Don’t cry for me, Argentina

September 21, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Economy, Energy, Gas, GDP, Germany, Greens, Renewables Leave a comment

Actually, go ahead.

Go ahead and cry for me, Argentina. We can cry together, if you want.

Germany Joins Argentina as Only G-20 Member Facing GDP Drop – Germany faces the only contraction in any Group of 20 economy aside from Argentina this year, according to the OECD, which cut its outlook through 2024.

The euro-zone country will suffer a 0.2% drop in gross domestic product in 2023 — down from a previous projection for stagnation, the Paris-based organization said in new forecasts published Tuesday. It will then grow only 0.9% in 2024, down from 1.3% anticipated in June.

Revive Germany by strangling it?

September 16, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Economy, Energy, Germany, Greens, Nuclear energy, Renewables, SPD Leave a comment

What a novel idea!

Let’s give it a try.

Scholz’s Dream of Climate Revolution to Revive Germany Is Dying – Chancellor’s ambition for economic miracle is floundering.

Coalition is reeling from months of infighting over green plan…

Another big brake on growth and investment is energy costs. Although lower than last year’s records, gas and power prices are still between two to three times the level compared with before the war in Ukraine.

It’s the energy, stupid

September 13, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Economy, Energy, France, Germany, Nuclear power, Renewables Leave a comment

They may beat them in footbal (2-1 last night, without a manager) but…

German economic weakness belies France’s outperformance – Germany’s economic weakness is casting a flattering light on France’s relative resilience that belies the otherwise middling performance of the euro zone’s second-biggest economy, economists say…

Germany’s manufacturing-focused economy is struggling to adapt to being cutoff from cheap Russian gas and the rise of the electric vehicle, said Charles-Henri Colombier with the Rexecode economics think tank in Paris.

Germany’s gas-hungry chemical industry has seen production fall 18% from 2019 levels while in France it is only 8%, Colombier said. Meanwhile, German motor vehicle production is down 26% and only 6% in France.

We’re number one!

September 12, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Economy, Energy, Germany, Greens, Growth, Industry, Nuclear energy, Recession, Renewables Leave a comment

At saving the planet.

Too bad we’re destroying ourselves in the process.

Strike one: Germany’s nuclear phase-out.
Strike two: Its self-inflicted energy dependency on Russia.
Strike three: Still believing that renewable energy can run an industrialized country.

Green energy prices are killing German industry right before our very eyes.

Germany predicted to be the only major European economy to contract this year as recession lingers – The German economy has struggled in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Berlin having to, very quickly, end years of energy dependency on the Kremlin. The International Monetary Fund said in July that Germany would likely contract by 0.3% this year.

The lack of Russian gas isn’t your problem, Germany

August 30, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Dependency, Energy, Gas, Germany, Greens, Industry, Nuclear energy, Renewables, Russia Leave a comment

It was your willing dependency on it. And your systematic shutdown of reliable energy sources at home.

Green ideology got you here. Now sit back and enjoy it. And remember: You’re setting an example for the rest of the world.

Energy fears spur German industrials to seek investments abroad – Annual business survey finds concern over country’s future without Russian gas.

Nearly a third of German industrial companies are planning to boost production abroad rather than at home amid increasing concern over the country’s future without Russian gas, according to a closely watched annual survey.

The annual “Energy Transition Barometer” by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) found that 32 per cent of companies surveyed favoured investment abroad over domestic expansion. The figure was double the 16 per cent in last year’s survey.

Zero the Hero

August 23, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Climate, CO2, Germany, Greens, Net Zero, Renewables Leave a comment

Our Green superhero.

Only Kryptonite (also green) can stop him – otherwise known as the real world.

Germany set to miss net zero by 2045 target as climate efforts falter – German goals to cut greenhouse emissions by 65% by 2030 are likely to be missed, meaning a longer-term net zero by a 2045 target is also in doubt, reports by government climate advisers and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) show.

The European Union has sought to be a climate leader and Germany has set itself more ambitious targets than the bloc as a whole, but in many countries politics and the economic crisis have pushed the climate crisis down the agenda.

Russia’s Economy Growing More Than Germany’s

July 31, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: Dependency, Energy, Germany, Greens, Ideology, Nuclear energy, Renewables Leave a comment

Which isn’t hard to do. Germany’s economy isn’t growing at all.

Let’s call it the German Green New Deal.

Germany expected to be only major economy not to grow this year – According to the latest figures from the International Monetary Fund, Germany’s GDP is forecast to drop 0.3% this year while other countries continue to grow.

The German economy is still failing to grow, figures showed on Friday, as the country that should be the industrial powerhouse for all of Europe struggles with high energy prices, rising borrowing costs and a lagging rebound from key trading partner China…

In Germany, the economy has been buffeted by several challenges. Above all, its long-term dependence on Russian natural gas to fuel industry backfired when the invasion of Ukraine led to the loss of most of Moscow’s supply and to higher costs for energy-intensive industries such as metals, glass, cars and fertilizer.

The best we can offer you is five

July 28, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: CO2, Energy, Greens, Nuclear power, Pipelines, Renewables Leave a comment

Although originally shooting for at least ten, Germany’s Greens must now sheepishly admit that the best they can offer the country is five tough years of economic stagnation.

Germany faces 5 tough years, economy minister warns – Berlin should borrow money to subsidize energy for companies or risk losing its industry, Robert Habeck.

Germany faces five difficult years of green industrial transition that “will put a burden” on people, Economy Minister Robert Habeck warned — while urging his government to approve fresh subsidies to safeguard the country’s industrial base.

It’s not a slowdown…

July 6, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hysteria Tags: Climate, Consumers, Cost, Courts, Economy, Energy, Gas, German, Germany, Greens, Language, Laws, Politicians, Renewables, SPD, Tricks Leave a comment

It’s more like a Vollbremsung. That’s German for full braking or emergency stop.

Germany’s highest court just cancelled the Green’s latest rush-rush trick, I mean plan to save the planet at German taxpayers’ expense.

Germany’s Green Slowdown – While voters may still broadly support net zero goals, they’re not necessarily on board with the escalating costs of the transition.

… Today, it’s the Greens’ proposed ban on new gas boilers in homes that’s causing trouble. Against a backdrop of sliding poll ratings, the party’s partners in the coalition forced a dilution of the plan last month in a package that also included a massive road-building program.

In another blow to the policy — dubbed Habeck’s Heating Hammer by the opposition — Germany’s constitutional court has made a highly unusual intervention in the legislative process and ordered the government to give parliament more time to scrutinize the plan.

Green Hydrogen?

May 12, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Climate, CO2, Energy, Greens, Hydrogen, Politicians, Renewables Leave a comment

Do you mean green like in pink unicorns or like in red herrings?

I see. As in both.

How Germany’s Hydrogen Boom Stalled – Green hydrogen has the potential to heat millions of homes and keep German industry humming. So far, though, a lack of the environmentally friendly gas and the infrastructure needed to transport it have prevented its wide-scale use.

Welcome to the sobering hydrogen reality. While Germany hopes that it will soon be able to run basement gas heating systems on hydrogen, steel manufacturers are converting their production to the green gas at a cost of billions and energy companies are planning new power plants that will generate electricity from hydrogen, almost everything needed to make the climate-neutral dreams a reality in the near future is still lacking. The environmentally friendly hydrogen is missing, as are the pipeline networks to carry it across the country, not to mention reliable business models.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Tag Archives: Renewables