Germany Sets 2038 Deadline to End Coal Use:
In a pioneering move, a German government-appointed panel has recommended that Germany stop burning coal to generate electricity by 2038 at the latest, as part of efforts to curb climate change.
The Coal Commission reached a deal early Saturday following months of wrangling that were closely watched by other coal-dependent countries.
"We made it," Ronald Pofalla, the head of the commission, told reporters in Berlin. "This is a historic effort."
Germany gets more than a third of its electricity from burning coal, generating large amounts of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
The 28-member panel, representing mining regions, utility companies, scientists and environmentalists, suggests a review in 2032 could bring forward the coal deadline to 2035.
The plan foresees billions in federal funding to help affected regions cope with the economic impact, and to shield industry and consumers from higher electricity prices. The energy transition will also need a huge overhaul and modernization of the country's power grid, the commission's members said.
The decision still needs government approval.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 27 2019, @11:36PM (2 children)
Nothing wrong with conserving the cheaper/easier to use energy source.
(Score: 4, Funny) by driverless on Monday January 28 2019, @02:26AM (1 child)
Note that it isn't actually 2038. The date everyone agreed on was 2070, but because of a computer glitch it was reported as 2038, specifically 19 January 2038. Expect an update as soon as the German government reruns the calculations on a VMS machine.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 28 2019, @01:42PM
I am now taking note of who I upvote
I don't know you. Today I've voted you up twice.
You're on a roll! Keep it up!
(the great comments that is)
(Score: 4, Informative) by Username on Sunday January 27 2019, @11:45PM
This wont stop climate change, it will only switch subsidies to the corporate overlords of politicians, B, C, P-T, thereby hurting the funding of politicians A, D, J, K, N, O.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 28 2019, @12:20AM (6 children)
If you think the world is going to let you replace coal by burning Jews in ovens again, you have no idea just how much that will piss off the SJWs.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 28 2019, @01:05AM
... wouldn't that at least be 100% organic and natural energy? They might get behind that. But if you thought burning coal was bad due to it being a limited resource you are going to be in big trouble, after all if you in a few years managed to burn millions there won't be that many around to sustain this new energy source for more then a decade or two at most.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 28 2019, @01:17AM (2 children)
I wonder if the outrage of jews being burned would be offset a little by the fact women burn better than men. Have to consider most SJWs are antisemitic, and women as a group, are higher on the intersectionality hierarchy than jews. As seen at the women's march.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 28 2019, @01:26AM (1 child)
Ashkenazi Jews or the larger diaspora? And we mussn't forget the highest of all intersectional hierarchies: wall street.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 28 2019, @12:32PM
I believe leftists have an issue with Jews as a whole. According to Louis Farrakhan in his book "The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews," he accredits them for the enslavement of blacks. There is also the fact Muslims are ranked above them in the intersectional hierarchy, and zionists have displaced many Muslims during the creation of Israel. I do understand why you would guess just the Ashkenazi. They have an additional flaw, in line with leftist views. White privilege. Since they are still European, one of the Germanic tribes who were converted by the exiled Israeli monarchy to retake the holy land.
(Score: 4, Funny) by driverless on Monday January 28 2019, @02:30AM
In the UK it'll be slightly different: Climate change is God's way of telling us to burn more catholics! [youtu.be]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 29 2019, @06:25AM
Well there's an easy solution to that, burn the SJWs as well.
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 28 2019, @12:49AM
These German nutjobs expect government is going to pay billions to consumers so they won't have higher electric prices... and they don't think the consumers will notice that their taxes go up by the same amount? Next up, German nutjobs unveil their perpetual motion machine.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by looorg on Monday January 28 2019, @01:11AM (4 children)
Question really is what they are going to replace it with. They already said it won't be nuclear, those are all supposed to be gone within a couple of years now. Decided so after the accident in Japan a few years back. So will and can solar and wind replace the need or are they going to be stuck sucking the Russian gas-pipe until something better comes along?
Naturally Greenpeace found something to bitch about as per usual, that shit organization is never happy about anything.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 28 2019, @01:26AM (2 children)
No one knows what exactly is going to happen, but it could be bad. Politicians in the US are already saying climate change will destroy the world in 12 years, so 2038 is irrelevant. For a couple years now I've been buying staples in bulk from chinese websites, my family thinks I'm the crazy one but they'll see when the time comes.
(Score: 5, Touché) by driverless on Monday January 28 2019, @02:37AM
So that when the zombie apocalypse comes they'll spare you because you can staple them back together again?
(Score: 2, Funny) by khallow on Monday January 28 2019, @04:53AM
That was your first mistake.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 29 2019, @06:27AM
Man sized hamster-wheel-paddle-farms? I hear Germany's got a refugee overpopulation problem...
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday January 28 2019, @05:25PM
All coal infrastructure controlled by computers or embedded systems should be sure to use 32-bit time counters since Jan 1, 1970. (eg, the Linux 2038 problem)
That way you can be sure coal will stop be being used by 2038, even if people forget to transition to something else in the years leading up to 2038.
Why is it so difficult to break a heroine addiction?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 28 2019, @06:44PM
03:14:07 UTC on Tuesday, 19 January 2038