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| Electric cars: China leads the way! |
The discovery of fire by our ancestors and it's use for keeping warm, cooking food and deterring wild beasts marked a deceive step for the human race. Since those early days our increasing dependency upon accessible, affordable energy supplies has grown sharply. Today no advanced civilisation could survive without access to abundant supplies of energy.
A colossal demand for energy during the industrial revolution saw coal become the key source of energy to produce steam to power the factories and trains. Whole families, including grubby children clothed in rags, toiled in the dark, damp and dangerous mines. For the pit owners vast profits. For the workers harsh working conditions that led to an increased mortality rate. Both the new gas street lamps, first installed in Pall Mall in 1807 and the first electric trains of the 1890s required the burning of fossil fuel as the primary energy source. Today in Britain, electricity, a refined energy source, easy to use and clean at the point of use still relies on fossil fuel for over a third of its generation.
Drax Power Station, located in Yorkshire in an area or rich coal seams, was designed to operate using British coal. Future plans were based upon carbon entrapment technology. Today public funding is used to support its operation using biomass fuel – wood-burning. The wood is imported from America. It is claimed that CO2 is recycled when new trees are planted to replace those consumed. The station remains as a large emitter of greenhouse gas. Opponents claim that a better long term option would be to invest in wind and solar power in conjunction with energy storage systems. Britain has been left dependent upon the USA for its vital needs.
Under capitalism decision-making is driven by the requirement for maximum profit in the shortest time possible at minimum risk and with the lowest investment. A recipe for disaster. Responsible and sustainable green development requires a long term approach that is both innovative and ethical and is supported by public investment and control.
Nuclear power is considered necessary as part of a secure energy strategy to provide a constant base load. Early government enthusiasm was influenced by the ability to produce fissionable materials for nuclear weapons. The high risks of nuclear power were exposed in a number of serious accidents which resulted in radioactive contamination. Modern reactors are safer but there is the serious risk from terrorism. By their obvious complicity in blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines we have to look no further than certain Western powers to see who the main supporters of terrorism are. For the future, electricity production by fusion offers great prospects for abundant energy without the problems of nuclear waste disposal.
A major green initiative has seen the arrival of Electric Vehicles. In People's China electric car sales now exceed 50 per cent of total sales. By contrast Britain lags in this field with many drivers preferring petrol engines. The main reason for this is the lack of a suitable charging point infrastructure. For those who can charge up on their driveways and who do not undertake long journeys electric is fine but if you live in a flat or high density development the search for affordable and available charging points can be a problem. Hydrogen, a viable contender for motive power, has not been seriously considered. With either its use with a fuel cell or by combustion with the only by-product being water it has many advantages. The problems are again a total lack of infrastructure in addition to how its made (from gas or the green electrolysis method). The socialist countries are in a good position to make a responsible long term approach. China is looking at wireless charging with electric coils beneath the road surface.
Given the rapid progress in science and technology, the whole world should soon be able to benefit from an abundance of cheap energy. So why are German factories closing due to high energy costs and rationing. And why are people freezing in their homes afraid to turn up the heating. Europe is on the verge of a self-inflicted energy crisis. A bizarre and dangerous situation totally of their own making. Future generations may look back in amazement at the incompetence and betrayal of its leaders. Bismark must be turning in his grave as Germany, once the powerhouse of Europe, faces de-industrialisation and recession.
Europe's enthusiastic endorsement of Project Ukraine, led by the US and coordinated through NATO, has ended to disaster and tragedy. When the Soviet Union collapsed Western nations promised not to expand NATO to the east. Of course preparations were immediately made to break this promise with a military build-up carried out on Russia's borders. Ukraine formed one piece of the jigsaw but it's voters had elected a government that sought to remain neutral. Western response was to engineer the notorious Maidan coup that overthrew the democratically elected government in 2014.The new regime, which included neo-nazis harshly repressed the Russian speakers and committed atrocities such as the Odessa massacre and shelling of civilians in Donbas. Russia had the courage to respond with it's Special Military Operation.
The proxy war quickly turned into a war of attrition that the imperialists have lost. Sanctions imposed against Russia with the ultimate aim of regime change in Moscow have failed and dramatically backfired. Following the shutting off of gas pipelines from Russia and their complicity in blowing up Nord Stream, Europe now faces a severe gas shortage with soaring prices. Secure long term contracts for cheap Russian gas have been replaced with a reliance on a limited supply of much more expensive LNG from US shale gas deposits. As a result German industry, once a world leader, has become uncompetitive and is being forced to flee overseas. Inflation and unemployment are rising in Germany and European GDP rates are falling. The people are being forced to pay a high price for government incompetence.
The problems for Germany has been made far worse by it's decision to close all its nuclear power stations. The situation has been made worse still by the decision of the Ukraine regime to stop the flow of gas from Russia across its territory. This will reduce imports of gas by at least another 5 per cent and pose particular hardships for Slovakia, Austria, Serbia and Hungary. Turkstream remains, in spite of failed attempts to blow it up, the last source for Russian gas supplies apart from Russian LNG. Recently a tanker, believed to be carrying Russian gas, was mysteriously blown up in the Mediterranean. Ironically, at a touch of a button, supplies could be restored via the remaining Nord Stream link and via Poland.
Blinded by arrogant illusions of elitism carried over from the colonial era, Western leaders double down on one disaster after another. With no thought of peace talks they continue to stoke the flames of war. And it is the ordinary people who continue to suffer from the greed and warmongering of Western leaders.
Whatever the conditions prevailing capitalism cannot undertake a sustainable and coherent policy for energy. A balanced long term energy policy is eclipsed by profiteering. It's time for the people to wake up to reality and say enough is enough. Bring on Socialism! Bring on the Revolution!
