Pressure on Germany to give up Russian gas and oil altogether has increased. But Germany’s dependence is still great, replacing energy sources takes time. An appeal to prudence by Jens Thurau.
With each passing day, any horrific news from Ukraine about the massacres of the civilian population increases the pressure on Germany to end oil and gas imports from Russia. These are understandable requirements, primarily when coming from Ukraine. Equally shocking is a study by the Greenpeace organization, according to which Germany this year for the import of gas and oil must pay Moscow a record amount of 32 billion. The strong call to end this now and here has its right to echo and will surely become even stronger.
But Green Economy Minister Robert Habeck is right when he says that the immediate cessation of gas supply in Germany carries the risk of disrupting social peace. Habeck has tried to boost gas supplies from other countries, from Qatar for example, and Norway. Germany plans to set up terminals to import liquefied natural gas. In the long run, the country will massively expand renewable energy and rely on hydrogen as the energy source of the future, especially in industry.
Painful debates
All these are the right things and it is good that the government does not reject it, especially for the Greens are painful debates, to talk about further commissioning of nuclear power plants. This even includes the idea that gas can be extracted in Germany through the “fracking” method. But all these debates have one thing in common: they end quickly as they began. What remains is, as before, strong dependence on Russian imports. It’s basically the right way to get out of this addiction step by step, and not with a spectacular big step of ending Russian supplies from today to tomorrow.
Irritating is that the government does not have the courage to take some effective, small but effective measures that can already help save energy. For example, speed limit on highways would be such a measure. It is incomprehensible why this was not done in time, when at the same time many experts assure that with this measure it is possible to save energy at about 7%. You can set this measure limited in time. Why not. It matters that something is done.
The farewell must be final
Not forgetting that Germany must break free from its dependence on Russian gas and oil eventually. Gas heating systems should no longer be installed in new constructions, renewable energies should be massively expanded. All this takes time, a lot of time. And Europeans must finally cooperate on this issue, not act against each other.
There are several decades that the federal government talks about the energy turnaround. Leaving atomic energy, ending the use of coal energy, expanding renewable energies. But especially in the last point the words were not followed by the deeds. Solar and wind power generation was not carried out to the proper extent. That needs to change now. The years-long procedures for approving wind farms need to be shortened. The government is planning this now, but it has to show results.
Jens Thurau
Better to be given heavy weapons now
In the short term, and this is what we are talking about now, despite the efforts there is no alternative but Russian gas. This is a terrible conclusion. You should not believe all of Cassandra’s calls from the economy, but an immediate halt to gas supplies would have dramatic consequences, that is the reality. By 2024 the government will completely give up Russian gas. A realistic plan. Instead of talking now about an immediate ban on Russian oil and gas, which is not possible to do, it would be better and easier to give up the reluctance to send heavy weapons to Ukraine. You can not get rid of a long-term addiction overnight./DW
