Europe’s economy is slowing sharply as the Iran war drives up energy costs, deepening pressure on households and challenging policy makers. Fresh data for May showed euro zone business activity contracted at its fastest pace in more than two years while inflation pressures intensified, raising fears of a prolonged cost-of-living crunch and possible recession.
Then do something about it. Europe should get together with Russia and China and negotiate with Iran.
The same Russia which is currently invading a future EU member?
and influencing right wing parties in europe.
They are not going to get together with Russia as long as it’s busy invading Ukraine, and rightfully so. They could get together with China and Iran, but then the US would probably block the strait of Hormuz for ships bound for Europe and China.
What they should do is make every possible effort to break the dependence on fossil fuels as soon as possible.
That’s wishful thinking and not feasible. Of course we should speed up adoption of fossil-free electricity for many reasons, security being one of them, but:
- You (and your air force) can’t fly without fossil fuels
- Your trucks can’t haul without fossil fuels (batteries don’t work, trucks get too heavy and damage roads)
- Your tractors can’t work the fields without fossil fuels
- Your plants won’t grow without sulfur, phosphorus and potassium additives
- Your ships don’t run without fossil fuels
- Your medical imaging doesn’t work without helium, there’s absolutely no other alternative
- You can’t purge your advanced labs (rocket engineering, biotech, chips) without helium
- Your pharmaceuticals need oil-derived precursors, all of your plastics including medical devices rely on oil
The most disastrous of these is the fertilizer. People tend to think that you put a seed in dirt and food just grows, forgetting that famines were widespread before the Haber-Bosch process. We went from approximately >50% of people working in agriculture to <1% since the invention of the Haber-Bosch process, and it absolutely hinges on that.
What Europe needs to do is to blockade and sanction Israel until they withdraw from their illegal settlements and unilaterally stop all of their wars. We need to make it clear to the United States in no uncertain terms to fuck off out of the Persian Gulf, and if they don’t we need to be ready for military action against the United States.
I’d also add that Europe is already roughly at max capacity for Solar and Wind power generation, which are the quick-to-build alternatives. If we want to decrease reliance on fossil fuels more, it’s Hydro, Nuclear and energy recovery from burning waste that’s on the menu. All of those take time, especially Nuclear which is the best alternative in the long run. Oil shortages in Europe will likely begin this summer as Strategic Petroleum Reserves run dry. Then what?
fossil fuels are a key point in chemical industries , its not just about power !
True, but the amounts needed for that are much lower, and can be bought from countries in other parts of the world.
What they should do is make every possible effort to break the dependence on fossil fuels as soon as possible.
So like a decade. Europe has no choice but negociate in good faith with Iran
They can try Venezuela
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Europe will get together with Russia if it benefits it. Getting together on Iran might improve their relationship enabling them to reach a peace deal on Iran.
Europe and China would escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The addition of Russia would be a more formidable force.
Breaking the dependence on fossil fuels will take many years.
The addition of Russia would be a more formidable force.
Russia hardly has any navy left. But even if they did, Putin can not be trusted not to screw Europe over every chance he gets.
