“Some Rooms Can Be A Little Colder”

Or maybe even a whole lot colder, this winter.

But don’t worry. We’ve got everything under control.

Regulator urges Germans to prepare for possible gas shortage – Fearing Russia might cut off natural gas supplies, the head of Germany’s regulatory agency for energy called on residents Saturday to save energy and to prepare for winter, when use increases.

“Families should start talking now about whether every room needs to be set at its usual temperature in the winter — or whether some rooms can be a little colder.”

German Of The Day: Rationierung

That means rationing.

German regulator hints at gas rationing priorities, Funke reports – Germany’s energy regulator has listed priority areas that would have protected access to power if there are severe gas shortfalls this winter, ranging from households and hospitals to pharmaceuticals companies and paper producers.

German Of The Day: Staatshilfe

That means state support or government assistence. And that means, of course, taxpayer money.

And this is ususally needed, as in this case, after the state and/or government burning the taxpayer money got the company that needs it into this situation in the first place (see “renewable energy”).

Germany in bailout talks with Uniper amid gas crisis – Germany’s Uniper (UN01.DE) is in talks about a possible government bailout as the financial fallout from dwindling supplies of Russian gas reverberates across Europe, sending shares in the energy company sliding.

German Of The Day: Wohlstand

That means prosperity.

Ukraine war: Germans fear the end of prosperity – The war in Ukraine and inflation have Germans concerned about their standard of living. Those who have the least are likely to suffer the most…

Inflation is running at nearly 8%, compared to the same time last year, according to Germany’s Federal Statistics Office. Consumer energy and food prices are up more than 38% and 11%, respectively.

German Of The Day: Verbot

That means ban. The only thing the German Green party does well. And they do it with vehemence. And constantly.

Germany to support EU plans for 2035 ban on new fossil-fuel cars, says environment minister – Germany plans to vote in support of a European Union package that would effectively ban the sale of new cars with combustion engines from 2035, said the environment minister on Tuesday.

“If the package includes what the Commission suggested, banning cars that emit carbon dioxide from 2035, then we will vote in support,” Environment Minister Steffi Lemke told broadcaster ZDF.

Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) said at an event hosted by Germany’s BDI industry association last week that the German government would not agree to the plan.

Hardly Off The Plane…

And Joe’s misbehaving again. Put him on a leash or something.

G7 Leaders Meet in Germany – Germany welcomes the leaders of the G-7 wealthy democracies Sunday.

The summit for the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States is being held in a castle in the Bavarian Alps…

“The summit must send not only the message that NATO and the G-7 are more united than ever,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told German parliament recently, “but also that the democracies of the world stand together against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s imperialism just as they do in the fight against hunger and poverty.”

We’ll Just Jump Straight To Phase 3 Instead

Sheer panic.

Ministry denies Germany set to declare Phase 2 of emergency gas plan.

This economic minister belongs to a political party (the Greens) that won’t even consider the possibility – under Germany’s present catastrophic, self-inflicted energy situation – of extending the lives of Germany’s three remaining nuclear power plants past the end of this year. Thank goodness this has nothing to do with ideology and ideologues. He’s just from the government and he’s here to help.

Germany declared the first phase of the emergency plan on March 30, calling for crisis team meetings of energy suppliers, operators and government authorities to assess the energy security situation for Europe’s biggest economy.

In the second alert phase, the market would still be expected to handle the disruption without government market intervention.

Reality Can Be An Ugly Thing

When you’re greener than Green.

Which is a pretty hard thing to be. Unless you live in Germany. It goes like this: Turn off your nuclear energy plants and never mention that ugly n-word again (think Voldemort). Demand all coal-burning power plants be shut down ASAP too. Actually BELIEVE (not think, just believing is enough) that wind turbines and solor panels can actually power a country like Germany. While doing that, let yourself become 50% energy dependent on Russian gas and oil despite repeated warnings from your European neighbors and that awful evil US-Amerika that’s always saying mean things (or at least it used to). Then something like Ukraine comes along, get it? What’s not to like? We’re here from the German Green government and we’re here to help. We created the problem in the first place but now we’re the ones who are going to fix it. You can thank us later, voters. They’ll get re-elected, of course. You can’t make this stuff up, people. And even if you could no one would believe you.

Germany to Bring Back Old Coal Plants as Russia Cuts Gas Supply – Government to offer financing to ensure storage is increased.

Country to rely more on coal-fired power plants, minister says.

After A Slow Start…

Comes an electrifying development.

Tesla achieves production of 1,000 cars in a week at Gigafactory Berlin – Tesla announced that it has achieved production of 1,000 Model Y vehicles in a week at Gigafactory Berlin. This is an important milestone – though the automaker originally planned to achieve it in April.

Tesla is currently in the middle of ramping up production at two major new factories, Gigafactory Berlin and Gigafactory Texas, and all of that amid a major global supply chain crisis.

German Of The Day: Billig Will Ich

That means “cheap is what I want.*”

Budget startup Norse Atlantic Airways adds 2 US routes to Berlin – A week before its eagerly-anticipated launch, Norse Atlantic Airways is announcing a new destination to add to its growing route map.

The Norwegian ultra-low-cost long-haul airline will launch flights from the German capital’s new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)…

Daily service between BER and JFK begins on Aug. 17 with one-way introductory fares of $120. Thrice-weekly service between BER and LAX begins on Aug. 19 with one-way introductory fares of $138.

* Some might translate it as Cheepnis is what I want.