Bitcoin Forum

This is a gigantic task. Most of Europe is a Gas and Oil "junkie" that just do not seem to be able to drop the habit, even when it is clear that it may entail dramatic climate consequences.

 However, Oil & Gas reserves and trade routes can explain most of the conflicts in Europe during the XX and XXI centuries and, as shown in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, gets Europe involved in needless conflicts. And it is not only the Russian Federation having a leverage on Europe, the US is also, despite being mostly a ally, has plenty of leverage on the EU. This situation needs to be changed.

There are many obstacles to achieve the transition such as the size of the problem, the oil companies lobbies, the governments that are happy to take taxes, corruption, the investments already made and the difficulties in getting a good substitute for this energy.

This documentary is quite good if you want to understand the deep reasons for many recent wars or armed conflicts. It is focused in the Russian Federation, but the case is similar in the middle east and all over the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo6w5R6Uo8Y (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo6w5R6Uo8Y)

My personal take is that Europe should be investing "whatever it takes" to make the Tokamaks  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokamak)work. Curiously enough, the original concept comes from Russian scientists.

While there is money being spent (https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/research-area/energy-research-and-innovation/nuclear-fusion_en), the EU should do much better.

Also, the support for renewables should be a much larger priority.

Is this a victory or a defeat?

Although the joke is that fusion is always 10 years away, and never gets any closer, there has been quite a lot of progress in this area recently. I'd definitely agree that commercial fusion power would indeed solve a lot of problems... however, the climate crisis is rapidly becoming a climate emergency, and there may not be time for this approach to reach fruition. It may be better to focus on renewables in the short-term, whilst fusion research continues with the aim of this being more of a medium-term solution.

I do think the climate question is changing from "what can we do to solve this?" to "what can we do to solve this right now?"

Of course, the big question is whether governments will act before it's too late. I think we probably know the answer. It's quite depressing to see oil and gas exploration continuing as it is, without even seeming to slow down.

Europe has slumbered for too long. Relying on Russia for oil and gas is their greatest undoing. Now they are spending so much money defending Ukraine and other European countries. Meanwhile these funds would have been sufficient to diversify the power source of Europe. Importing oil and gas from Russia is cheaper but Russian excesses is inestimable. It might be very difficult to break away from gas even in the next half a century. Hence, the focus of Europe now should breaking away from Russia and Africa seems a better option. Investing in African infrastructure would not only give Europe the needed resources but it would also check the excesses of Russian in Africa.      

it's funny to see europe,, how they impose economic sanctions on russia but don't want the supply of oil and gas to their region not to be revoked ... european leaders should not be careless by giving economic sanctions to russia, so that problems like this will not happen

It is a fact. The first scientist to conceptualize these reactors were Russian, in the old Soviet era. They did not go any further, so I would class this as a good idea - which is not a victory nor a defeat.

To create something new in the world you have to first create it in your mind, but if you stop there nothing comes out. That is what needs to be done now and it will not be Putin's RF doing it, as they live on exporting oil.


Agreed, I do not think this is contradictory. The renewables are already commercially viable an readily available. A mix of nuclear and renewables should be a first emergency step.


Oh yes of course, the EU should just see how Adolf Putin wages war in Europe and threatens EU members in silence. Where the f*ck have you been the last years?


The problem with investments in Africa is that there is no rule of law to be seen in most places. Anytime another government may decide to impose extra taxes or nationalise the resources or...

Anyway, there is quite a bit of investment from Europe in Africa, the problem is that it rarely reaches the common people. There are many things Africans need to short out and I reckon Europe, US and China do not make it easy.

What a profound analysis.

There was an American here who saw Russian equipment.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rkXpvfZpwiA

 I concur on that. I stand to be corrected, but I believe it's EU's over dependence that probably caused them to place a partial ban on Russia's exportation of oil. I mean placing a total ban will do them a disservice, so why dig your own hole, right?
 The fact that prices of oil are sky rocketing and volatile should push them to look for alternatives already because there will come a point were their sanctions or actions won't ruffle the feathers of Putin.

Yes. The big question is will alternatives be a) gas from a different supplier, or b) a different source of energy.

Short-term the answer will be a different supplier, as that's the only immediate fix. But I remain hopeful that this will add extra impetus to the move to renewables... after all, if you're importing gas and oil from somewhere else, then you're always dependent on that somewhere else being reliable, not vastly inflating their prices, not starting a psychotic sanction-inducing genocidal rampage across Europe, etc. The only way to be self-sufficient for a lot of countries is renewables.

If it does happen, and renewables become more of a focus, then it's a bit of an indictment of society that it will be $$$ that have triggered the shift rather than, you know, a desire to save the planet. But it seems that's always the way.

Whatever and wherever the new source, it's going to be way more costly than what it would have been to not have antagonized Russia in the first place. I wonder if Russia would accept them back if they said they were wrong, returned to their former ways, and tried to become friends of Mother Russia, again.

8)