Europe is Headed Back to the Dark Ages as Energy Costs Explode

Bob Hoge reporting for RedState 

They keep telling us to go green—rely on renewable energy!—but the simple often unstated fact is that the technology isn’t there yet. Many countries in Europe are about to find that out the hard way, as that little thing called “winter” approaches and energy supplies dwindle, in large part due to the Russian war in Ukraine but also as a result of their own suicidal policies. An unfortunate fact that the World Economic Forum and the Biden administration don’t want you to know—the sanctions against Russia have largely failed, and the totalitarian country is doing better financially than ever.

The Wall Street Journal gives us a little reality check:

Russian energy sales have flourished by finding new buyers, new means of payment, new traders and new ways of financing exports, according to oil traders, former Russian industry executives and shipping officials.

In other words, Biden’s sanctions have done squat, and while he’s put the hurt on US citizens and European countries, Russia is profiting handsomely.

Meanwhile, things in England are about to get a little chillier. Energy costs are expected to rise 80 percent in the UK this winter.  I don’t know about you, but my Department of Water and Power bill is already crushing; I can’t even imagine it rising by many thousands of dollars.

According to Axios, here are just a few of the cutbacks European nations are imposing to deal with the crisis:

Cologne’s [Germany] magnificent cathedral — normally lit throughout the night — now goes dark over night. Public buildings, museums and other landmarks — such as the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin — will no longer be illuminated overnight either….
The southern city of Augsburg decided to turn off traffic lights.

Spain: Congress agreed to temperature limitations — air conditioning no cooler than 27 degrees Celsius, or nearly 81 degrees Fahrenheit.
After 10 p.m. shop windows and unoccupied public buildings won’t be lit.

Italy: Air conditioning in schools and public buildings has already been limited in what the government labeled “Operation Thermostat,” starting in May.
Italy is one of the European countries most reliant on Russian energy.

France: While roughly 70% of its energy comes from nuclear power, France has committed to cutting natural gas consumption as well.
Shopkeepers will now be fined for keeping doors open and air conditioning running, a common practice.
Illuminated signs will be banned between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.

With all those lights turned off, expect crime to go up as well.

Russia meanwhile is so confident in its position that it’s burning an estimated $10 million in natural gas every day rather than sending it to the European Union. Putin’s antics have caused alarm among Europeans as they prepare for the annual cold spell that is not caused by global warming, but is actually caused by the tilt of our planet’s axis:

“This is not normal at all. It’s incredibly volatile,” said Fabian Rønningen, a senior analyst at Rystad Energy. “These prices are reaching levels now that we thought we would never see.”

While moving to a green, “renewable,” magical source of energy is perhaps a laudable goal, it’s ridiculous to try to legislate that into reality when our science simply isn’t there yet. Take it from the world’s richest person, Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk:

“At this time, we actually need more oil and gas, not less,” Musk said Monday during an energy conference in Norway, adding that he’s not someone to “demonize” the fossil fuels. At the same time, “we must have a clear path to a sustainable energy future.”

Not surprisingly, Fox News host Tucker Carlson took notice, and came with his usual fire on his Monday show:

Last year, only about 6% of Germans used wood to heat their homes, but that has changed dramatically. Demand for firewood in Germany has risen so fast that there is none left to buy. You can’t get it, so desperate Germans are now cutting their own wood, scouring the forests like their ancestors for sources of heat.

You can choose to believe that Global Warming is the biggest threat we face, or not. We simply do not have the replacement yet for fossil fuels that would allow us to ban them, and legislating their use out of existence is a recipe for utter disaster.

Carlson sums it up in a bleak conclusion:

Europe is descending into poverty. Did you know that? Had someone told you that?

We have saved Europe over and over again, with our military forces in WWI and WWII, and with our financial might with the 1948’s Marshall Plan. I don’t have confidence that we can do it again.