by Eric Worrall
h/t observa; The Guardian and other greens are still in denial about their culpability in the wrecking of Europe’s energy security.
Fossil fuel companies are trying to exploit this war for their gain. We can’t let them
Jamie Henn
Sat 26 Feb 2022 22.29 AEDTWithout fossil fuel, and Europe’s dependence on it, Putin wouldn’t have so much power. We need clean energy now, but big oil has other plans
Never ones to let a good crisis go to waste, the fossil fuel industry and their allies have taken to the airwaves over the last few days to try and use the Russian invasion of Ukraine as an excuse for greater oil and gas development.
It’s the classic shock doctrine that we’ve come to expect from big oil, and unless our politicians are wise enough to see through it, it’s a strategy that will continue to undermine our ability to take action on climate change over the decade to come.
The fossil fuel industry’s attempt to exploit this particular crisis is all the more galling because of their central role in causing it. Putin’s ability to wage war in Ukraine and threaten the stability of Europe comes exclusively from his control over Russian oil and gas production. Forty per cent of Russia’s federal budget comes from oil and gas, which make up 60% of the country’s exports. This October, Russia was making more than $500m a day from fossil fuels, money that goes directly into funding Putin’s war machine.
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“Sanctions should be as targeted as possible to limit potential harm to the competitiveness of US companies,” an American Petroleum Institute spokesperson said recently. The companies he’s talking about aren’t your Main Street mom-and-pop’s: they’re the richest oil corporations on the planet.
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If the Biden administration wants to help, it should launch a new green Marshall plan to help build renewable energy in Europe and around the world. Expanding the production of clean energy technologies, rather than fossil fuels, would help combat the influence of big oil and petro states, as well as address the growing climate emergency.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/26/big-oil-ukraine-russia-putin
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Eric Worrall comments:
I accept that some fossil fuel companies have helped build Putin’s fortune, but investing in Russia was not a crime, at least until a few days ago. Now those fossil fuel companies face likely expropriation of their assets by Russia’s authoritarian regime – a painful learning experience, for anyone who considers investing in such places in the future.
But the Guardian’s push for a “Green Marshall Plan” shows they still haven’t faced their own culpability in Europe’s energy security crisis.
The only reason Europe is facing an energy crisis is greens like the Guardian convinced European politicians to back renewable energy, renewable energy which has utterly failed to deliver.
Europe’s ongoing high risk dependence on imports of Russian gas, despite all the billions invested in wind and solar, is compelling evidence that renewable energy is not an affordable replacement for fossil fuel.
The Guardian has repeatedly published absurd claims that renewables are or soon will be the cheapest option. Why would anyone need a “Green Marshall Plan” to embrace the cheaper option? People would flock to the cheapest acceptable option of their own free will.
Dear Guardian authors, man up, grow a pair and admit you are wrong about renewable energy. James Lovelock had the balls to admit he made a mistake about climate change. You should follow his example, before your engineering challenged fantasies cause even more damage.
