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But long term, despite their history of moronic energy policy, I don't see the EU making itself dependent again on Russian gas (or any other critical commodity)
by cm2187 4y ago
But long term, despite their history of moronic energy policy, I don't see the EU making itself dependent again on Russian gas (or any other critical commodity). Which is kind of a problem for a commodity driven economy like Russia.
- Klaster_1 4y agoOne could argue reduced dependency on natural resource export could benefit russian economy in the long term because it undermines current regime, the root cause of the lack of growth during the last decade.
- bakuninsbart 4y agoI don't think a different regime would have fundamentally acted differently. Russia is too big to be in the EU (Germany and France would never allow it), and too small to be a 'nice' player next to super powers. Animosity towards Russia from the side of eastern Europe was always high, and the US kept using Russia as a useful boogie man, while China is a double-daggered partner. Russia never had a lot of options, and while it would have been better for Russians living standards to "roll over and accept defeat", this would have been political suicide for any regime.
- bestouff 4y agoMaybe instead of "rolling over and accepting defeat" just not starting the war would have worked ?
- actionfromafar 4y agoNo, I don't think so. That would only put the spotlight on how mediocre to miserable life is in Russia. Not great politically. Look at Erdogan now, vying for international cred when the economy is tanking at home. He has an election coming up where he might not be rock solid as usual. I see similarities.
- enjoy-your-stay 4y agoRussia as it currently is, is a massive and diverse country with many talented and artistic people. It could take any number of courses, and act in many different ways to be a better world citizen, but it hasn't. Russia had, and still has many many options, but somehow seems stuck in a downward spiral of trying to throw its weight around the world whilst simultaneously casting itself as a perpetual victim.
- skc 4y agoSurprisingly short-sighted by the Russians
- sam_lowry_ 4y agoPutin turns 70 this year, and he only needs to keep the status quo until he peacefully dies. Russians have no voice there.
- thrown_22 4y agoWait until the winter is over before you say anything. We're looking at likely blackouts in Germany, things that only happened in third world hell holes and Texas until recently.
- fulafel 4y agoHouseholds are a minority electricity user there. Blackouts for homes are still possible by policy choice of course.
- ZeroGravitas 4y agoThe EU has some of the best energy policy in the world. It's the fossil fuel industry claiming they don't, because good energy policy in the 21st century means dropping fossil fuels over the next couple of decades and the more and faster nations follow the EUs lead, the less power the fossil fuel industry and Russia/Saudi Arabia etc have. That's why there were so many people excited in the comments here at the thought of europeans freezing to death this winter. Finally after being mocked for decades for saying green energy was unreliable, and climate change didn't exist, they've been proved right by a fossil fuel producer tactically, but not strategically, cutting off their sales at short notice for political reasons during a war, lying about it being the EUs green policies at fault and failing to achieve anything by doing so.
- fulafel 4y agoI think you overestimate the relevance of EU energy policies, especially looking backwards (as you emphasize its history). It's been more aspirational, but mostly the policymaking happens on national level. The carbon trading system is a commendable accomplishment though, even with all its faults.
- cm2187 4y agoGranted, I really mean EU countries.
- elforce002 4y agoOther than nuclear, what options do these countries have to avoid their dependency? I'm curious since solar is not an option I'm winter.
- taylodl 4y agoWhat makes you think solar isn't an option in winter? Solar panels get more efficient as the temperature drops. The amount of sunlight you receive is diminished by shorter days, but you can calculate that and compensate. It's similar to how we compensate for nighttime. Or were you thinking of compensating for the BTUs consumed in winter to heat homes? Even in that case today's heat pumps are dramatically more efficient than they were 30 years ago and they were already more efficient than gas furnaces, even then. There's a lot that can be done to dramatically reduce the amount of energy required to heat homes to the level we're heating them today.