Europe's Cold And Snowy October; Ideology Over Energy; + Milton Underwhelms

The public is noticing the disconnect between warnings and reality. The repeated tendency to cry wolf is backfiring.

Europe's Cold And Snowy October

The higher elevations of Europe—namely those in Scotland, the Alps, and Scandinavia—are forecast impressive snow days throughout the remainder of October, as waves of polar cold continue to sweep the continent.

Long-range models, including the GFS and the ECMWF, point to a cooler-than-average October for Central and Western regions in particular. This is due, in part, to cooling SSTs in the North Atlantic, between Iceland and Europe, which, for one, limit the warming effect on the lower atmosphere during westerly and northwesterly winds.

NOAA reanalysis data confirms that in late-September, SSTs in the North Atlantic were below the 1991-2020 WMO average.

Ideology Over Energy

As Europe braces for a colder-than-usual October, with subpolar air masses and cool westerly winds setting the stage for a chilly autumn (and likely winter), the continent finds itself in a precarious position—one of its own making.

The underlying fragility of Europe’s energy security, brought on by the green agenda’s relentless demonizing of reliable energy sources, continues to cast a long shadow over the continent’s economic future.

For decades now, Europe has pursued an energy strategy that eliminates fossil fuels and nuclear in favor of heavily subsidized sources such as wind and solar. The outcome, however, has been tanking living standards driven by escalating energy costs, unreliable supplies, and the dismantling of the very energy systems that have kept Europe warm and economically competitive for centuries.

Natural gas was once hailed as a “bridge fuel” in the transition to a greener future, being a cleaner-burning alternative to coal. Yet, even gas has fallen out of favor under mounting pressure from the green lobby. The closure of significant gas infrastructure, such as the Rough storage facility in the UK and the rapid decommissioning of the Groningen gas field in the Netherlands, has left Europe with diminished storage capacity. The war in Ukraine and subsequent energy crisis--not helped by the bombing of the Nord Stream--have exposed the consequences of this shortsighted approach, as countries scramble to fill their storage at sky-high prices due to lack of long-term, stable gas supply contracts.

Coal, despite being a reliable, affordable and abundant energy source, has faced near-total demonization across Europe. The wholesale shutdown of coal-fired power plants, combined with hefty carbon taxes, has driven the continent to premature reliance on renewable sources that lack the consistency to meet demand. Countries like Germany, which once had a robust energy mix including coal, have found themselves reverting to reopening mothballed coal plants in times of crisis, thus undermining their own climate policies and exposing the fallacy. The UK doesn't even have that option anymore following last's week's closure of is last coal power plant—a facility that it has relied upon much of this year to help keep the lights on.

Another Colder Than Average Month In Antarctica; UK Prematurely Ends 142-Year Reliance On Coal Power; + The Noose Pt 2

Perhaps the greatest irony of Europe’s green crusade is the abandonment of nuclear power, the only zero-emission energy source capable of providing continuous, large-scale electricity generation. Germany’s decision to shut down its remaining nuclear reactors in 2023, despite a worsening energy crisis, stands as a testament to the triumph of ideology over pragmatism.