Germany’s green movement was propelled mainly by activists opposed to nuclear power in the 1980s and 90s. Since then, Germany has shut down its entire fleet of nuclear power reactors and is struggling to keep the lights on with renewable energy, mainly wind and sun.
Today German activists are focused on shutting down the remaining fossil fuel power, which in a normal world would make nuclear power attractive again. But not for the fundamentalist enviro-nutjobs. However, they may need to give in if they want to continue enjoying the amenities of the modern digital world and smartphones.
Blackout News here reports. “After Oracle and Microsoft, Google also plans to power its data centers with nuclear power.” apparently, wind and sun just don’t make the grade. CO2-neutrality just won’t be possible without nuclear power.
“Google’s leadership confirms the company is working on large-scale data centers that require over 1 gigawatt of electricity. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, spoke last week at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh about the potential use of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) for power generation,” reports Blackout News, citing powermag.
According to reports, Google is currently forming a team to research alternative energies without CO₂ emissions and plans to use small modular nuclear reactors to power its AI data centers.
“We are now working on data centers with over 1 gigawatt of power. Two years ago, we wouldn’t have imagined that, and all of that requires energy,” said Pichai in Pittsburgh.
Today, many of Google’s data centers operate on a basis of about 90 percent CO2-free. But 100% won’t be possible without nuclear, it appears.
Pichai said he sees money going into SMRs …for nuclear energy and that he’s optimistic about the medium to long term energy needs being met.
As AI expands, so is the interest in data centers, which require enormous amounts of power to operate. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison plans to invest more than 10 billion dollars in building data centers and Microsoft aims to restart the reactor at the decommissioned Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania to meet the energy requirements for AI.
“Microsoft last week said it wants to restart a reactor at the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania to power its AI needs. The company in January said a demonstration project in Wyoming, as part of a collaboration with Caterpillar and Ballard Power, showed how hydrogen fuel cells can provide power for a data center,” reports powermag here.
Amazon Web Services plans to buy power from the 2.5-GW Susquehanna nuclear plant for its nearby data center campus.
Big Tech’s move to nuclear energy to power its data centers show that green energies like wind and sun alone cannot meet the energy needs of our modern digital world.
Read entire article at powermag.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/09/30/the-green-new-folly-how-virtue-signaling-killed-a-ferry-and-wasted-millions/
The Mis-fortune of Missunde
In Schleswig-Holstein’s verdant land,
A grand eco-dream was poorly planned.
Missunde III, the electric ferry,
Turned out to be not so merry.
“Don’t pay the ferryman,” the old song goes,
But millions were paid, as the budget rose.
From seven to fourteen, the millions flew,
While taxpayers watched, their faces blue.
The politicians, oh so green,
Promised a future yet unseen.
“Electric power!” they did proclaim,
“We’ll cross the Schlei and earn our fame!”
But when the winds began to blow,
Missunde couldn’t even go.
It drifted left, it drifted right,
A most embarrassing sight.
The eco-warriors, so proud and bold,
Found their green dreams had turned to mold.
For all their talk of saving Earth,
They’d birthed a project of little worth.
Oh, the irony of it all,
A “green” ferry that couldn’t crawl.
With diesel backups standing by,
The carbon savings were a lie.
So here’s a lesson, plain to see,
In how not to spend money free.
Before you build your dreams so grand,
Make sure they’ll work on sea and land.
The people’s wealth, so freely spent,
On follies that won’t make a dent.
In saving planet or saving coin,
Perhaps it’s time to rejoin
The world of sense and sound finance,
Where projects get a second glance.
For Missunde III now stands as sign,
Of good intentions gone awry.
So heed this tale of caution clear:
Don’t pay a green until you’re near!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCGSBmjwEVM
OT
Nippon mega-sponsors retreat after insane Paris event. Enough is enough.
https://apnews.com/article/ioc-sponsors-toyota-bridgestone-panasonic-olympics-3d47737847d3d211165697e57233146b
They rightly lament “an increasing politicization of the Olympic movement”. Why are they doing this? Because they are allowed and can afford it. Productivity comparison: 1 Toyota employee produces approx. 27 cars per year. A VW employee only 13.
This is not possible in the EUSSR, where even for large companies it is essential to agree to and actively participate in the respective policy if the company in question wants to continue to receive loans, permits, contracts and the like.
To this end, ESG “guidelines” were invented and made mandatory, which also include the obligation to participate in CSR or CSRD (Corporate Social Responsibility Directive). Lots of abbreviations, lots of convolutions, maximum lack of transparency.
From Missunde’s Folly to the Giants of History
The tale of Missunde III, our ill-fated electric ferry, has captured imaginations far beyond the shores of Schleswig-Holstein. But this modern mishap is merely the latest chapter in a saga that stretches back millennia, to a time when the very foundations of the English-speaking world were laid along these very waters.
The Schlei: Cradle of the English Language
The Schlei, that narrow inlet of the Baltic Sea that Missunde III struggled to cross, holds a secret that might astonish many English speakers worldwide. This body of water, originally known as “Angeln,” gave its name to the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes that would go on to settle in Britain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlei
From this small corner of northern Germany, the Angles carried their language across the North Sea, planting the seeds of what would become the global lingua franca we know today as English.
A Linguistic Legacy
Imagine, if you will, the ghosts of those ancient Angles watching in bemusement as their descendants struggle with an eco-friendly ferry in the very waters that once bore their longships. Perhaps they’d chuckle at how their tongue, born in these misty fjords, now echoes in boardrooms from New York to Singapore, in pop songs from London to Lagos, and even in the error messages of our failed green technologies.
The Giant of Ulsnis: A Tale of Titanic Proportions
Just a stone’s throw from Missunde, in the village of Ulsnis, another story emerges from the mists of time. Here, legend speaks of a giant so enormous that he could stride across the Schlei in a single step. One can’t help but wonder if this mythical colossus might have been more useful in propelling Missunde III across the waters than its well-intentioned but inadequate electric motors. A Modern Monument Today, a striking sculpture by artist Andi Feldmann stands in Ulsnis, commemorating this legendary giant. It’s a testament to the enduring power of myth and the human desire to leave a mark on the landscape. One might argue that Missunde III, in its own way, has become a modern monument—albeit to the folly of rushing headlong into green technologies without proper planning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kSR-YTmICI
The Battle of Mysunde: Where Past and Present Collide
The waters of the Schlei have seen more than just mythical giants and eco-friendly ferries. In 1864, the Battle of Mysunde unfolded here, a pivotal moment in the Second Schleswig War.
Danish forces successfully defended their position against Prussian and Austrian troops, demonstrating that sometimes, standing one’s ground can be more effective than drifting aimlessly—a lesson our hapless ferry might have benefited from. From Battles to Boondoggles It’s a peculiar twist of fate that a place once known for its strategic military importance now finds itself at the center of a different kind of struggle—the battle against climate change. The warriors of old have been replaced by environmental crusaders, their swords and shields exchanged for solar panels and wind turbines. Yet, as Missunde III demonstrates, not all battles are won simply by having the right intentions.
A Reflection on Progress
As we stand on the shores of the Schlei, watching the troubled waters that Missunde III failed to master, we’re reminded of the complex tapestry of history that unfolds beneath our feet. From the Angles who gave the world a language, to the giant who strode across these waters, to the soldiers who fought and died here, and now to the well-meaning but misguided attempt at green transportation—each era leaves its mark. Perhaps the true lesson of Missunde III is not just about the pitfalls of hasty technological adoption, but about the importance of understanding and respecting the past as we build for the future. For in these waters, where once the Angles dreamed of new horizons, we too must navigate carefully between the Scylla of complacency and the Charybdis of overzealous progress. As we move forward, let us hope that our future endeavors will be guided not just by our aspirations for a greener world, but by the wisdom accumulated over centuries on these historic shores.
From Missunde’s Folly to the Giants of History
The tale of Missunde III, our ill-fated electric ferry, has captured imaginations far beyond the shores of Schleswig-Holstein. But this modern mishap is merely the latest chapter in a saga that stretches back millennia, to a time when the very foundations of the English-speaking world were laid along these very waters.
The Schlei: Cradle of the English Language
The Schlei, that narrow inlet of the Baltic Sea that Missunde III struggled to cross, holds a secret that might astonish many English speakers worldwide. This body of water, originally known as “Angeln,” gave its name to the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes that would go on to settle in Britain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlei
From this small corner of northern Germany, the Angles carried their language across the North Sea, planting the seeds of what would become the global lingua franca we know today as English.
A Linguistic Legacy
Imagine, if you will, the ghosts of those ancient Angles watching in bemusement as their descendants struggle with an eco-friendly ferry in the very waters that once bore their longships. Perhaps they’d chuckle at how their tongue, born in these misty fjords, now echoes in boardrooms from New York to Singapore, in pop songs from London to Lagos, and even in the error messages of our failed green technologies.
The Giant of Ulsnis: A Tale of Titanic Proportions
Just a stone’s throw from Missunde, in the village of Ulsnis, another story emerges from the mists of time. Here, legend speaks of a giant so enormous that he could stride across the Schlei in a single step. One can’t help but wonder if this mythical colossus might have been more useful in propelling Missunde III across the waters than its well-intentioned but inadequate electric motors. A Modern Monument Today, a striking sculpture by artist Andi Feldmann stands in Ulsnis, commemorating this legendary giant. It’s a testament to the enduring power of myth and the human desire to leave a mark on the landscape. One might argue that Missunde III, in its own way, has become a modern monument—albeit to the folly of rushing headlong into green technologies without proper planning.
The Battle of Mysunde: Where Past and Present Collide
The waters of the Schlei have seen more than just mythical giants and eco-friendly ferries. In 1864, the Battle of Mysunde unfolded here, a pivotal moment in the Second Schleswig War.
Danish forces successfully defended their position against Prussian and Austrian troops, demonstrating that sometimes, standing one’s ground can be more effective than drifting aimlessly—a lesson our hapless ferry might have benefited from. From Battles to Boondoggles It’s a peculiar twist of fate that a place once known for its strategic military importance now finds itself at the center of a different kind of struggle—the battle against climate change. The warriors of old have been replaced by environmental crusaders, their swords and shields exchanged for solar panels and wind turbines. Yet, as Missunde III demonstrates, not all battles are won simply by having the right intentions.
A Reflection on Progress
As we stand on the shores of the Schlei, watching the troubled waters that Missunde III failed to master, we’re reminded of the complex tapestry of history that unfolds beneath our feet. From the Angles who gave the world a language, to the giant who strode across these waters, to the soldiers who fought and died here, and now to the well-meaning but misguided attempt at green transportation—each era leaves its mark. Perhaps the true lesson of Missunde III is not just about the pitfalls of hasty technological adoption, but about the importance of understanding and respecting the past as we build for the future. For in these waters, where once the Angles dreamed of new horizons, we too must navigate carefully between the Scylla of complacency and the Charybdis of overzealous progress. As we move forward, let us hope that our future endeavors will be guided not just by our aspirations for a greener world, but by the wisdom accumulated over centuries on these historic shores.
https://sharetext.me/ipjqbdf28l
PS …speaking of the “green” plague https://sharetext.me/ft7lnqqbsa
[…] From NoTricksZone […]
https://apnews.com/article/uk-last-coal-power-station-closing-9e6b792f27513e3b02904da1eaedfbf3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZPgSiOhC4E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTWDzMjgsEY
…”Green miracles” (chapter 8472829).
Today: “the floating solar power plant”
https://media.gettr.com/group7/getter/2024/10/01/14/1a47bb24-d404-16d3-d98c-ab9a0fd7c2b7/out.mp4
Electric Wonderland https://media.gettr.com/group5/getter/2024/10/05/09/bd3ed8dc-384e-51a2-6e77-5d923054340c/out.mp4