Category Archives: Hard Facts

Bad American Fracking LNG Suddenly Not That Bad After All

March 6, 2022 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

In Germany. Not nearly as bad as it was a few days ago, in fact. Just like that. It’s magic or something. It’s fracking inexplicable!

Germany Goes Ahead With First LNG Terminal to Cut Dependence on Russian Gas – Germany unveiled more details Saturday on its plan to build its first liquefied natural-gas terminals as it seeks to wean itself off its dependence on Russian gas.

The terminals are the latest step in Berlin’s diversification efforts that have been urgently ramped up in recent days following Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Germany gets around 55% of its gas from Moscow and has long been resistant to diversifying away from cheap and plentiful Russian energy supplies.

Germany last week halted the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 project, which would have doubled the capacity of an existing pipeline traveling along a similar route. The government also announced plans for gas and coal storage and commissioned its gas market trading hub to buy LNG for 1.5 billion euros, or the equivalent of $1.64 billion, from outside Russia.

The Long And Winding Road

March 4, 2022 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Of German bureaucracy. Has it finally come to an end for Tesla?

I still wouldn’t bet on it.

Tesla to win approval for $5.5 billion Berlin gigafactory on Friday – The German state of Brandenburg has called a news conference for Friday at which it is widely expected to approve Tesla’s (TSLA.O) 5 billion euro ($5.5 billion) gigafactory near Berlin if certain conditions are met.

“The approval procedure for the e-car and battery factory of the U.S. company Tesla in Gruenheide in Brandenburg is nearing completion,” the state government said in a statement.

Yacht To Have Docked It Someplace Else

March 3, 2022 By in Hard Facts, Humor, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That oligarch was really cruising for a bruising. Take a bow, Germany. Looks like there will be a sail on megayachts in Hamburg soon…

European authorities seize oligarch’s megayacht in German port – Authorities in Germany have seized Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov’s 500-foot megayacht, the Dilbar, as part of the package of sanctions against the Kremlin and its supporters, Forbes magazine reported.

The ship was taken by authorities in the north German port of Hamburg on Wednesday. The megayacht is estimated to be worth $600 million.

Any Other Country Could

March 1, 2022 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Hideology, Hysteria Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

And would, of course. But Germany? Planet Germany? German Renewable Energy Disneyland itself? Do NOT place any bets on that one.

Explainer: Could Germany keep its nuclear plants running?

Of the 17 nuclear power plants Germany had at the time, only three remain in operation now: Isar 2, Emsland and Neckarwestheim 2, which are operated by German energy firms E.ON (EONGn.DE), RWE (RWEG.DE) and EnBW (EBKG.DE), respectively.

Under current plans, the plants, with combined capacity of 4,200 gigawatts (GW), will be shut down by the end of 2022.

Good Times

February 28, 2022 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Higher Education, Hurt Feelings, Hysteria Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The old days. When Germany could elegantly or less elegantly wiggle out of paying for its own defense (spending 2% GDP for defense like it had promised to pay many, many years ago).

Suddenly, inexplicably, now it’s possible after all. Mysterious, don’t you think? We need to find some experts to explain to us just how this change of heart was made possible.

Putin Accidentally Started a Revolution in Germany – The invasion of Ukraine is triggering a dramatic reversal of Berlin’s grand strategy.

In seven days, Germany has axed its biggest Russian energy project, imposed sanctions that will cause significant pain at home, and instituted a course that will make Germany the largest European defense spender, with the most advanced aircraft and a growing forward presence in Central and Eastern Europe. One can wonder whether Germany’s dedicated detractors in Washington will notice. How did it happen so quickly, when German officials had so tenaciously defended their status quo policies for so long?

German Of The Day: Kehrtwendung

February 27, 2022 By in Hard Facts, History, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means u-turn.

In U-Turn, Germany Will Send Weapons to Ukraine – Germany will send weapons to Ukraine including antiaircraft missiles and tank-busting rockets in a reversal of earlier policy, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Saturday.

The U-turn was triggered by the Russian invasion, which Mr. Scholz said marked a turning point. “It is our duty to support Ukraine to the best of our ability in defending against Putin’s invading army,” Mr. Scholz said in a statement. “That is why we are delivering 1,000 antitank weapons and 500 Stinger missiles to our friends in Ukraine.”

Tough As Nails

February 25, 2022 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hypocrisy Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Or as Jell-O, at least. Here’s the latest “Money Makes The World Go Around” going around in Germany (some still refer to it as “the EU”).

Cutting off Russia from the SWIFT global interbank payment system should not be part of the second EU sanctions package against Russia that EU leaders will decide upon at a meeting on Thursday in Brussels, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

He’s right, of course. Doing that would be one of the only things that would actually hurt Putin & Co. and that would be counterproductive.

Die Swift-Keule kommt nicht zum Einsatz.

This Will Show Them Russkies

February 24, 2022 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Humor Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

And if lighting up stuff in the national colors of Ukraine doesn’t help, we may have to consider building a Menschenkette (a chain of people holding hands). As a last resort, we MIGHT even ask them to sing We Shall Overcome. So, like watch it, Putin. Give peace a chance, or something.

Berlin and Paris illuminate buildings in Ukrainian colours in show of unity – The German capital lit up the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin’s most famous landmark in blue and yellow, the national colours of Ukraine, on Wednesday evening in a show of unity with Kyiv as the crisis with Russia deepens.

Money Makes The World Go Around

February 23, 2022 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hypocrisy Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

And there’s a big demand for military machinery in Russia these days.

So German business can just jump right in to fill that gap.

Germany indicts man for sale of military machinery to Russia – Germany has indicted a businessman on suspicion of breaking arms control laws by helping Russia purchase sophisticated machinery that could be used to make chemical weapons...

Prosecutors allege that a Russian company the suspect had business relations with was a front controlled by the intelligence agency to cover up purchases by Russia’s military industry.

Bundesanwaltschaft klagt Deutschen wegen Lieferungen an russischen Geheimdienst an.

“Historically Low Levels”

February 22, 2022 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Regulate the gas you failed to store in advance? Because of your insistance to remain dependent on Russian gas – even after the Russians refused to give you more? For months now? Yeah. Go ahead and regulate that.

Germany must regulate gas storage to secure supplies – Habeck (The Greens).

Germany’s gas storage facilities are at historically low levels and fears that a possible war between Russia and Ukraine could worsen an energy crisis in Europe has raised the pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to secure supplies.