European Union

Originally published on Renew Economy. The falling cost of renewables is not news to those who have paid attention to analysis from green-focused think tanks, or groups like Bloomberg New Energy Finance. But it is when a major European utility, with…

Climate Change

On Sunday, 75% of Germany’s Electricity came from Renewables

Juan Cole

En route to its 2050 Energiewende goal of 80% of the nation’s power being supplied by renewables, especially spurred on by the phaseout of nuclear reactors, Germany broke another renewable energy record on Sunday, May 11, 2014. Europe’s biggest…

Climate Change

43% of Denmark’s Power from Renewables: Aiming for 70% by 2020

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) Denmark is now getting 43% of its power from renewable energy (mainly wind and biomass). It is thus on track to meet its ambitious goal of 70% renewables by 2020. DeutscheWelle explains how Denmark is getting community buy-in for the onshore turbines. Residents get lower electricity prices when there are turbines in […]

Germany

Wind & Solar Can Generate Electricity For Half The Cost Of Nuclear

Juan Cole

Originally published on Renew Economy. New-build wind and solar energy systems can generate electricity for up to 50 per cent cheaper than new nuclear power plants, a German study has found. The research, commissioned by German think tank Agora Energiewende…

History

Mussolini buys Crowds during visit to Libya (1937) – Historical Video of the Day

Juan Cole

Italy ruled Libya from 1911 until midway through WW II, with the fascist years being especially harsh. This newsreel gives a sense of how the Italian colonial administration regimented the population (likely with a combination of bribes and threats) for a spectacle during brutal dictator Benito Mussolini’s visit to his colony in the late 1930s. […]

Climate Change

Ukraine wouldn’t be as much a Crisis if Europe had adopted Green Energy Faster

contributors

Originally published on EnergyPost.eu.By Sonja van Renssen Decisions on a new European climate and energy policy for 2030 are relegated to autumn as heads of state are caught up in the Ukraine crisis. At their spring summit in Brussels, EU leaders…

Climate Change

Ukraine Crisis Shows Urgency of Green Energy: Russian Nat’l Gas Blackmail

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) Hawks are complaining that Europe has been insufficiently belligerent in its response to Russian moves in the Crimea, blaming the declining military budgets in most European countries. But this focus on military hardware is misleading, since there was never any prospect of a conventional military confrontation with the Russian Federation, given that […]

Egypt

What today’s GOP gets Wrong about Leadership: Obama & Eisenhower, Russian & Israeli Recklessness

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) The usual suspects have been slamming President Obama for an alleged lack of leadership. Trolls for the military-industrial complex like Charles Krauthammer, and megalomaniacs from tiny states like Sen. Lindsey Graham have constructed a narrative in which Obama willfully withdrew from Iraq, giving it away to Iran; has been insufficiently slavish in […]

Barack Obama

Obama & Hollande stress Hope for Iran Breakthrough

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) In his news conference with French President Francois Hollande, President Obama outlined four areas of diplomatic progress. The first is foreign policy, including Iran, Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. Re: negotiations with Iran, Obama said, “Our unity with our P5-plus-1 partners, backed with strong sanctions, has succeeded in halting and rolling back […]