Is this what progress looks like?
German energy giant RWE has begun dismantling a wind farm to make way for a further expansion of an open-pit lignite coal mine in the western region of North Rhine Westphalia.
One wind turbine has already been dismantled, with a further seven scheduled for removal to excavate an additional 15m to 20m tonnes of so-called 'brown' coal, the most polluting energy source.
The demolitions are part of a deal brokered last year between Robert Habeck, the Green party's minister for economy and climate action and Mona Neubaur, who is the economy minister for North Rhine Westphalia, to allow the expansion of the mine.
To be fair, there is a silver lining here for the climate cult: The mine will expand, but also agreed to close up shop by 2030, a full 8 years before it had planned to.
But that silver lining isn't very comforting when you consider the energy crisis facing the nation. Let JP explain:
After shutting down its nuclear reactors, Germany is being forced to burn lignite, the dirtiest form of coal, to keep the lights and heat on. The German government believes, somehow, that all this will come to an end in 2030 as well.
What a dream!
RWE and Germany's government have persistently justified the expansion of the so-called Garzweiler coal fields by pointing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing energy crisis.
According to RWE, the expansion is necessary "due to the energy crisis." The government in Berlin follows this logic. Indeed, some of the leading advocates of RWE's coal expansion plans come from the Green Party, one of three ruling parties in Germany's current 'traffic light' coalition with centre-left SPD and business-friendly FPD-party.
Elsewhere, coal operations have expanded around the nation:
All of this has massive consequences, of course.
Engineering and manufacturing are moving steadily out of Germany due to high energy costs. Meanwhile, the poor are becoming even poorer as everything costs more and jobs become scarcer.
If only there was a very powerful form of clean energy that could lower costs and protect the environment!
This is happening at the same time that millions of mostly-Muslim immigrants from the Middle East and Africa are swarming into Germany. Those with money are retreating out of the cities or leaving the country altogether.
All in all, it's not looking good for Germany.
Here's the rest of that JP interview (one of his best) if you're interested.
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