The dirty secret of alternative energy in Europe was that it never worked. You just wouldn't know it talking to Europeans. They believe in their government, and culturally that is what sets apart America - we believe in our country, but we don't trust our government unless they earn it.

And no country has earned it. After $4 trillion in subsidies, mandated by governments at tremendous cost to the poor, conventional energy has changed by 0.1%. Europe was always lying in plain sight about their alternative energy. The first way was by having on-demand energy from Russia. They were even so worried about a Russian invasion of Ukraine again that they steamrolled over their own environmental laws to bypass Ukraine entirely - so they could turn a blind eye to the fate of that country and claim importing gas directly from Russia was a separate issue.

The hypocrisy of that fell quickly, so they pivoted to a new one; importing liquefied natural gas (LNG), which environmentalists used to protest. France is planning on six new nuclear power reactors, which environmentalists protest.

As the Director of National Intelligence uncomfortably revealed, because his boss in the White House had nearly 100 percent support from anti-science activists(1), Russians were funding American environmental groups using offshore "donor advised" funds to keep the paper trail secret. The activists they supported were devoted to stopping American natural gas and food exports - Russia's top two exports.(2)

The other way Europe got away with claiming to be lowering emissions, when they were more reliant on conventional fuels than ever, still works today; they mandated in climate treaties that emissions be charged to the country exporting the energy. So if they import wood pellets - absolutely horrible for the environment - and restart coal plants, the emissions are charged to the countries that sell the fuel to them. Developing nations don't care, they are exempt from climate treaties, as are India and China, because they self-identify as developing nations.

Hypocrisy aside, Europeans won't freeze this winter, and energy won't really even be much more expensive. Their LNG tanks are 95 percent full of imported conventional fuel.

The truth won't keep you warm, after all.

NOTE:

(1) Which is why the report was suppressed and only released shortly before his successor took over, months after the 2016 election.

(2) The anti-science progressive group Center for Media and Democracy, home of the attack site against the science community called Sourcewatch, ironically refused to reveal its own source of a secret $500,000 donation. Revealing sources only applies to scientists, and of course the Republicans they oppose. The left-wing Guardian also refuses to disclose its link between American anti-science group donations, like the anti-vaccine, anti-cell-phone, anti-farming, anti-all-science US Right To Know group, and suddenly carrying their op-eds.