For the Records: German Greens Vote For More Coal over Nuclear

Anyone who is serious about climate change would never choose coal over nuclear. Yet the German Green party voted for exactly this in July. The entire topic of climate change is a scam as evidenced by the behavior and political choices of its leading adherents.

WSJ: Germany’s Nuclear-Power Implosion

The West is gripped by a suicidal, depressed, self-loathing people who fall for any foreign criticism. The same pattern of decline in seen in many regimes. The U.S. shares parallels with the late Qing dynasty, complete with the drug abuse, lack of confidence, and rule by invaders. Upcoming will be the Boxer rebellions (expelling of foreigners; Muslims in Europe and who knows who in the USA), followed by the political volatility, low level to full blown civil war, then religious/cultural revival. Enjoy the decline!

Climate Scam: Greens BTFO'd in 1-Minute

It's all fake folks. The whole damn thing, from ESG to the rest. The modern political world is built upon lies all the way down. The only thing to do is maybe let the scam go on a little longer to hijack it for nuclear power, which otherwise faces public resistance. Then once the nukes are being built, reveal it was all a scam. But oh by the way, we now have energy independence and enough power for the next century of development.

New Contrarian Indicator Drops

The Sounding Line: Another Sign of Excess Bearishness?

Good discussion at the link. I still think this is a big bear market and stock are overvalued, but destruction is a process. The potential for a straightline collapse exists if bad decisions keep piling up, but suprise surprise, the EU just declared that natural gas is green: EU parliament backs labelling gas and nuclear investments as 'green'

I take this as a sign that stupidity may be curtailed. Remember, hard times make hard men. All the woke horseshit that would get someone fired from a job, and all the bullshit green virtue signaling goes right out the window when people suddenly realize they like hot water and electricity. Once they realize the whole climate agenda is giant scam cooked up by communists and Wall Street, the whole thing will come crashing down. In any event, nuclear will be a the winner because we need massive power to fuel the economy of the future, and things like solar panels are mainly replacement, not something that will deliver 10x power supply.

Greens BTFOd Again: Solar Increases Emissions, Toxic Air Pollution

The West has tapped a vast well of stupidity.

North State Journal: Duke Energy application points finger at solar for increased pollution

Duke spokeswoman Kim Crawford confirmed that increased solar power on the state’s electric grid is increasing emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx), a dangerous air pollutant. She said that reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions could also reverse if current solar growth continues without policy changes.

Climate advocates blame increases in manmade gases like CO2 for global warming and have promoted solar power as environmentally clean.

An increase in emissions triggers the need to rethink national energy policy, experts say.

Crawford provided measurements showing that even on sunny days — when solar power is at its maximum output — more NOx pollution is released into the air than would occur if no solar electricity were used and natural gas were used instead.

People working on real, tangible, specific problems are doing good work. Ocean acidification, micro plastics and so on, conservationists saving natural habitats. The focus on climate change and alternative energy has sucked up money and attention though, and here is yet another piece of evidence that they are giant scams.

If solar is indeed increasing emissions, then my confidence in "madmade climate change" being a 100-percent false rises above 90-percent confidence. This would be the killshot for me because my chief complaint about solar was that it doesn't create enough energy, and not enough reliable energy. The switch to solar didn't make sense because it was going to increase energy costs and harm the economy, when nuclear would lower energy costs, help the economy and also eliminates emissions:

That’s because traditional power plants — including cleaner burning natural gas plants — must scale back electric generation to accommodate solar energy surging onto the system when the sun rises, and power back up when the sun sets and solar energy dissipates. That starting and stopping reduces efficiency and incapacitates emission control devices, increasing pollutant levels.

If alterative energy increases emissions, which it obviously does with Germany talking about how a return to coal may be necessary, how come the people making computer models didn't know that? If you have climate models predicting emissions and you think Man is making the emissions, then you need to model human behavior in response to various policies. They don't do that accurately though, in fact it looks like they have the sign wrong. The next question is, what other variables are they screwing up, weighting wrong, assuming is geometric or arithmetic when it is vice versa, or ignoring entirely?

Man does clearly impact the environment. Concrete-coated cities have their own microclimates. Dams and manmade lakes, ocean pollution, air pollutions and so on exist. But when an entire movement and industries are built on computer models selling the climate change narrative and those very same people push a solution that makes things worse, not better, then one must call the entire effort into question.

It was a joke in the 1990s that greens were watermelons because international socialists who lost their sinecures and/or credibility when the Soviet Union collapsed moved into environmentalism. Soviet central planning and Green economics with solutions like wind and solar grew from the same intellectual branch. Many people were surprised by the Soviet collapse, so they are again as Western economies are being seriously hobbled by the same line of thinking. 

The goal has always been rip roaring inflation that destroys developed economies. Nations and peoples can only be made equal in misery. 

Leftist Environmentalism

Central planning fails over and over and over...

When ideology trumps physical reality, the result is epic failure.

Green revolution, replace fossil fuels.

Result: close nuclear power plants that have no CO2 emissions, retarded economic policies cause soaring oil and gas prices such that coal returns as a major fuel source.

You can try to concoct some conspiracy theory, but unless the coal industry is a cabal of secret geniuses, Occam's Razor says the ruling class went full retard.

Real Russia Collusion: The Baizuo Have Given the Rope and The Narrative

Guess who the real Russisn agents are...Has Russia Been Financing Western Environmentalism?

Hence the interest, for the Russian government, in mounting a vast disinformation campaign against shale gas and nuclear power in the West, by massively financing the groups most likely "naturally" to oppose it: environmentalist organizations.

Accusations of being financed by the Russian government, even if they are signed by the Secretary General of NATO, the Director of the Foundation for Political Innovation and the Secretary of State of the United States, do not make one guilty of corruption, conflict of interests, non-disclosure of being financed by and/or being an agent of a foreign government. The presumption of innocence applies to everyone.

At this point, evidence and trials don't matter. Anti-nuclear, anti-shale environmentalists are by Narrative, traitors working for Russia. The Biden admin's energy policy was made on Moscow. They're obviously threatening war with Russia (a war that isnt happening) to cover their tracks. The whole sanctions regime, the inflation, it's exactly what Russia and China want. It will cripple a nation that sold off its manufacturing and refuses to tap natural resources. The Narrative writes itself, and thanks to going on 5 years of full on lies and propaganda, it's all anyone needs to hang the ruling class. If Tulsi Gabbard and Tucker Carlson are "traitors" for asking about biolabs in Ukraine, then obviously everyone involved with opposing domestic energy production, include shale and nuclear, are agents of Russia. Wouldn't the American people love to know that all the inflation and economic damage unleashed over the past two years, plus the four years of Russiagate lies, was all done by the real Russian agents? All it takes is someone willing to make the case before the American people...

Long the Dollar, Short the Euro and Yen

Here's the chart of the yen and crude oil I posted earlier. Simple argument: Japan's balance of trade weakens under inflation.

The core of the Eurozone is Germany. That country is trashing its energy market which will ultimately drive up demand for imported replacement energy.

Watts Up With That: “Slow Disaster Playing Out” As Germany Moves To Shut Down 8.5 GW Of Baseload Nuclear Capacity

Insanity.

China Goes Nuclear

If this plan was actually implemented in the short-term, China's economy would immediately enter recession. That isn't going to happen. They've wisely pushed the date so far out that their buildout of nuclear power will hit their goals fro them.

iFeng: 中共中央、国务院：严控煤电、钢铁、电解铝、水泥等高碳项目投资

Business Standard: China targets more than 80% non-fossil energy use by 2060

China aims to have non-fossil energy consumption exceed 80% of its total mix by 2060, when the world’s second-biggest economy plans to be carbon neutral, according to guidelines published by the official Xinhua News Agency.

The measures are part of China’s larger plan for achieving peak carbon emissions and reaching net-zero by 2060, Xinhua said on Sunday. It reiterated the government’s climate goals for 2025 and 2030 and vowed to accelerate a decline in China’s coal use.

Green Terrorists Take Out the Power Grid: Incompetence, Criminal Negligence or Worse?

Cantillon Consulting tweeted this image:

The climate is always changing. When the climate changes, winds shift permanently. Why would you build wind power unless you can accurately predict the future path of winds (which we cannot)? This is really simply stuff, the kind of anecdote that the general public can understand. Why then, did supposedly smart people invest heavily in an unreliable energy source?

More broadly, as with California wildfires and other foreseeable disasters, why did the people who believe in climate change (manmade or not) most strongly, fail to prepare? Central planning fails with the smartest people in charge because they lack critical information, but in this case the planners were morons. Aside from being corrupt and profiting from wind deals, what other motives were involved? Were they incompetent, criminally negligent, or was this energy source selected with the intent of destroying national economies? When the Green movement took off in the 1990s, people called the Greens "watermelons" because many were former communists who needed a new gig after the checks from the Soviet Union stopped coming in. Is the Green movement a Soviet operation that kept running even after the regime fell? Did at Fifth column of traitors intentioally bring down the world's energy grid as part of a larger war plan against freedom, markets and liberty? As social mood declines and the lights start going out, authoritarianism will accelerate because the obvious cause of all these problems is the ruling class who intentionally enacted extremely stupid and short-sighted energy policies over the past couple of decades. Or are they very smart evil people who are doing this all for a malevolent end? The answer will determine their level of punishment, but no matter the intent, these people have to be removed from power yesterday.

China Ban on Australian Coal Stressing Nuclear Plant

CBC: Chinese nuclear plant 'performance issue' reported by its French joint operator

The French joint operator of a Chinese nuclear plant near Hong Kong says the plant is dealing with a "performance issue" but is currently operating within safety limits, following a report of a potential radioactive leak.

The Taishan Nuclear Power Plant is jointly owned by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group and French multinational electric utility Électricité de France, the main owner of Framatome, which helps operate the plant.

China's ban on Australian coal hit its coal plants, plus summer weather has reduced hydropower in the region. Everyone should be paying close attention here. This is what the future will look like all over the globe if politicians continue making political decisions in place of economic decisions when it comes to energy. The news clobbered uranium stocks across the board.

Doesn't Bode Well For Drill Results

Here's a busted trade. Standard Uranium was already cashed up and instead of waiting for drill results, they're raising more cash at lower prices. If the results are in fact good, it doesn't speak well of management...

Invest in Nuclear or Short California Real Estate

The Sacramento Bee: California lawmaker wants to ban gas car sales after 2040

Ting is among the policymakers pushing to increase incentives for drivers to ditch their gas guzzlers. He is also working on legislation that would overhaul California’s electric car rebate program by making more money available for rebates, then ratcheting down the value of those discounts as the state hits sales targets.

“California is used to being first. But we’re trying to catch up to this,” Ting said.

France and the United Kingdom both announced this summer that they would ban the sale of new gas and diesel cars after 2040. India is aiming to get there by 2030. And China said this month that it would stop the production and sale of vehicles powered solely by fossil fuels in the coming years.

I'm not up-to-date on the UK, but India plans to increase nuclear power 9x by 2032 and to generate 25 percent of electricity with nuclear. France gets nearly 80 percent of its electricity from nuclear reactors. China is building them like crazy. In other words, these countries have already built or have started work on the infrastructure needed for electric cars.

Clownifornia, not so much. If they push forward with electrification, they'll have a significant power deficit. Either the state will have sky-high electricity prices, killing the economy and spreading poverty across the state, or they'll pay through the nose to build nuclear as they try to make up for decades of poor planning.

China Targets Japanese Food on Consumer Rights Day

Nikkei: China consumer rights show exposes cracks in Fukushima food ban

A state-owned television broadcaster here revealed Wednesday that products are being sold in China against local restrictions on food imports from Japan since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

The Chinese government prohibited such imports from Fukushima Prefecture and surrounding areas as far away as Tokyo after the meltdowns at the nuclear power plant in 2011. Japan has asked Beijing to review the ban.

A popular and influential consumer affairs program on China Central Television aired a segment Wednesday night that showed online retailers in China offering baby formula, rice and health food from areas covered by the ban, including Tochigi and Niigata prefectures.

Environmental regulations are a great way to back door protectionism. This is part of China's consumer rights day, however. Not an explicit attack on Japanese exports, rather the Chinese businesses that aren't following the law.

This story and others are covered at iFeng's site for consumer rights day. 日本核辐射区食品被曝流入国内 含无印良品

More on China's Mini Nukes to Power South China Sea Bases

SCMP: Micro-reactor may power South China Sea outposts

Researchers are carrying out intensive work on the unit – dubbed the hedianbao, or “portable nuclear battery pack”.

Although the small, lead-cooled reactor could be placed ­inside a shipping container ­measuring about 6.1 metres long and 2.6 metres high, it would be able to generate 10 megawatts of heat, which, if converted into ­electricity, would be enough to power some 50,000 households.

It is also capable of running for years or even decades without ­refuelling, and scientists say that because it produces neither dust nor smoke, even on a small island a resident would hardly notice its existence.
The research is partially funded by the People’s Liberation Army.

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology, a national research institute in Hefei, Anhui province, say they hope to be able to ship the first unit within five years.

China Winning 4G War in South China Sea, Plans 20 Floating Nuclear Power Plants

Whatever one thinks of the basis for China's claims in the South China Sea, they are behaving exactly as one should behave to defend property rights. While this is viewed almost strictly in military terms at the moment, China is developing the basis for long-term economic development of the region. Leaving aside the issue of sovereignty, is there any other nation that will develop the resources of the South China Sea?

In the United States, the Kelo decision expanded the concept of eminent domain to include takings for the purpose of private benefit, as long as the public would benefit from higher tax revenues. The decision was a horrendous ruling against private property rights, but under the logic of the Kelo decision, if you were the sovereign in charge of the region and hoping to maximize economic output, you would seize much of the South China Sea and give it to China.

From May, CNN: Fukushima at sea? China wants a fleet of floating nuclear power plants

The ambitious 2016 nuclear plan, formalized in China's 13th five-year plan in March, includes completing 58 power reactors by 2020 and building perhaps another 100 gigawatt-sized reactors by 2030, when China would become the largest nuclear power producer in the world.

As part of this plan China is going to build up to 20 floating nuclear plants.

...These small power plants will be built in Chinese shipyards, mounted on large sea-going barges, towed to a remote place where power is needed and connected to the local power grid, or perhaps oil rig.

Now some details of the plan are emerging, with the 20 nuclear power plants getting the green light.

Wind: 首艘海洋核动力平台即将总装 将建造20座核电站

Recently, China's first aircraft marine nuclear power platform built in the upcoming assembly CSIC's Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industries, China Shipbuilding Heavy Industries and the future will be the mass construction of ocean nearly 20 nuclear power platform.

The plants will provide power and fresh water to the islands:

Marine nuclear power mobile offshore platform is a small nuclear power plant , is the combination of small nuclear reactor and marine engineering, can provide security for the offshore oil exploration and remote islands, efficient energy supply, can also be used to power ships and desalination.

Marine Nuclear Power platform will provide energy security and protection of Chinese freshwater Nansha Islands. For a long time, due to power supply problems, officers and soldiers stationed in the island of Nansha Islands and fresh water supplies are not guaranteed, only to send bottled water on the island by boat, encountered extreme weather at sea, the soldiers may have to rely on rainwater life. Because of the lack of fresh water, the soldiers could not take a bath for a long time.

China expects to spend 2 billion yuan per platform, or 40 billion total:

Marine nuclear power platform to achieve volume after construction, nuclear power is expected to invest every seat ocean platform about 2 billion. 20 marine nuclear power platform total cost of about 40 billion yuan, much cheaper than the cost to build a fleet of aircraft carriers. China South China Sea reefs every seat platform with marine nuclear power, the equivalent of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Yongxing Island, Xisha, Nansha YONGSHU reef is equipped with two missile systems, combat aircraft and naval aircraft carrier. Its military advantage is far greater than the United States from long-haul aircraft carrier fleet.

This concept is not new, nor experimental. Russia has also developed floating nuclear power and could bring it into use next year: Floating Nuclear Power Plants Becoming a Reality

Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom reports that floating nuclear power plants will become a reality by October 2017.

Ahead of this deadline, Rosatom has just commenced construction of the coastal infrastructure and hydraulic structures for the start of such a power unit in Russia’s far eastern city of Pevek, Russia.

Rosatom plans to install the first power generating unit in September 2019 and expects to produce energy from these units in November 2019.

Floating nuclear power plants (FNPP), which are basically mobile power units, have been conceptualised to provide reliable power supply to remote settlements and large industrial facilities such as oil platforms. Development work on such plants began in the 1950s when Soviet scientists designed a mobile power plant on a four mobile tracked chassis.

Russia is now in the rest phase: 俄国海上漂浮核电站下海调试

According to several online media reports quoted the Russian-made the world's first offshore floating nuclear power plant has been tested sea. He reported that recently, the world's first floating nuclear power plant at sea to 俄罗斯罗蒙诺 Brasov Academy (Akademik Lomonosov) named offshore floating nuclear power plant into the sea testing phase, and will be after October 30, 2017 to complete the test officially put into use.

Back to China, nuclear power will make economic development much easier, and there's already talk of creating new economic zones in the South China Sea: China May Use Offshore Banking to Secure South China Seas

Leaving aside competing claims of sovereignty, the behavior of the Chinese makes it very clear they believe they own the entire South China Sea. There is a long tradition in common law of property ownership belonging to those who develop it. An owner who abandons property to squatters who repair it or develop it, can lose possession. China's behavior is a clear legal assertion of property rights and the failure of other nations to pursue similarly aggressive strategies is a major strike against their claims of ownership.

It can be argued 100 percent of this money is defense spending and the islands will never become anything more than legal claims to control the South China Sea. With natural resources and the potential at least for tourism and offshore banking, however, as more assets and development takes place, the odds of it turning into something more increase.

Sovereignty also does not fall under common law property rights and things will come to a head before China can fully assert ownership. Still, for the moment China is winning the 4G war in the South China Sea China's economic development is a strong moral counterclaim against the charge that China is violating sovereignty. It is an asymmetric response. Instead of focusing solely on claims of sovereignty, China is opening a new front in the battle and forcing its rivals to react. China is winning.

SOE Reorganization Expected in 5 Industries

SASAC official further said that the next step will be the national pilot reform through mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring explore the central routing and integration of specific patterns, including exploring the implementation of post-restructuring business integration, the elimination of homogenization competition, and improving quality by effective practices effective, summarize how to carry out institutional, management, marketing, and cultural integration of work experience, practical synergies, and "1 + 1> 2", and explore effective practices in professional restructuring, reduce duplication of investment and in order to achieve homogenization of development; at the same time, explore effective practices within the enterprise resource integration.

One insider said the next three years, restructuring state-owned enterprises will enter the active phase-out cases will be significantly increased, equity participation, holding, merger and acquisition, will accelerate the sale of assets by integrating various forms of equity markets.

Restructuring is expected in nuclear power, aviation, shipping, military and rail.

iFeng: 央企重组方案将出台 五行业案例会明显增多

Li Keqiang Emphasizes Nuclear Power

Chinese premier Li commits to 2030 CO2 peaking goal

In remarks reported on a government website, Li Keqiang said China would peak emissions by 2030 and “strive” to do this earlier.

China would increase energy saving measures and programmes to cut the level of CO2 per unit of GDP, he said.

Boosting the share of renewables in the national energy mix and increasing forest cover were also priorities, Li added.

On Monday, he said the country would develop large-scale nuclear projects and partner with France to export nuclear power.

iFeng: 李克强：未来国内还要大规模发展核电

China Pushes Nuclear Power Exports

China nuclear power firms to merge in bid to boost global clout

China Power Investment Corp is merging with the State Nuclear Power Technology Corp, as Beijing drives consolidation in its rapidly expanding nuclear power sector with the aim of eventually exporting reactors.

The Chinese power producer currently controls about a tenth of China's nuclear power market, while the State Nuclear Power Technology Corp was formed in 2007 to handle nuclear technology transferred from U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric Co.

...Beijing said in January that it would aid the overseas expansion of Chinese firms, in particular in the rail and nuclear power sectors, raising hackles with some trading partners who fear it signals another wave of subsidized Chinese exports.

China, which now primarily provides financing and construction services to nuclear power projects overseas, is expected by some experts to start exporting reactors after 2020 and become a major exporter by 2030 when it has fully digested foreign technology and developed its domestic industry.

An editorial in the People's Daily agrees, pointing out that China basically will have 30 years without competition thanks to the long lead times in the nuclear industry. 人民日报：中国核电建设能力全球领先 30年未间断

"Nuclear power 'going out' is inseparable from strong national support." Gu Jun told reporters that China has become the world's second largest economy, foreign exchange reserves sufficient for nuclear power "going out" to provide sufficient financing capacity. "China is now promoting nuclear power 'going out', described as a matter of course, the right time."

Wang Shoujun, CEO of China Nuclear Power Corp. said, "For the past 30 years, we are the only company with an uninterrupted track record of construction."

In addition to a deal with Argentina, China is already exporting nuclear power to Pakistan:
China investing in six nuclear projects in Pakistan

The market will be wide open in the years ahead, unless one or more of the developed nations reverse their attitudes towards nuclear energy.

China Makes Nuclear Deal, Moves Ahead in Quantum Computing

From August: China Takes Nuclear Crown

This week: China, Argentina Agree on Work for New Nuclear Power Plants

Chinese and Argentine leaders on Wednesday signed a batch of agreements, including collaboration on two new nuclear power plants, as Beijing is strengthening its relations with the South American country.

Caixin: In China, Quantum Communications Comes of Age

This may be a quantum leap year for an initiative that accelerates data transfers close to the speed of light with no hacking threats through so-called quantum communications technology.

Within months, China plans to open the world's longest quantum communications network, a 2,000 kilometer electronic highway linking government offices in the cities of Beijing and Shanghai.

Meanwhile, the country's space scientists are preparing a communications satellite for a 2016 launch that would be a first step toward building a quantum communications network in the sky. It's hoped this and other satellites can be used to overcome technical hurdles, such as distance restrictions, facing land-based systems.

Physicists around the world have spent years working on quantum communications technology. But if all goes as planned, China would be the first country to put a quantum communications satellite in orbit, said Wang Jianyu, deputy director of the China Academy of Science's (CAS) Shanghai branch.

Canadian-U.S. Team Developing Thorium Reactors

Oakridge National Laboratory is helping a Canadian company build a Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR).

Gee, NOW We're Going To Do It?

I remind people (and if you'd like, read the last chapter of Leverage) that our government laboratories at Oak Ridge built one of these things back in the 1960s and ran it for four years, proving that it works.

And these reactors can be used to produce liquid hydrocarbons out of air and water, turning hydrcarbons into a carbon neutral energy source (assuming scientists don't change their mind and argue that we need more carbon).