Michael Shellenberger
Michael Shellenberger

@shellenberger

12 Tweets 1 reads Sep 27, 2022
People think the energy crisis is just a blip in the transition to renewables, but it's not. Europe faces rapid de-industrialization & stagflation. Governments are taking over energy markets and politics is the realm of chaos. People who are in a trance need to snap out of it.
European nations are already in conflict
— Netherlands refuses to produce more nat gas
— Belgium & Germany closing nuclear plants
— France opposes new gas pipeline to Spain
— Hungary says sanctions on Russia backfired
U.S. & Canada won't help & winter is still 3 months away
I have since 2016 warned Europeans of the dangers of shutting down their nuclear plants & over-relying on Russia for energy.
While in Europe 2 weeks ago, I was shocked to discover that many still don't get that everything has changed. And so I went off script & was blunt.
On the one hand, we are in totally new & dangerous territory. Europe hasn't ever had an energy crisis like this. Not even in the early 70s.
On the other, we are reverting to historic roles, with the U.S. refusing to help a rapidly fragmenting Europe.
michaelshellenberger.substack.com
Anyone who says they know what will happen next is lying to you. The reason is that governments have taken over, and governments change. Politics determine governments. And politics is the realm of chaos. Nobody can predict what's going to happen next.
That means that prediction is not helpful or interesting. What's needed is action:
— The U.S. & European governments must pressure Belgium and Germany to keep operating their nuclear plants and re-start ones that recently closed.
— Netherlands must resume gas production ASAP.
— The U.S. & Canada must take emergency actions to expedite oil and gas production and the building of new liquefaction export terminals. Yes, the best time to have done this was years ago. But the second best time is now.
— North America should help Europe frack its shales.
I recognize that the US is in the catbird seat WRT Europe. We could woo Germany's energy-intensive industries to the US. To some extent that will happen no matter what. But history teaches us that it's not in our interest to let Europe fall apart. In fact, it's dangerous.
I recognize that "Europe will make it through the winter," but only if "making it" means people won't freeze to death. What's at stake is not keeping people warm but preventing Europe in general and Germany in particular from de-industrializing and effectively collapsing.
The energy crisis hastens the end of the renewables mania
michaelshellenberger.substack.com
My back-and-forth with members of the House Oversight Commitee, September 15, 2022
michaelshellenberger.substack.com
People think we’ll move to solar & wind but they are too energy-dilute, unreliable, and resource intensive. For those reasons, they make electricity expensive, and will only play a niche role. Natural gas & uranium are the fuels of the future.
youtu.be

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