{"id":328477,"date":"2024-05-13T08:47:58","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T06:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=328477"},"modified":"2024-05-13T08:48:00","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T06:48:00","slug":"as-europe-deindustrializes-is-it-undergoing-economic-suicide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=328477","title":{"rendered":"As Europe Deindustrializes: Is it Undergoing Economic Suicide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an illuminating piece by Tilak Doshi on Forbes,<\/a> the economic trajectory of Europe under the weight of its environmental policies is critically analyzed. Doshi paints a stark picture of what he describes as a self-inflicted wound to Europe\u2019s industrial base, driven by stringent regulations and a shift away from reliable energy sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cVoltaire famously said that \u2018common sense is not so common.\u2019 Nowhere is this adage more relevant than in the field of energy policies in the European Union. These policies are most vigorously pursued in Germany\u2014Europe\u2019s industrial powerhouse\u2014since it adopted the\u00a0Energiewende<\/a><\/em>\u00a0legislation in 2010. The \u2018green\u2019 regulations and mandates adopted are simultaneously hostile to fossil fuels and nuclear energy.\u00a0Energiewende\u00a0<\/em>(German for \u2018energy turnaround\u2019) refers to the ongoing energy transition to an imagined future of low carbon, environmentally sound, reliable, and affordable energy supply\u201d\u200b\u200b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/tilakdoshi\/2024\/05\/09\/as-europe-deindustrializes-can-economic-suicide-be-avoided\/?sh=2c2c6f663dfa<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Doshi\u2019s analysis starts with Germany, the hub of Europe\u2019s industrial might, which has seen a significant decline in its industrial production since 2017. This decline is attributed to the Energiewende, a policy initiative aimed at transitioning to renewable energy sources but which has resulted in high energy costs and reduced competitiveness in the global market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

\u201cGermany\u2019s industrial production peaked in November of 2017, and by the end of last year had fallen to a level last seen in 2006 outside of the global financial recession and Covid-19 years. Its industrial sector contracted by almost 14% in the 6 years ending December 2023.
\u2026
Energy-intensive trade-oriented industries, involving both among small and medium-sized firms as well as behemoths like BASF, have been worst hit, as high energy prices make vast swathes of Germany\u2019s manufacturing sector uncompetitive. The self-inflicted economic meltdown in the pursuit of \u2018net zero\u2019 policy goals goes beyond Germany. Industrial capacity is being decimated across Europe\u201d<\/a>\u200b\u200b.https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/tilakdoshi\/2024\/05\/09\/as-europe-deindustrializes-can-economic-suicide-be-avoided\/?sh=2c2c6f663dfa<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, Doshi points out that these economic policies have not just been problematic for industry, but also have broader socio-political repercussions. A growing discontent among European citizens is manifesting, particularly among those most impacted like farmers and small business owners, who are increasingly protesting against what they perceive as burdensome and unrealistic regulatory frameworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince the summer of 2023, Europe\u2019s Green Deal has been on regulatory pause, as EU governments face a \u2018greenlash\u2019 against environmental policies. In the face of energy and cost of living crises, farmers, consumers and trade groups are starting to resent the burdensome costs of sprawling environmental regulations across the continent. Nowhere is this sense of grievance more apparent than in the great European farmer\u2019s revolt, as farmers\u2019 protests escalated across the continent since they first started in the Netherlands in October 2019\u2033\u200b\u200b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Doshi does not stand alone in his criticism. He cites other commentators who suggest a rethinking of energy policies could be on the horizon in Europe, influenced perhaps by economic necessity rather than environmental idealism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThe heavy costs of suppressing the use of fossil fuels while promoting intermittent, weather-dependent renewable energy technologies over the past decade has been disguised and diffused by hidden costs and fiscal transfers to powerful constituencies. But over time, \u2018net zero\u2019 climate policies have become increasingly unbearable for ordinary people as they reach beyond the power sector to cover agriculture, transport, homes, and buildings\u201d\u200b\u200b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/tilakdoshi\/2024\/05\/09\/as-europe-deindustrializes-can-economic-suicide-be-avoided\/?sh=2c2c6f663dfa<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This reflection on Europe\u2019s industrial and economic decline under the weight of green policies serves as a cautionary tale about the unintended consequences of well-meaning but poorly implemented government policies. The rigorous enforcement of these policies, without adequate consideration for economic realities and the basic energy needs of a developed economy, may well lead to what Doshi refers to as economic suicide. His article urges a balance\u2014a recalibration of environmental goals with the practical needs of economic stability and growth, reflecting a sentiment that perhaps, the pendulum of environmental policy has swung too far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In an illuminating piece by Tilak Doshi on Forbes, the economic trajectory of Europe under the weight of its environmental policies is critically analyzed. Doshi paints a stark picture of what he describes as a self-inflicted wound to Europe\u2019s industrial base, driven by stringent regulations and a shift away from reliable energy sources.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":328482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691822094,691818618,691818583,691828598,691818051],"class_list":{"0":"post-328477","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-deindustrialisation","9":"tag-energy-transition","10":"tag-europe","11":"tag-europes-green-deal","12":"tag-germany","14":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/0getty-stock-market-fall.webp?fit=3200%2C1680&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1ns1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":324431,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=324431","url_meta":{"origin":328477,"position":0},"title":"Legal Absurdities in Climate Policy: A Critical Review of Tilak Doshi\u2019s Analysis","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"27\/04\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In his recent Forbes article,\u00a0Tilak Doshi criticizes a landmark ruling by Europe\u2019s highest human rights court, which mandates countries to protect their citizens from the consequences of climate change.","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0njmptva.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0njmptva.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0njmptva.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0njmptva.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/0njmptva.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":273720,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=273720","url_meta":{"origin":328477,"position":1},"title":"Europe\u2019s Self-Imposed Energy Crisis: Paying Homage to Gaia","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"15\/08\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Not-So-Strange Death of Europe: Cultural Sacrifice at The Altar of Gaia","rel":"","context":"In \"Cult of Climate\"","block_context":{"text":"Cult of Climate","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=cult-of-climate"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image-625.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image-625.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image-625.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image-625.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":359388,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=359388","url_meta":{"origin":328477,"position":2},"title":"Germany\u2019s Economic and Political Suicide","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"28\/12\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Once upon a time there lived a country that was the envy of the world. It was among the world\u2019s pre-eminent producers of manufactured goods. From chemicals and pharmaceuticals to precision engineering and the brewing of beer, it was second to none. Its people\u2019s work skills, industriousness and discipline became\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Cult of Gaia\"","block_context":{"text":"Cult of Gaia","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=cult-of-gaia"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/00Germany-alarm-from-locomotive-to-sick-man-of-Europe.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/00Germany-alarm-from-locomotive-to-sick-man-of-Europe.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/00Germany-alarm-from-locomotive-to-sick-man-of-Europe.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/00Germany-alarm-from-locomotive-to-sick-man-of-Europe.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/00Germany-alarm-from-locomotive-to-sick-man-of-Europe.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":270301,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=270301","url_meta":{"origin":328477,"position":3},"title":"London\u2019s ULEZ Expansion: Balancing Environmental Protection and Motorist Rights","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"30\/07\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Tilak Doshi\u2019s article\u00a0\u201cLondon\u2019s Ulez Expansion: Motorists Of The World Unite!\u201d\u00a0is an eye-opening examination of the real-world impact of London\u2019s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion on ordinary motorists.","rel":"","context":"In \"London\"","block_context":{"text":"London","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=london"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-933.png?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-933.png?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-933.png?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-933.png?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-933.png?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":424524,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=424524","url_meta":{"origin":328477,"position":4},"title":"Germany\u2019s Chemical Reckoning: How Europe is Dismantling its Industrial Core","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\"The Agonising Decline of One of Europe\u2019s Core Industries,\" describes Germany's chemical sector crisis as a symptom of broader self-inflicted industrial decline in Europe. Energy and environment policy analyst Tilak Doshi argues that Germany's once-dominant chemical industry- home to giants like BASF and a cornerstone of \"Made in Germany\" manufacturing-\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"BASF\"","block_context":{"text":"BASF","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=basf"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQOCFTak7yim8mqtCRTCGJNEKcCnIeckTeha4Fi5GpE6TfG92gR2rtDtVNOQAxH0tDrvPas8AGczboH-9lNijqEnkKxVVzdfUqOt04Br2lFhaFe9VL5Mdq4YRbDy0gp5.jpeg?fit=1200%2C662&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQOCFTak7yim8mqtCRTCGJNEKcCnIeckTeha4Fi5GpE6TfG92gR2rtDtVNOQAxH0tDrvPas8AGczboH-9lNijqEnkKxVVzdfUqOt04Br2lFhaFe9VL5Mdq4YRbDy0gp5.jpeg?fit=1200%2C662&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQOCFTak7yim8mqtCRTCGJNEKcCnIeckTeha4Fi5GpE6TfG92gR2rtDtVNOQAxH0tDrvPas8AGczboH-9lNijqEnkKxVVzdfUqOt04Br2lFhaFe9VL5Mdq4YRbDy0gp5.jpeg?fit=1200%2C662&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQOCFTak7yim8mqtCRTCGJNEKcCnIeckTeha4Fi5GpE6TfG92gR2rtDtVNOQAxH0tDrvPas8AGczboH-9lNijqEnkKxVVzdfUqOt04Br2lFhaFe9VL5Mdq4YRbDy0gp5.jpeg?fit=1200%2C662&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQOCFTak7yim8mqtCRTCGJNEKcCnIeckTeha4Fi5GpE6TfG92gR2rtDtVNOQAxH0tDrvPas8AGczboH-9lNijqEnkKxVVzdfUqOt04Br2lFhaFe9VL5Mdq4YRbDy0gp5.jpeg?fit=1200%2C662&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":305064,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=305064","url_meta":{"origin":328477,"position":5},"title":"The Great European Farmer Revolt: Jilted, Turning On The Greens","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"26\/02\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Coming to a crescendo over the past few months,\u00a0widespread farmers\u2019 protests\u00a0in Europe have escalated \u2013 across the width and breadth of the continent, from Sweden to Spain, Poland to Portugal \u2014 since they first started in the Netherlands Holland in October 2019.","rel":"","context":"In \"EU subsidies\"","block_context":{"text":"EU subsidies","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=eu-subsidies"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2GF0fVoJawAACVF9-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C757&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2GF0fVoJawAACVF9-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C757&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2GF0fVoJawAACVF9-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C757&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2GF0fVoJawAACVF9-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C757&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2GF0fVoJawAACVF9-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C757&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/328477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=328477"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/328477\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":328484,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/328477\/revisions\/328484"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/328482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=328477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=328477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=328477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}