German Of The Day: Unermesslich

August 23, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hysteria Tags: Energy, Gas, German, Germans, Germany, Inflation, Language, Oil, Pipelines, Prices, Putin, Renewables, Ukraine Leave a comment

That means immeasurable. You know, like die Preise steigen ins Unermessliche. Prices are going through the roof.

German Power Price Soars, Hitting 700 Euros for First Time Ever – Europe’s benchmark electricity price jumped more than 25% on Monday to pass 700 euros per megawatt-hour for the first time. The level is about 14 times the seasonal average over the past five years.

European gas and power prices surged as panic over Russian supplies gripped markets and politicians warned citizens to brace for a tough winter ahead.

Benchmark gas settled at a record high, while German power surged to above 700 euros ($696) a megawatt-hour for the first time. Russia said it will stop its key Nord Stream gas pipeline for three days of repairs on Aug. 31, again raising concerns it won’t return after the work. Europe has been on tenterhooks about shipments through the link for weeks, with flows resuming only at very low levels after it was shut for works last month.

“The catastrophe is already there.”

German Of The Day: Unter Druck Setzen

August 22, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Dependency, Energy, German, Germany, Inflation, Language, Pipelines, Prices, Putin, Ukraine Leave a comment

That means to put under pressure, or to feel the squeeze.

Germans feeling the squeeze over surging food, energy prices – Middle- and low-income families say they’re struggling to make ends meet amid high inflation, soaring energy bills.

Inflation has soared in recent months, hitting 7.5% in June, and according to the latest German central bank estimate, it is likely to rise further this fall, reaching double digits.

German Of The Day: Existenzielle Bedrohung

August 19, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: Bureaucracy, Energy, Gas, German Language, Germany, Industry, Inflation, Oil, Prices, Putin Leave a comment

That means existential threat. Like: “The existence of many companies is being threatened by the increased prices.”

German companies are supposed to save gas. But the switch to oil, for example, is being held back by bureaucracy and legal uncertainty.

The German government is calling for gas savings, with the Federal Minister of Economics leading the way – and yet, from the point of view of companies, the government is preventing exactly what it is calling for. Several associations say that it is very difficult for companies to obtain approval for retrofits.

Ahead Of Schedule

August 18, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Hideology Tags: Energy, Gas, Germany, Greens, Putin Leave a comment

When you’ve got less than three months of gas for the coming winter.

Hang in there. You’ll have enough for four months in no time, Germany. Or maybe you won’t. But still. Self-imposed dependency rocks.

Stocks are rising fast, but still not enough, regulator says.

German Of The Day: Atomstrom

August 17, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: Dependency, Energy, Gas, German, Germans, Germany, Language, Nuclear energy, Pipelines, Putin Leave a comment

Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? That means nuclear power.

The real world has a way of biting you in your ideological ass from time to time.

Germany to Keep Last Three Nuclear-Power Plants Running in Policy U-Turn – Move prompted by the mounting economic war with Russia marks the first departure from a two-decade policy to abandon nuclear energy.

Germany plans to postpone the closure of the countr’s last three nuclear power plants as it braces for a possible shortage of energy this winter after Russia throttled gas supplies to the country, said German government officials.

Electricity prices in Germany:

Google Searches for ”firewood” in Germany:

Gas Price Already Unaffordable?

August 16, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: Energy, Gas, German Language, Germans, Germany, Greens, Pipelines, Putin, Taxation, Ukraine Leave a comment

You won’t be able to pay for your heating this winter as it is? We’ll help out by adding an additional tax to that. Only we won’t call it a tax, of course. We’ll call it an Umlage. That means contribution, share, levy.

It’s what we do here in Green Germany. It’s for the greater good or something.

Germany Slaps Levy on Households to Spread Pain of Gas Surge – Government allows industry to pass on prices to consumers.

Germany’s government said households will face additional annual costs of about 290 euros ($296) to pay for natural gas as the burden of Russia’s squeeze on energy flows to Europe is redistributed.

Germany Absolutely Desperate

August 10, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Dependency, Energy, Germans, Germany, Greens, Pipelines, Putin, Russia, Ukraine Leave a comment

The Germans are now even willing to accept sour crude (its sulfur content exceeds 0.5%) from US-Amerika ITSELF.

How impure or something.

A tanker of U.S. sour crude was delivered at Germany’s port of Rostock last week for the first time ever, according to sources, analysts and vessel tracking data, as local refiners test alternatives to Russian oil.

Germany Finally Waking Up To Smell The Nuclear Coffee?

August 9, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: Energy, Energy Crisis, Europe, Germans, Germany, Greens, Putin, Renewables Leave a comment

“It’s as if the pope were suddenly advocating the use of birth control pills.”

For years, despite bemusement of many outside Germany, the country seemed set on its nuclear exit course. This year, as Europe began its sanctions on Russian fossil fuels, Germany’s Green energy minister seemed more willing to turn on carbon-intensive coal plants rather than reopening the issue of nuclear power.

“This is painful for all of us.”

Yeah. Reality can be that way.

Social Unrest?

August 8, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Energy, Gas, Germans, Germany, Inflation, Media, Nuclear, Oil, Pipelines, Putin, Renewables, Russia, Ukraine Leave a comment

In Germany? Uh, the same Germany in which the Germans always do precisely whatever the Media Brain Police tell them to do?

Germany braces for social unrest over energy prices – German officials have expressed fears that a worst-case winter of energy problems could prompt an extremist backlash. How bad things get may depend on how well they manage the crisis – in policy and perception.

German Of The Day: “Wir kriegen nichts mehr auf die Straße”

August 7, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: Demonstrations, Energy, Gas, German, Germans, Germany, Language, Nuclear, Nuclear energy, Oil, Pipelines, Protests, Putin, Renewables, Ukraine Leave a comment

That means “we can’t get anybody out in the streets to protest anymore…” Said the puzzled anti-nuclear protester.

My, this certainly is mysterious. Somebody call Sherlock or Columbo or somebody to figure this out.

Are we having the phase-out of the phase-out yet?

Germany’s Nuclear Phase-Out Has Been a Disaster – The main justification for Germany’s nuclear shutdown is the risks associated with using nuclear energy. But these risks are exaggerated beyond measure.

German scientists are warning that the national energy transition has pushed Germany into an energy shortage. “We demand an immediate stop to the nuclear phase-out,” wrote twenty renowned technological and economic scientists in the “Stuttgart Declaration,” which is being widely discussed in Germany. The continued operation of Germany’s nuclear power plants, they said, should be guaranteed “as the third climate protection pillar” alongside solar and wind power to secure Germany’s power supply and prosperity.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Tag Archives: Putin