Germany

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The BBC reports that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, during an interview, accused Germany and Hungary of paying “blood money” for Russian petroleum. Russia could earn $320 billion from energy exports in 2022, fueling Moscow’s war machine. Zelensky is perhaps making an analogy to blood diamonds, an issue Aryn Baker explained […]

Climate Crisis

Electric Cars let German Consumers Save Huge on Gasoline, Cut Russian Oil – Greenpeace

Clean Energy Wire

By Edgar Meza | – ( Clean Energy Wire) – Electric vehicles can save up to 300 euros [$331] a month compared to cars with diesel and petrol engines, according to a cost analysis report by Greenpeace. Despite temporary tax cuts on fuel prices, new combustion engines are cost traps when considering high long-term fuel […]

Energy

No to Blackmail: Germany to be free from Russian oil, coal by end of 2022, Gas by 2024 – Econ Minister

Julian Wettengel

( Clean Energy Wire) – Germany is making considerable progress in weaning itself off fossil fuel imports from Russia and could become virtually independent of the country’s coal and oil by the end of this year, said economy and climate minister Robert Habeck in Berlin. Natural gas supply poses the biggest challenge and it will […]

Climate Crisis

Will war in Ukraine hasten the end of fossil fuels in the West?

The Conversation

By Jack Marley | – Four weeks have passed since Russian troops invaded Ukraine. To impede the onslaught of Vladimir Putin’s war machine, countries in the EU and elsewhere have announced measures to cut imports of fuel and energy from Russia, draining the coffers of the world’s largest exporter of gas and its third-largest supplier […]

Climate Crisis

With Russia in Ukraine, Climate Emergency is at Heart of German Security Strategy

Julian Wettengel

( Clean Energy Wire ) – The climate crisis and its effects on people’s lives around the world will be at the heart of the National Security Strategy being developed by the German government, said foreign minister Annalena Baerbock. The minister called climate change “the security policy question of our time” and said the “foundations […]

Batteries

Ukraine war pushes German homeowners’ demand for rooftop Solar, Batteries, in bid for Independence

Clean Energy Wire

By Paul Gordon | – ( Clean Energy Wire ) – The war in Ukraine and the associated energy crisis are pushing homeowners in record numbers to install solar power systems and batteries, the German Solar Industry Association (BSW) has said. Following strong growth last year, the lobby group reports a further increase in demand […]

Germany

Could the G7 Wealthy Countries Really Boycott Russian Petroleum?

The Conversation

By Amy Myers Jaffe | – One option the U.S. and other nations have for ratcheting up pressure on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine is reducing their Russian energy purchases. U.K. Foreign Minister Liz Truss has proposed that the G7 nations – the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan – […]

Climate Crisis

Climate-related damage to German forests ‘unprecedented’: German Aerospace Center

Clean Energy Wire

By Edgar Meza | – ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have for the first time determined how much of Germany’s forests have been lost due to heat, drought and pest infestation using satellite-based Earth observation data. The results are alarming: From January 2018 through April 2021, tree […]

Batteries

Will Germany’s Pause of Russian Gas Pipeline over Ukraine Galvanize its Green Energy Switch?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – On Tuesday, Germany’s socialist Chancellor, Olaf Scholtz, suspended the permitting process for the Nord Stream 2 methane gas pipeline that had been built to bring Siberian gas to Germany, over Russia’s declaration that two Ukrainian provinces were independent states. The $11 billion pipeline has already been constructed, but was awaiting […]