“Germany: Coal tops wind as primary electricity source – In the first half of 2021, coal shot up as the biggest contributor to Germany’s electric grid, while wind power dropped to its lowest level since 2018. Officials say the weather is partly to blame….”

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-coal-tops-wind-as-primary-electricity-source/a-59168105

The author is a card carrying leftie I’ll have you know…shame on you for cheap shot ‘rightwing libertarian’ denunciation. Play the ball not the anonymous man. Most of us are capable of thinking outside politically mannered silos.

So, to respond in kind…clearly you are not very serious about climate stuff beyond a bit of self promotion and enjoy magical thinking over dealing with the possible. I’m not going to sup from the same brown paper bag.

Germany replaced some nuclear with renewables. It hasn’t replaced hydrocarbons to the extent that UK has as it is an industrial power with a great need for energy plus it does not have UK’s blessed wind dynamics (a lot of persistent wind and coastline). If carbon dependent imports or outsourced production is included hydrocarbon use would be much higher than current.

In the case of Germany you clearly support hydrocarbons (inc a lot of brown coal) as closer to your environmental goals than nuclear. More people will die from producing ‘renewable’ power than nuclear and more environmental damage will occur….see if you can work out why this is correct. Hydrocarbons are unquestionably killers.

How do we replace current hydrocarbon and nuclear with renewables and grow our overall energy use still further? You can say de-growth but you know that reduction in energy will not be countenanced by many people and countries that count…so such a suggestion is not serious input (get off that pedestal!). China is a great example. The leader in solar (subsidised by a lot of carbon, environmental damage and exploitation) is China. With such a superb advantage why is solar not replacing hydrocarbon? China is growing overall renewables at same absolute pace as hydrocarbon approximately (obvs the relative growth is higher for renewables as the base is lower). There is no doubt China would build all solar if it could – energy control and security. What impedes China from doing this? It is very important to answer this.

Through history we add new energy on top of old and grown our overall energy use. Whale oil was replaced but it was not an energy driver of the economy so that’s a dubious proof. Everything else was added on top -> we didn’t reduce our use of wood, coal etc…we just added oil, nuclear, renewables on top.

I look forward to the greens taking power in Germany. This may be watershed moment that encourages the broader movement to deal with difficult realities rather than moralisingly grandstand from the sidelines. Then we may move to solutions that are truly helpful and meaningful around environment and sustainability rather than current meme nonsense from people like you.

Best wishes
The Outsider

Among other things, it’s not true that “Never have we replaced an energy source”. We replaced whale oil with natural gas, we replaced charcoal with coal, and Germany has replaced nuclear power with renewables.