Merkel ‘Getting Tough’ With Putin

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Come on man….this is getting “tough” with Russia?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared the Group of Eight leading nations defunct given the current crisis in Ukraine, in a clear message to Russia that the world’s seven other major industrialized countries consider its actions in Ukraine unacceptable. “As long as there is no political environment for such an important political format as the G-8, the G-8 doesn’t exist anymore, not the summit nor the format,” said Ms. Merkel, in Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag. “Russia is widely isolated in all international organizations,” the chancellor said.

You can just see Putin shrugging his shoulders saying “so what”

I mean “widely isolated”? Please. Germany still gets a ton of their fuel from Russia, all thanks to Merkel:

Chancellor Angela Merkel immediately closed the country’s eight oldest reactors. Although a phaseout of nuclear energy in Germany had been planned before Fukushima, Merkel decided to speed up the shuttering of the nine remaining reactors by about a decade, to 2022. The government is planning to get 80 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2050, up from about 23 percent now.

So what are they going to replace all that gas with? With windmills and solar panels? Ha!

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Slap on the wrist. But Russians are very legal- and protocol-minded and this may get their attention…but that’s all.

As for German energy policy, expect some big changes.

Angela and Obama = Merkel and Urkel

Gee, if only Putin had a bunch of stupid environmentalists talking him into sabotaging the petroleum industry in favor of over-priced and inefficient solar panels and wind mills, he wouldn’t have enough fuel to invade another country.

Best case I can make for relying on renewable energy.

@Bill Burris, #3:

Germany is now getting 25 percent of its total electrical power from domestic green energy technologies. They’ve set targets of 35 percent by 2020 and 60 percent by 2050. As of 2010, 370,000 Germans were employed in the renewable energy sector of the German economy.

I guess much depends on how someone defines the word stupid.

Greg

That was 2010. What has happened since

@inMAGICn, #5:

That was 2010. What has happened since

From Commercial solar hits grid parity in Germany, Italy, and Spain, March 21, 2014:

The cost of electricity from solar panels has reach parity with grid electricity in Germany, Italy, and Spain, new analysis has revealed.

The PV Grid Parity Monitor carried out by consulting firm Eclareon and sponsored by SunEdison, BayWa, and Gesternova, finds that the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) of solar PV became competitive with retail electricity prices in the commercial segment of those territories over 2013.

Parity. That is, solar power generation has become as cost effective as generating electricity using fossil fuels.

From Bloomberg, March 14, 2014: Merkel’s Green Push Sinks German Coal Profits:

Wind and solar may account for about half of Germany’s generation capacity by 2020, up from 37 percent in 2013, according to data from Bryan, Garnier & Co. Losses would threaten electricity supplies, Bernhard Guenther, RWE’s chief financial officer, said March 4.

The article explains the real reason green energy is under attack from special interests. It’s not because it doesn’t work; it’s because it works so well. It works so well that fossil fuel industry profits are taking a serious hit.

Thanks Greg

It will be interesting to see where Europe goes next.

This from a ”greenie:”
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/9d6ba56a-a633-11e3-8a2a-00144feab7de.html#axzz2wahwMWVU
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c0c9b448-9e2c-11e3-95fe-00144feab7de.html?siteedition=uk
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fe4fc7ec-9ee2-11e3-8663-00144feab7de.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/352dfaf4-9efc-11e3-8663-00144feab7de.html
Germany shows the globe how not to make green policy. It is failing the poor, while protecting neither energy security nor the climate.

Low-income tenants in the Ruhr area or Berlin are paying high energy prices to subsidise wealthy homeowners in Bavaria who put solar panels on their roofs.

Four weeks ago, in a report to the German parliament, a group of energy experts delivered a damning indictment of the current subsidies.
They said that the policy has had a “very low technology-specific innovation impact in Germany”.
Essentially, it is much safer for companies to keep selling more of the old technologies of wind, solar and biomass because these are already getting huge subsidies instead of trying to develop new and better technologies.

German energy policy is an expensive way to achieve almost nothing.
For solar alone, Germany has committed to pay subsidies of more than €100bn over the next 20 years, even though it contributes only 0.7 per cent of primary energy consumption.
These solar panels’ net effect for the climate will be to delay global warming by a mere 37 hours by the end of the century.

Germany energy prices for households are now 48 per cent above the European average.

Green energy cannot meet Germany’s need for reliable electricity. That is why Germany still needs copious amounts of fossil fuels; German CO2-emissions have risen since the nuclear power phase-out of 2011.

Buying cheap fuel from either the Mideast or Russia comes with consequences. Germany has been reducing its imports as it increases its reliance on its own generated solar and wind power. Of course Russia holds the trump card that WE gave them: the million tons of military gear that MUST be removed from Afghanistan MUST exit through Russia. Think maybe the Russkies are still a little bit pissed over our support of the proto Taliban when they drove the Russians out?
Our 30000 troops in Afghanistan have now been renamed to Task Force Hosttage

@Greg: I didn’t, Greg, include a reference to the other article on this very site about the abject failure of the renewable industry since, well, you ARE already here.

China has solar panel companies going bankrupt because China itself is reaching the point where it can no longer afford to continue supporting their losses.

Meanwhile, in the United States, green geniuses have forced us to forgo exploration and production in order to raise fossil fuel prices to the point to make renewable sources appear affordable (see, how it SHOULD work is to make the renewables CHEAPER to compete, but liberals have different ideas about success). So now, instead of having enough sources of energy domestically to make us invulnerable to threats to our energy sources abroad, we are not only still dependent upon tenuous sources of energy, but also in no position to help allies facing the same threat from Putin.

Germany phasing out subsidies for solar power; inefficient and expensive
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/project_syndicate/2012/02/why_germany_is_phasing_out_its_solar_power_subsidies_.html
http://joshuapundit.blogspot.com/2012/02/germany-sunsets-solar-power-after.html
EU moving away from green energy pursuits
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/european-commission-move-away-from-climate-protection-goals-a-943664.html
No wind and cloudy? Fire up the coal plants.
http://www.thegwpf.org/renewables-fiasco-doldrums-clouds-bring-green-electricity-production-halt/

Stupid is as stupid does, I have heard it said.

You liberals who always say you hate war should pay more attention to efforts to prevent it from becoming necessary, as the thumb-sucking fetal position proves ineffective. Putin will rush to consolidate his gains quickly before the West will get off its ass and react. More nations will become the victim of aggression and, eventually and inevitably, Putin will go too far and spark a shooting war. Perhaps someone will shoot “the big one” and the Biden will have really hit the fan.

Weakness invites conflict. Strength is peace. Liberals are dangerous to the world.

ANGELA MERKEL
will make bits for birds to eat , with VLADIMIR PUTIN,
she won’t let him get away with murder, attack and sneaking in a country to rob them of their land,
CRIMEA, WHICH BELONG TO UKRAINE, he send russians in there to prepare his plan, and he send thousands of thugs as
encircling the ukrainian people by surprise, no one would expect such a criminal to do it,
and he invade and killed some people and continue violence on a country
who did not attack him,
there is no other way for VLADIMIR PUTIN BUT DOWN,
he already put his foot in HELL.

curt what exactly do YOU think the proper response should be? Nukes? Conventional forces? You really ought to tell her what should be done

I didn’t, Greg, include a reference to the other article on this very site about the abject failure of the renewable industry since, well, you ARE already here.

There are all sorts of articles in circulation asserting that alternative energy technology is turning out to be an abject failure. The problem is that they’re being cranked out in an effort to sway public opinion, not to provide anyone with accurate information. The accurate information tells a completely different story.

The motive is simple: The conventional energy industries’ only concern is protecting their profits. This August 19, 2013 article addresses the effort to misrepresent Germany’s rapidly expanding alternative energy effort: Telling the Truth about Germany’s Clean Energy Rush.

@Greg:

I guess much depends on how someone defines the word stupid.

Look, I’m actually a big fan of potential so-called green energy innovations. I think an “all of the above” mentality makes sense; a diversified energy portfolio is advantageous for a number of reasons. Though for me, this also includes oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear, the harmless fracking process, etc. I don’t have irrational fears over any energy source.

The problem I have though is when government funds green energy initiatives. It just isn’t very good at this sort of thing, as is evidenced by the long list of stimulus funded green energy failures.

Parity. That is, solar power generation has become as cost effective as generating electricity using fossil fuels.

The problem here is that there’s simply too many activists in science, technology, and journalism to be able take any of these kinds of claims without healthy skepticism. Even though they use the word parity, most of them don’t take into account the cost of manufacturing of the solar panels and windmills, apparently these things just suddenly appear out of nowhere like the apports of a poltergeist. Many of them end up abandoned anyway.

As an aside, it always amuses me to no end how the Collective will shut down private enterprise if it endangers any animal, but seemingly has no problem with government subsidized windmills routinely killing endangered species. But I digress.

Look, I’ve seen proposals for green energy inventions in everything from speed bumps to floor tiles. And that’s great.

But if the green energy crowd really wants to sell the public on this technology, government mandates and bans are the wrong path. What they need to do is find a large private industry building, and completely convert it to 100% green energy, so that it’s entirely energy independent and 100% off the grid. Pitch this idea to a large prominent company, like Apple or Nike or Whole Foods, something that is highly visible in the public eye; too big to ignore. This would have far more of a convincing effect on public opinion than government nagging and wagging fingers ever could. As always, the proof is inevitably in the pudding.

Now, some of these green energy inventions don’t necessarily pay attention to the Laws of Thermodynamics, but that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with trying, as long as somebody else isn’t paying for the R & D.

@Greg:

The problem is that they’re being cranked out in an effort to sway public opinion, not to provide anyone with accurate information.

You say this as though the exact same isn’t true for the Mother Earth lobby. Everyone has an agenda. It reminds me of the baked conspiracy theorists who insist that Chrysler has secret plans for a car that runs on water, man.

The motive is simple: The conventional energy industries’ only concern is protecting their profits.

This is exactly the kind of pure silly nonsense that one is indoctrinated with in our entirely worthless Collective-run schools and universities. It requires a fundamental misunderstanding of how business operates.

Conventional energy industries are like any industry in that yes, they seek a profit; the best motivator for human innovation and industry. But also like any other industry, it’s always looking to expand its operations in order to increase those profits. This means that if green energy options were profitable, they would happily expand into those areas as well.

Remember, profit is not at all a dirty word. It’s only dirty for the Collective, because the Collective doesn’t understand how to make any; hence their envy.

@Greg: “The conventional energy industries’ only concern is protecting their profits.” Get OUT! You mean to say that some businesses think it better to make enough money on their product to maintain the business and grow and expand?

Dirty bastards!! We all know, don’t we, Greg, that it is far better to lose money on a regular basis and rely on a government to bail you out. Well, until the government gets tired of it or can’t afford it any more.

@Bill Burris, #16:

“The conventional energy industries’ only concern is protecting their profits.” Get OUT! You mean to say that some businesses think it better to make enough money on their product to maintain the business and grow and expand?

I think they’re perfectly capable of making decisions that could jeopardize the nation’s long-term energy future in order to maintain their profit streams in the present and the short-term future. An overly narrow focus on the short term and understanding the value of all things in purely monetary terms is one of the fundamental problems with America’s corporate mentality.

@Kraken, #15:

Everyone has an agenda.

Some agendas are more socially and environmentally responsible than others. On one extreme agendas can be oriented toward efforts to achieve the greatest good of the greatest number over the long term, while those on the other extreme may revolve around satisfying the insatiable greed of a relative few, with little or no concern for others or for future generations. While most things aren’t purely one way or the other, they often lean one way or the other, to varying degrees.

Remember, profit is not at all a dirty word. It’s only dirty for the Collective, because the Collective doesn’t understand how to make any; hence their envy.

You often tend to represent things as being either totally black or white, and then suggest that a choice must be made between the two extremes. That’s not reality. Much of reality is a grey area between extremes.

Profit is good to the degree that no harm is done in the course of producing it. Consider: Some people make very large profits by manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine. Some people have grown wealthy manufacturing and distributing tobacco products, which are addictive and are responsible for a great deal of human suffering and death. Others have become rich by producing things that have made people’s lives better, easier, and happier, while doing little or no harm in the process. Clearly all profits are not morally equal.

Those on the left are no more a “collective” than the collection of special interests that are represented by the GOP. I don’t know how you’ve failed to notice that a lot of people on the left know quite a lot about making profits. This should be obvious. There’s a fairly good chance that the computer you’re presently using wouldn’t be working without the innovative products that exist because of one or more such people.

how much of BP does the Russian block own??

@Greg: I think they’re perfectly capable of making decisions that could jeopardize the nation’s long-term energy future in order to maintain their profit streams in the present and the short-term future. (????)
An overly narrow focus on the short term and understanding the value of all things in purely monetary terms is one of the fundamental problems with America’s corporate mentality.

So, that explains why copper mines have LOWER amounts of toxins associated with copper mining than states with no copper mines, right, Greg?
It also explains why paper companies plant more trees than all conservationist groups and the government combined, huh?
It explains why the capitalist US has lower pollutions in air, water and on land than the socialist countries, also, right?
You are wrong if you thing 21st century companies only want the all mighty dollar.
Companies look at the long term.
It has been Obama who has been pulling the rug out from under them all in that regard.
His now-you-see-’em, now-you-don’t economic policies have made all long-term planning exceedingly difficult.

George Wells
whe some get too loud and too OBVIOUS IN THEIR RELIGION ‘S demand,
IT’S NO MORE GODLY,
they lost the PURITY OF THE SPIRIT,

@drjohn:

Those great debts really knock me out
They kick the West’s behind
Angela’s blubbery cellulite is hanging out
That EU troika is always on my, my, my, mind

Take me to the Carpathian Mountains way down South
Let me foreclose your daddy’s farm
All the way the bankers’ hands are reaching out
Come and grease your comrade’s palm

I’m back in the EUSSR
You don’t know how lucky you are… boy

Back in the EU
Back in the EU
Back in the EUSSR

@john:

Ich bin der Orden des Drachen… The EUSSR cannot field an army because the white majority will turn on them, that is why the crowned heads of Europe have been on US military welfare since WW2.

White Supremacy movements are growing all across Europe and in Russia… we won’t lose this time… A GOLDEN DAWN is coming, it’s just a matter of time.

When Marine Le Pen can face criminal prosecution (in France of all places) for criticizing Islam in context with existing French laws, there is something rotten…

Russia has real soldiers on their border and no gay pride marches in their army… imagine that…

The U.S. State Dept. has been infested with communists since WW1 and Woodrow Wilson… they tried to steal the Russian elections for their comrades in the Russian Communist Party through non-profit n.g.o.s… just like at home in America…

But Vladimir Putin beat them… so they launched a fággot jihad against the Russian Orthodox church over the the punk rock band and the olympics… they even flew in Madonna as a provocateur.

While Leon Puñettas was so busy with gay pride celebrations at the Pentagon, three Navy Seals and a U.S. ambassador were murdered, all because everyone was being so fúcking gay.

These people just can’t stop playing with their dícks… who is going to fight a war against the Russians with cúm drunk morons like this in charge?

The fool does not realize the game is over and he has lost again: game on game over.

What would Reagan do?

Winston
YOU MAKE SOME SENSE, AND SOME POINT,
WE COULD MAKE A SONG WITH THE RHIMES TOO,
YOU ARE MUSICAL MINDED, ALL IS NOT LOST,
BYE

I think that there is one simple response the US should do regarding Russia, and that is announce to the world that in response to Russia’s invasion and annexing of Crimea, the US will set in motion the building of the European missile shield that Obama had put on hold.

The Russian economy was weak already, and with sanctions is now poised to dive straight into the toilet. So many Russian men are alcoholics that 25 percent of them die of related health problems before reaching age 55. Those are a couple of significant facts concerning our “greatest geopolitical enemy.”

Putin rides tiny horses to make himself look bigger. In the United States, we generally refer to such creatures as ponies.

Obama is doing pretty much what should be done in this situation. You don’t successfully play a guy like Putin by beating your chest and making noises like another alpha-male primate. Not if you’re smart.

@Ditto: #27

I think that there is one simple response the US should do regarding Russia, and that is announce to the world that in response to Russia’s invasion and annexing of Crimea, the US will set in motion the building of the European missile shield that Obama had put on hold.

But, that would mean that obama might have to order them to be used, and he isn’t going to do that. In his opinion, he wasn’t elected to DEFEND America and other free countries, he was elected to DESTROY them. Can you think of ONE thing he did that was best for America and the free world?

Smorgasbord:

Umm…

@Smorgasbord:

Why ask me? Ask instead all his useful idiots who troll here.

@inMAGICn: #30

Umm…

I haven’t thought of one yet either.

@Ditto: #31

Why ask me? Ask instead all his useful idiots who troll here.

Bad wording. I should have asked if ANYONE could.

I have asked obama’s people different questions like that, and don’t get any good answers.