Perhaps the most significant recent development in climate alarmism is the increasing internal polarization of two major European countries. In recent years Western Europe has been the primary home of climate alarmism.

The negotiations to form a new German government have broken down on several issues, of which climate may be the most important. This is unusual because no such political breakdown has occurred since the days of the Weimar Republic. It also ends the united front on climate over the last decade or so in Germany. In Britain the Government has announced an end to some important subsidies for renewables. Given the dependence of renewables on subsidies, this could have a major effect on their further development in Britain

If these or similar developments continue in Europe this is in marked contrast to the unity and consensus exhibited by the European Climate Industrial Complex (CIC) as recently as late 2015 with the Paris “Treaty.” If in the end the European CIC falls apart, there might actually be a serious possibility of a more general collapse of CIC support. That would be a wonderful outcome, but cannot be counted on as yet.

Some of the Underlying Problems Posed by European Climate Alarmism Are Finally Becoming Evident

The underlying reason for the climate polarization in Britain and Germany appears to be that ordinary people and businesses are finally seeing what climate alarmism is leading to for them. In Britain a 40% increase in elderly pensioners dying last winter has has been blamed on increasing bills for electricity to stay warm. And in Germany it seems to be primarily industries that are worried about being non-competitive internationally because of much higher electricity rates. The recent growth of the AfD party is said to be in part the direct result.

The European Greens now face serious questions about the effects of their climate alarmism. Dying pensioners and industries have finally resulted in a political reaction which is unlikely to be quelled by the usual junk science scare tactics long used by European (and American) greens. If the alarmists are unable to win back their former support in Western Europe and in Washington, there is some hope that their scam may finally start to fade away.