Storing Green Energy To Last Germany 10 Days Would Require A 60-Million Tonne Battery

An article at the European Institute for Climate & Energy (EIKE) website here takes a critical look at whether battery parks would be feasible to fully secure Germany’s weather-dependent power generation from wind and solar. 

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Storing electric power to last Germany 10 days would require a 60 million-tonne battery. Image generated by Grok AI

Germany currently has a battery capacity of approximately 26 gigawatt-hours (GWh), the majority of which (approx. 20 GWh) consists of private home storage systems.

Only large-scale storage systems (approx. 4.3 GWh) are considered truly “grid-serving.” Currently, these could cover only about 5% of summer electricity demand for 1.5 hours.

The “Germany battery”: What would be required?

Energy expert Staffan Reveman presented a plausibility calculation for making Germany self-sufficient (without fossil fuel plants or imports). The results are sobering.

10 hour buffer

To achieve just 10 hours of buffer, a capacity of 600 GWh would be required – 24 times the current inventory and representing a material weight of approx. 3 million tonnes.

10 days of buffer

To bridge a ten-day “Dunkelflaute” (dark doldrums) in winter with a 50 GW load, 12,000 GWh would be needed. This is 470 times the current total capacity and 2,800 times the current large-scale storage. Such a battery would weigh 60 million tons. A modern factory (like CATL in Thuringia) would theoretically need 857 years to produce this amount.

Constant replacement

A central drawback is the limited durability of batteries (approx. 10–15 years). To operate a system of 12,000 GWh permanently, batteries would need to be replaced conbtinuusly. Reveman calculates that approximately 57 mega-factories would need to produce continuously just to maintain this inventory.

Astronomical cost

A simulation for the Traunstein district showed that self-sufficient supply via wind, solar, and batteries would increase wholesale electricity costs from 6 cents to 217 cents per kwh.

Moreover, a 240-hour battery (12,000 GWh) would require an area of approx. 600 square kilometers (roughly two-thirds the size of Berlin).

Conclusion

The EIKE author concludes that batteries alone cannot guarantee a secure power supply. Even under massive expansion scenarios for 2030, gaps remain (especially in winter) that would strictly require a flexible power plant reserve (e.g., gas-fired plants) or imports.

Furthermore, lack of grid stability (missing rotating mass) is cited as a significant technical hurdle.





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New Studies: UK Sea Levels Were 4 Meters Higher Than Today During The Mid-Holocene

Solway Firth (UK) relative sea levels were 3.25 – 4 m higher than today from ~7000 to 5500 years ago before declining to present over the last few millennia (Hanan et al., 2026).

The reconstruction coring sites were located up to ~3 km inland from the modern coast.

New research also indicates Western Scotland’s relative sea levels were 4 to 5 m above present during the Mid-Holocene before declining to modern levels (Selby et al., 2026).

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Image Source: Hanan et al., 2026

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Image Source: Selby et al., 2026

Destructive Green New Deal: German Energy And Metal Group Warns Of Drastic Crisis

150,000 industrial jobs to be lost this year! 270,000 since 2018

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Germany’s rust belt is expanding rapidly. Symbol image generated by Grok AI

The German employer association Gesamtmetall warns of a drastic crisis in the country’s metal and electrical industries, forecasting the loss of up to 150,000 jobs in 2026, reports Blackout News here.

The recent increase in orders is almost entirely driven by the state-funded defense sector. The rest of the core business remains weak and fails to provide long-term stability for the industry.

High energy costs, green bureaucracy to blame

Since 2018, the sector has already lost 270,000 jobs. According to CEO Oliver Zander, the situation can be described as “deindustrialization in time-lapse.” The primary reasons cited are high energy prices, high corporate taxes, rising social security contributions, and excessive bureaucracy in Germany.

VW to lay off 50,000 employees!

To illustrate the depth of the German deindustrialization crisis, the Volkswagen Group has confirmed plans to cut 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030, reports online RTL here. The information was disclosed in a letter to shareholders by CEO Oliver Blume and within the company’s annual report.

The target for job cuts has been raised from an initially planned 35,000 to 50,000. The decision follows a sharp decline in profits in 2025. Operating profit fell by more than half to €8.9 billion.

The company aims to significantly improve its operating margin to ensure long-term competitiveness. The job cuts will affect the entire Volkswagen Group in Germany, including major subsidiaries such as Audi and Porsche.





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New Study Documents A 20-Year Pause In Arctic Sea Ice Decline – Driven By Internal Variability

“The trend of September Arctic sea ice extent for the most recent two decades 2005-2024 is -0.35  and -0.29 million km² per decade according to the NSIDC and OSISAF sea ice indices respectively…these trends are not statistically significant from zero at a 95% confidence level.” − England et al., 2025

Despite several peer-reviewed, “overly alarmist” predictions of sea-ice-free summers by 2020 published in the 2010s, there has been “no statistically significant decline in September sea ice area since 2005.”

It is not just in the annual monthly minimum (September) that sea ice losses have paused for the past two decades; the “current pause in Arctic sea ice is seen in every single month throughout the year.”

The lack of statistically significant sea ice decline is “robust across observational data sets, metrics, and seasons,” and the length of the pause is unprecedented the last 47 years of observations.

“[T]he 2005-2024 trend is the slowest rate of sea ice area loss over any 20-year period since the start of the satellite record.”

The paper’s polarbearsinternational.org press release details how “remarkable” it is that 2025 was the 13th year in a row (2012) in which there has not been a new record minimum. Last September (2025) was the 10th lowest September minimum in the 1979-present data.

Internal Variability Explains Trends

Arctic sea ice indeed did decline rapidly from about 1995 to 2005. However, the authors suggest internal variability (AMO, PDO) was “perhaps more” important than anthropogenic forcing in explaining this decade-long decrease.

“[I]nternal variability is at least as important, perhaps more, for explaining the steep decline during that period [1990s-2000s].”

The scientists assert internal climate variability can “totally counteract” human impacts, even driving sea ice growth in the coming decades.

The pause is expected to continue for “another five to 10 years.”

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Image Source: England et al., 2025 and polarbearsinternational.org press release

Wake-up Call: Survey Shows Majority Of Germans Now Favor Postponing Climate Targets!

The German government’s ambitious climate targets are under scrutiny—not just in Parliament, but in the minds of the citizens.

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A recent survey reveals that a majority of Germans (53%) favor postponing the deadline for climate neutrality.

Germany has long been considered a global pioneer in climate protection. However, while the federal government remains laser-focused on achieving climate neutrality by 2045, skepticism among the population is growing. A recent article by Kettner Edelmetalle highlights a new INSA survey, and the results are a wake-up call.

Majority opposes the current timeline

According to the survey, 53 percent of Germans are in favor of pushing back the target for climate neutrality from 2045 to 2050. This shift would align Germany with the general European Union timeline and end the current “special path” (Sonderweg) of an accelerated exit.

Only 32 percent of respondents want to stick to the current 2045 plan. The breakdown across political party lines is particularly revealing:

Union (CDU/CSU): A significant 66% of voters support a postponement.

AfD: 60% of supporters favor the later date.

SPD: Even the socilaists 54% are in favor of adjusting the goals.

Why is the mood shifting?

The reasons for this change in sentiment are largely rooted in economic reality. In an era of high energy prices, a sluggish economy, and noticeable inflation, the costs of this transformation have moved center stage.

Many citizens are asking: Can Germany afford this “head start” while other industrial nations move at a slower pace? The fear of deindustrialization and the loss of prosperity currently outweighs the desire to be a global leader at record speed.

The term “special path” suggests that Germany is isolating itself by pursuing goals without sufficient regard for competitiveness. Critics argue that ideologically driven policies have lost touch with reality. These survey results could be seen as a clear signal to politicians to re-evaluate their priorities.

Realism over ideology?

Germans aren’t necessarily against climate protection, but they are clearly demanding more pragmatism. Postponing the goal to 2050 wouldn’t mean abandoning climate action; it would mean syncing up with the European tempo. It remains to be seen whether policymakers will take this voter signal seriously or continue to push the accelerated course.





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Televised! Leading German Political Candidate Tells Schoolchildren CO2 Makes Sun Hotter!

CO2 is thinning the atmosphere, causing solar warming, CDU politician Manuel Hagel explained to schoolchildren.

He got an “F”

The southern state of Baden Württemburg is holding state elections this coming Sunday, March 8, and CDU candidate Manuel Hagel (37) recently made an ARD televised campaign stop at a school.

 

The stop could not have gone worse for Hagel, having since become the target of significant public ridicule and criticism.

The gaffe: Hagel attempted to explain the greenhouse effect to a class of elementary school children – on national television – but wound up showing the audience that he fundamentally didn’t have the first clue about the subject.

While standing at a monitor, Hagel explained to the onlooking students that the greenhouse effect worked as follows:

Between the earth and the sun is the atmsphere. And as this gets increasingly thin, the sun gets hotter and hotter. And the reason for this is CO2 emissions and and and. And that is the greenhouse effect.”

Confused candidate

Scientific critics and social media users quickly pointed out that the greenhouse effect is actually caused by gases like water vapor, CO2 and methane trapping heat within the atmosphere, and not by the atmosphere getting thinner and the sun getting hotter.

Even the teacher seemed stunned after Hagel’s expalantion, shaking her head and sarcastically saying: “Wunderbar. Bin beeindruckt.” (Wonderful, I’m impressed.)

It’s not certain if Hagel confused the greenhouse effect with the ozone-hole and other scientific phenomena. One thing is sure: he ‘s very confused about the subject.

The incident particularly gained traction because candidate Hagel was positioned as an authority figure educating children, and the fact that he taught them incorrect information and didn’t know wwhat he was talking about is particularly embarrassing. He’s the person who should lead one of Germany’s largest states, home to Mercedes Benz?





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New Study: A Century Warming Of 1.1°C Is ‘Commonplace’ And ‘Not Unusual’ During This Interglacial

There is nothing unprecedented or even significant about modern warming magnitudes or rates.

Antarctic ice cores are routinely used to represent not only global-scale CO2 records, but global temperature records over the last 800,000 years. Interestingly, if we compare modern Antarctica to paleo Antarctica we learn “no continent-scale warming of Antarctic temperature is evident in the last century.”

A new statistical probability analysis (Hatton, 2026) using Vostok temperature data indicates the reported 1.1°C global warming over the last century (since the 1920s) is “not even unusual” within the context of the last 20,000 years, as “16% of the centuries since the end of the last Ice Age show a rise at least as big [1.1°C] as the current century.”

As modern warming rates are “quite commonplace,” this calls into question the push to attribute temperature changes to human activity.

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Image Source: Hatton, 2026

For further context, the Northern Hemisphere is said to have warmed by 4-5°C “within a few decades” 14,500 years ago (Ivanovic et al., 2017), and during these centuries sea levels rose at rates of up to 7.5 meters per century (Smith et al., 2011), which is 20-30 times faster than modern rates.

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Image Source: Ivanovic et al., 2017 and Smith et al., 2011

New Study: ‘Internal Noise’ And Volcanic Forcing Can Trigger 10-15°C Warming Within Decades

Climate changes fostered by “unforced natural climate variability” may be more than an order of magnitude larger than the climate changes commonly attributed to anthropogenic forcing.

In a new study, scientists have attempted to identify the mechanisms explaining Greenland’s many historical (~80,000-11,700 years ago) climate changes that amounted to 10-15°C “in a decade or two.”

The warmer Greenland climate endured for centuries, and the ice sheet’s meltwater contributed to the 20-40 m of sea level rise during these interstadial periods.

Greenland’s abrupt climate changes were likely induced by circulation shifts in ocean heat storage linked to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which were, in turn, triggered by volcanic forcing and spontaneous, random “internal variability” or “noise”.

“…the AMOC can undergo spontaneous transitions between these [climate] states solely due to internal noise”

“…unforced natural climate variability can modulate the likelihood of a transition occurring under volcanic forcing”

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Image Source: Vettoretti et al., 2026

In contrast to the dramatic climate shifts tied to volcanism and “unforced natural climate variability,” modern Greenland has not warmed (net) in the last 100 years despite the foreboding “anthropogenic forcing” that we have been warned about since the 1980s.

Furthermore, the Greenland ice sheet has contributed just 1.2 cm to sea levels from 1992-2020. This is a far cry from the dozens of meters of meltwater contribution induced by internal climate variability, volcanic forcing, and/or “noise” throughout the last glacial.

Glaciers Worldwide Are Suddendly Surging, Experts Blame Warming!

Media, “experts” blame global warming for surging glaciers!

The article from Germany’s online Merkur discusses a seemingly paradoxical but dangerous phenomenon in the context of climate change: glacier “surges” (sudden advances).

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Symbol image of a Karakoram glacier, generated for illustration purposes only by Grok AI. 

While glaciers worldwide are said to be shrinking due to global warming, there are a number of exceptions. Some are growing suddenly at extreme speeds, extending up to 100 times faster than usual.

The reported sudden advances are said to be triggered by unstable mechanical conditions inside or at the base of the glacier. For example, meltwater can act as a lubricant, causing the ice to slide. The rapid movement can cause massive amounts of ice to become unstable and break off.

Moreover, the advancing ice masses can block valleys, causing lakes to form behind them. If these natural dams burst later, devastating flood waves hit lower-lying regions.

The focus is particularly on high mountain ranges such as the Karakoram (Asia), parts of Alaska, and Svalbard. In the Karakoram, scientists observe the “Karakoram Anomaly,” where many glaciers remain stable or are exhibiting dangerous surges despite global warming.

However, researchers emphasize that these advances are not a sign of glacial recovery or an end to global warming. On the contrary: they claim that climate change is altering glacier dynamics so significantly that such unpredictable and dangerous events may occur more frequently or intensely.

They conclude that these growing glaciers are not a reason to relax regarding climate change; instead, they represent a new, life-threatening danger for mountain regions by significantly increasing the risk of natural disasters.

“The climate change is rewriting the rules of the game: Glaciers are suddenly growing and becoming hotbeds for disasters,” writes the Merkur. “These advances are not a sign of recovery, but rather a symptom of extreme instability in the ice system.”

Experts are claiming that these glacier surges are not caused by more snow falling, but by the ice becoming so unstable that it loses its grip on the ground and “slips” forward at high speed, often leading to floods and landslides.





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Surprising Discovery: Sahara Is Greening…Billions Of Trees Where Once Thought To Be Barren

The Sahara Desert has shrunk, satellite images confirm…evidence of a real ecological shift

For decades, the narrative surrounding the Sahara was one of unstoppable desertification—a vast, arid landscape slowly swallowing everything in its path, including Europe alarmists have warned.

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Symbol image generated by Grok AI

However, recent scientific findings are painting a much more hopeful and complex picture. Thanks to advanced satellite technology and Artificial Intelligence, researchers have discovered something remarkable: The edges of the Sahara and the Sahel zone are becoming significantly greener.

A real ecological shift

In the past, satellite imagery was often too “blurry” to detect individual trees in arid regions. Sparse vegetation was frequently overlooked, leading to an underestimation of the actual biomass.

By using high-resolution satellite data and deep-learning algorithms, scientists have now been able to count individual trees and shrubs. The results are stunning: there are billions of trees in areas previously thought to be mostly barren. This isn’t just a correction of old data; it’s evidence of a real ecological shift.

Why is the Desert Greening?

Several factors are driving this “greening” effect at the world’s largest hot desert. Firstly, in certain regions of the Sahel, precipitation levels have risen over the last few decades.

Scondly, the CO2 Fertilization Effect: While rising CO2 levels are claimed to be a major driver of climate change, they are definitely a potent fertilizer for plants. Higher CO2 concentrations allow trees to use water more efficiently. They can keep their pores (stomata) partially closed to prevent evaporation.

Thirdly, shifts in how often fires occur in these regions have allowed young saplings to reach maturity instead of being destroyed in their early stages.

Why Does This Matter?

This findings have profound implications for our planet: More trees mean more carbon dioxide is being pulled from the atmosphere. Trees provide shade, reduce soil erosion, and help retain moisture in the ground, making the environment more livable for local communities.

Moreover, a greener landscape supports a wider variety of insects, birds, and mammals, strengthening the local ecosystem.

This reminds us that nature is resilient and that our understanding of the Earth’s ecosystems is constantly evolving. The desert is not just a place of sand and heat—it is a place of hidden life, slowly reclaiming its ground.





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New Research Reaffirms Clouds, Aerosols, And Surface Solar Radiation Are ‘Driving The Climate System’

Warming across Germany in the last 3 decades can be explained by declining cloud and aerosol albedo and consequent rising solar radiation. Not CO2.

Another new study affirms clouds and aerosols play a key role in explaining trends in solar surface radiation (SSR), which is “essential for the global energy cycle driving the climate system.”

Over Germany, five independent observational datasets all agree that SSR increased by 4 W/m² per decade (~10 W/m²) from 1995-2020.

A 4 W/m² per decade increase in SSR easily explains recent warming. It especially explains warming far better than the alleged 20-times smaller clear-sky-only CO2 impact (0.2 W/m² per decade) over this span.

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Image Source: Pfeifroth et al., 2026

Supporting this new research, a 2024 study (Wacker et al.) utilizing a German “testbed site” reports total and direct shortwave (SW) radiation forcing rose by 3.5 and 9.3 W/m² per decade, respectively, from 1996-2021.

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Image Source: Wacker et al., 2024

Germany: Electric Car Catches Fire At Charging Station, Sets Off Local “Inferno”, Widespread Damage

The article from Blackout News here reports on how a severe fire was triggered by an electric car at a charging station in Schwaigern (Baden-Württemberg) on February 16, 2026.

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Symbol image generated by Grok AI: Electric car on fire at a charging station. 

Avoid parking next to electric cars

Blackout News reports that an electric car connected to a public charging station caught fire on Monday morning and the fire quickly spread to a motorhome parked next to it. Since the motorhome contained gas cylinders, the intense heat triggered several explosions!

Multiple other cars in the immediate vicinity were damaged by the flames and heat. Two buildings were damaged as well -one directly adjacent residential house and a building on the opposite side of the street. Property damage was estimated to be in the mid-six-figure range. The report describes a local “inferno”.

According to Blackout News, extinguishing the fire proved difficult due to the burning EV battery, which required continuous cooling to prevent reignition.

Electric cars are notorious fire risks, banned in some parking garages, ferry lines

It’s little wonder that some ferry companies and parking garage operators have introduced bans or restrictions on electric vehicles (EVs). The primary reason cited is fire safety as electric vehicle battery fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish once they start, especially in confined spaces like ship decks or underground garages.

Several shipping companies have made headlines by banning or restricting EVs: In 2023, Havila Kystruten (Norway) shipping line made the high-profile decision to ban electric, hybrid, and hydrogen cars from its coastal ferries. They argued that their onboard firefighting systems were not equipped to handle a battery fire and that such an event could endanger the ship and passengers.

Since April 2024, the Greek Shipping Ministry has implemented a regulation for many ferries where EVs and plug-in hybrids are only allowed on board if their battery charge is 40% or lower. This is to reduce the risk of “thermal runaway.”

Alaska Marine Lines recently introduced a ban on EVs and plug-in hybrids on its vessels, citing the lack of specialized firefighting equipment at sea.

BC Ferries (Canada) recently introduced a policy prohibiting non-operational (towed/broken-down) EVs from boarding, due to the inability to verify if the battery has been damaged (which increases fire risk).

Parking garages

In 2024, the UK Parliament banned EVs from its underground parking facilities as a “precautionary measure” following a fire safety assessment.

At various times, small numbers of parking garage operators in Germany (e.g., in Kulmbach or Leonberg) made headlines for banning EVs after local fire incidents. However, many of these bans were later lifted or challenged because modern building codes and fire department equipment have evolved to handle such risks.

Instead of a full ban, many newer garages now require EVs to park in specific “monitored” zones near exits to allow easier access for emergency services.

Hotter, difficult to extinguish

The risk is that lithium-ion battery fires burn much hotter than gasoline fires. And when they are on fire, they release toxic fumes (like hydrogen fluoride) that are dangerous in enclosed spaces. Moreover, an EV battery can appear to be extinguished but reignites hours or even days later, which is particularly dangerous on a ship in the middle of the ocean.





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