasn’t Merkel’s mistake alone. The antinuclear decision was one of long-standing. It started with Germany’s making itself dependent on Russian gas in the 1980s. It continued with former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder being the paid puppet of the Kremlin in the 1990s. All Merkel did was determine the timing.
Germany’s antinuclearism was a direct consequence of KGB infiltration and control of a host of environmental and political movements in Germany and around the world. This was very much the creation of then-KGB head Yuri Andropov. The Soviet army may have been worthless crap, so they tried conquest by undermining German and western society by corrupting Socialist/Green political and environmental groups with special attention to Germany.
For the last three decades, Germany has not really had much of an independent government. It was as much a tool of the Kremlin as Justatwit and the Liberals are creatures of Communist China.
Socialists in the west are still running on defunct soviet-era zombie software. Nobody can figure out how to stop the code from executing.
That’s about it. It’s like all the Communists spread everywhere after their ant hill collapsed.
I agree with both of you. There are a host of organizations that the KGB infiltrated. In my high school days, this included things like Amnesty International and most of the various European communist parties. The Communist Party of Canada was probably immune from this as they were a gang of hopeless losers incapable of tying their own shoes.
This was mostly set up by Yuri Andropov from his KGB days, and as an ex-KGB man it’s no surprise that Vladimir Putin knew all the buttons to push to keep this dead zombie moving.
Yuri Bezmenov told us. There are a couple of videos and interviews and he wrote several books
https://bigthink.com/the-present/yuri-bezmenov/
Small correction cgh, German dependence on Soviet energy imports dates back to 1970s. In the 80s it got to the point that Ronald Reagan wanted to sanction Germany for their collaboration with Soviets and everybody noticed. However as soon as the benefits of Marshal Plan dried out, Germany needed another engine of economic growth, Soviet energy was that. So when Reagan was trying to win the Cold War, Germany were subsidizing the enemy while benefiting from US protection.
And you’re right about Andropov era. Current German elites got infiltrated by GRU then, they were young, impressionable, working towards restoring good relationship with the East, it was easy. It was even easier in Austria that is completely infiltrated and downright controlled by Kremlin today.
Then there is the traditional German perception of geopolitics, a perception that hasn’t changed since Bismarck era. To Germans russia has always been a viable partner and player and largely (like russians) they consider Central Europe a nuisance.
So the plan was to hamstring the East, deny them agenda and build German trade empire called EU in partnership with Kremlin. Almost worked. The magnificent Ukrainian army made it impossible. And Germans have no idea for the future, they are rudderless now. May you live interesting times indeed.
Colonialista, I agree with you and accept your correction. Your notion of German geopolitics is also agreeable. In this regard, Germany is as thoroughly controlled by Russia as it was in the period 1813-1839.
As to your notion of a German trade empire, I also agree with that. The whole point of AGW and UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol was to limit North American economic growth. I actually overheard EU delegates openly discussing the plan at the UNFCCC meeting in Buenos Aires in 1998. They were discussing it openly because they were entirely convinced that no one and nothing could interrupt it.
Yes, the Ukrainian army put an end to these delusions. And now Russia is stuck with a disintegrating army dependent on foreign mercenaries who are dying like flies. The always-incompetent Russian army has managed to recreate Stalingrad 1942 in 2023-23. As for the EU, it’s not clear to me that this dinosaur will last more than a decade from now.
It has been occupied by the Americans since WWII end.
Robert, if you wanted to demonstrate that you’re pout of your debt in a puddle, you could not provide a better example.
Have you noticed how every time Americans announce that they will pull out of Germany, Germans beg them not to? They weren’t occupied for a very long time. They offered Germans a free ride curtesy of US taxpayer and Germans happily took the offer. They’re welcome elsewhere in Europe anytime Germans get tired of benefiting from US presence. Countries in Europe are lining around the block to bring in US troops.
“I credit her with having some brains. How could she have made such an obvious and avoidable mistake?”
I think that is what happens when you pretend that the Green Party is a legitimate political force, and not just a fringe group. I blame ‘proportional representation’ for giving them the kind of power to influence policy the way they have.
I also was gobsmacked that Germany was so panicked by the damage done by the Tsunami to the reactor that they would shut down all their reactors (none that had any chance of experiencing a tsunami).
And even worse, after years of experiencing the failures of renewables, years when they could have realize the folly of shutting down the nukes, they didn’t abandon their foolish intentions.
I had always thought Germans were more in touch with reality. This makes me embarrassed that I’m of German heritage.
It’s not a mistake. It is a POLICY.
One of the things Merkel is doing is distracting from something else. Most likely the immanent failure of German banks. There are probably other things being covered up that if we knew them, it would not go well for Frau Merkel.
They’re not stupid. They’re getting every single thing they want.
Yes , she said “it” could happen here. When was the last Tsunami to hit Germany? Also, the paranoid delusions of the left forgot the score: Tsunami 50,000 NPP 1
Chernobyl and Fukishima made everyone wet their beds. Couple that with 20 political parties, half of which are certifiably insane and this is the result.
Who cares? Germany has been on a suicide watch since the end of the Great War. Anyone that matters to humanity should have left by now.
Upvote
Yes!
Progressive self loathing and “white guilt” has brought Germany to it’s submissive state. Of course dependence on the US and it’s occupation since WW2 has exasperated it’s current welfare state mentality.
Despite that, evolutionary German genetics & ingrained cultural practices have allowed it to excel in science, technology, and manufacturing practices regardless of current trends.
As usual you’re wrong about everything. It is amazing how consistently you are wrong and how tirelessly you peddle your bullshit. Literarily all your points are wrong.
I no longer care if anyone wakes up.
You know what a nuclear power plant brings you besides lots of very reliable (90% Capacity Factor) power?
Reliable power come rain, shine, wind or calm, heat or cold??
JOBS. (Joe Biden’s Favorite Three Letter Word)
Professional Jobs. Lots of good, well paying jobs for operators, engineers, mechanics, electricians, technicians, laborers, and security staff. A rule of thumb is about one person per Megawatt of capacity, so 500-1,000 people per reactor. The going rate in the US is over $100,000 per year for engineers. With overtime, union staff average over $100,000 per year too.
Imagine what will happen to a Saskatchewan town when 500 to 1,000 well educated families with well paying jobs move in? How many hundreds, more likely thousands, of additional jobs will be created?
I agree with you on most of those points. But in Estevan, already, almost everyone who works at the coal mines or power plants brings in around $100,000 per year. Jobs which will soon disappear. I was talking to a guy at the SMR open house a few months ago who used to work in the nuclear industry in Ontario. He said of those qualified to work inside the safety perimeter, working stiffs, not engineers, the average pay was over $200,000/year.
So, in Estevan, we already have those ~1,000 families. We desperately don’t want to lose them.
… very reliable (90% Capacity Factor) power..
I doubt it’s anywhere close to that over the long term. Bruce is constantly being rebuilt. I looked at the MWe Net per unit for Bruce and when they were commissioned, made a cumulative TWh calculation and the overall long term capacity factor is <70%. Looking at the graph in Wikipedia the capacity factor was about 78% for 2021.
Klapper,
Most of the US Westinghouse PWR and GE BWR units I worked at regularly hit a 3 year rolling averages of 90-93% in the 2000’s, which included the regular every 1-1/2 or 2 year refueling outages. Part of it was they had worked on making them more reliable over the first 20-25 years of their life, and also they had completed their post TMI (3 Mile Island) upgrades. A lot of it is everyone and everything was constantly driven to improve. Refueling Outages went from 90+ days to 25-35 day outages. Runs went from, “Hey we’ve been up for 90 days!,” to “Damn, we only made 230 days (or 270, 362, or 163 days).”
A lot changed and improved in the US industry from when I started in 1990, until I left in 2012. Dramatic improvements in reliability.
Brian,
99% of those engineers, maintenance, and everyone else working in fossil fuel plants will find jobs in nuclear. Starting with construction, and when they are running for 40 or 60 years too.
I’m telling my 16 year old kid to get his journeyman electrician or instrument tech to first build them, then work at them.
Brian,
If the Canadian utility running those plants is anything like those in the US? Your kid will be in school regularly throughout his career. A minimum of weeks every year. To get a US NRC reactor operators license was just about a full year, and six weeks of refresher training every year.
The Operations Manager when I was at a nuclear plant in Iowa had literally started as a laborer straight out of HS. He worked his way up to operator, then went to Reactor Operator School, and all over again when he became a Senior Reactor Operator managing a crew of operators, and then supervising the entire department. Bright man with the ability to lead people, and a man that could explain in detail how every system in that plant worked. After I left, the utility actually sent him to get a university bachelors degree and made him Plant Manager. A degree is actually a requirement for plant mangers. Last I heard he was a Senior VP running multiple nuclear plants in Pennsylvania.
Two things about nuclear power plants.
#1: don’t build them below tsunami level
#2: don’t build them over active faults
#3 don’t build them without containment vessels
#4 don’t build them with carbon moderators
#5. Move to next generation Thorium SALT Reactor technology.
-No pressurization required.
-Thorium is a commonly found, abundant and cheap element.
-No water used as a modulator, no chance of steam escape.
-No bomb materials created as daughter products.
Yeah, that’s why governments continue using 75 year old, dangerous technology.
The dangerous tech is for weapons grade material, that’s why we use it today, can’t have enough bombs .
Thorium and coal , it’s what’s for dinner.
I think corosion must be a problem for liquid Thorium salt reactors. I am sure there are other ways as well. But where is the R & D? Canada should be doing this in spades.
The Canadian shield and the Prairies sound like excellent sites. Apparently the French have an attitude of “no such thing as nuclear waste”. Let’s talk with them about reprocessing. Also, how about a Fast Breeder reactor in Canada to help chew up that waste. I am hoping my holdings in Comeco these past 25 years will finally bear fruit.
You do know that Germany used coal for only 7% of its power last winter and is phasing it out as well.
You do know that natgas prices have dropped and as such are cheaper than nuke power.
You do know that renewables now account for over 40% of their power needs rising to 50% in the next 18 months.
No you didn’t you backward hicks. You’re too lodged in your thickheaded ways aren’t you?
You see this as a threat to your masculinity because you no longer can get any anymore and resort to posturing in your loud stinky stupid pickup trucks. And you feel inadequate.
That’s this girls opinion and we are laughing at you stupid men. We are mocking you. We want the guys in the Teslas and the cyber trucks.
Another dimwit who doesn’t understand that solar doesn’t produce at night and that wind generation varies with the cube of the speed. Now go back to your barbie dolls.
Lol. Another “man” who feels so inadequate and threatened. So he just lashes out with his baby boy tantrum and tired old excuses completely ignorant of modern ways. Cry little boy cry.
Maybe learn about the new tech that is overwhelming the old. Rather than being scared of it. Like a little boy who refuses to eat his veggies. Cum on baby eat it up!
Some facts for Emily’s friend. Germany’s energy consumption by source (2022).
https://www.statista.com/statistics/583158/energy-consumption-by-source-germany/
Oil : 35%
Gas : 24%
Renewables : 17%
Coal : 20%
Nuclear : 3%
Other : 2%
This guy eats his veggies. And does his math. Fossil fuel accounts for 79% of Germany’s energy consumption.
I believe that the majority of renewables is from bio-fuel (wood), the only fuel dirtier than coal when smoldering at low temperatures.
54% of Germany’s renewables comes from biofuel. They aren’t even trying.
Consequently, the entire capacity of renewables must be duplicated by conventional power. This redundancy is very expensive, as it means that renewable capacity cannot ever replace conventional capacity.
LOL Beth, there’s a huge difference between rated capacity and actual production.
Case in point, from this past Thursday. The last remaining coal plant in Alberta was producing 135x the entire wind fleet.
https://pipelineonline.ca/what-do-you-get-when-you-divide-6-by-3618-the-fraction-of-power-output-of-alberta-wind-on-thursday-morning/
Coal is dead. And natgas is next. Wind and solar are devouring it.
Zinchuk, your number is up.
You are scared and you know it. Otherwise alll you clowns wouldn’t be so defensive.
You do know that Germans pay three times as much as we do for electricity.
You do know that Germany’s government wants to spend €40bn over next 4 years to cut CO₂. This will cut global temps by 0.00018°C, or one degree in 5500 years. A bargain!
You do know that German energy sector emissions have risen for the last two years.
Or do you?
Oh look, a lost Greentard wandered in. Greta, go home to mumsy!
No they don’t, You are lying,. Installed power, maybe, but not actual generation. In 2021 coal accounted for 30% of actual electricity generation in Germany.
Interestingly, despite Germany having massive amounts of coal, it imported 30% from Russia before the war. Hahah.
https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-energy-u-turn-coal-instead-of-gas/a-62709160
Who the phuck let climate barbie in here? LMAO!!!
Emily’s friend Beth. Enlighten yourself with the truth. Even Der Spiegel (leftist nonsense media in Germany) admits that Energiewende was a complete and utter failure. Here’s a Forbes article that shows exactly how massively Germany screwed up. Most of their renewables are Biomass (which causes a lot of pollution) and the total output from renewables has been exceedingly disappointing. Oh, and not 40 to 50%….it’s closer to 35% and is on the downward curve since 2018.
And, after all that effort….all that money (about $36 Billion) and all that rhetoric…Germany still didn’t meet their Greenhouse gas emission goal.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2019/05/06/the-reason-renewables-cant-power-modern-civilization-is-because-they-were-never-meant-to/?sh=24750899ea2b
“You do know that Germany used coal for only 7% of its power last winter and is phasing it out as well.”
Your number is wrong. Coal was 183TWh out of a total of 574TWh generation, for 2022 in Germany (32%). They import power, nuclear from France but coal from Poland so there’s no way coal was only 7% of German power consumption for the winter of 2022/2023. The coal percentage of German power generation for 2020 was 24% so coal has made a resurgence in Germany in 2022, thanks to the lack of Russian gas. Germany has the highest intermittent renewable power generation of an industrialized nation, but also by far the highest electricity costs because of this.
“We want the guys in the Teslas and the cyber trucks.”
Good luck getting soiboi to change a lightbulb or hang a picture, Bethy, and have fun trying to go camping with the golf cart.
Emily ,please provide sources so we can verify.
“We want the guys in the Teslas and the cyber trucks.”
LOL, you want them, and the only price you’re willing to pay for them is a few STDS. I would not touch you with a stolen dick dear.
“That’s this girls opinion and we are laughing at you stupid men. We are mocking you. We want the guys in the Teslas and the cyber trucks.”
No, you don’t.
You *say* you do, sure, but only until you actually land one (if you can find a guy who doesn’t run the other way at the mere sight of you), then realize that you will have to substitute for his mother from now on. That gets old really fast, I’m told…then you will start wishing you had picked a real man. Sadly, though, no real man will ever want anything to do with you, sweetheart…
Germans are prone to embracing wacky ideas and running with them. I think it’s some kind of idiot/savant affliction.
Germany and California have the same mindset. California was scheduled to shut down its last remaining nuclear power plant by 2025. However, in the last congressional session they scrambled to extend that date into the future because of backlash for brown outs and the absolute scammery that is surrounding the “renewable energy” nonsense. The hilarious thing is that it took them until they were down to one power plant to realize that they had made a BIGGGGG mistake, and now all the other plants are gone….which means more brown outs into the future.
You can’t fix overzealous stupidity.
The Germans are great engineers and chemists but political imbeciles, Marx was one after all. They are going to destroy their economy to prevent climate change while ignoring the fact that the sun’s varying output makes their attempt futile.
If the Germans had been smart, they would have banned Ms Merkel and all the other East German socialists from politics as a condition of unification.
Surprising, because Germany is so well known for making excellent decisions about its future.
Good one Mr. Eleven
Kudos to Canada’s legendary own son, Maurice Strong, a Rockefeller protege, who with his connections to western elites was appointed honcho at the UN to implement the Club pf Rome “sustainability” agenda. He put on the Rio Summit in 1992. With his connections to the Laurentian elites, Canadian NGOs were bankrolled and a propaganda campaign was directed at the Canadian public. On the home front, the fallout was curtailment of the oil sands and the selling of wind scam indulgences to the oil industry. In 1992, Strong was appointed chairman of Ontario Hydro to implement the bust up of Hydro which led to the lay-up of 8 nuclear reactors in Ontario and the opening up to the market to private wind scam produces. Oh, but those Russians!