Green fanatics

Eldar Dizdarević writes for Oslobođenje

On Friday, June 21, 2024, Bosnia and Herzegovina's electricity system literally collapsed. And the power went out. The system collapse started in Albania, then reached Bosnia and Herzegovina and parts of Croatia via Montenegro. After that, many Bosnian experts commented on the system collapse, and even the Independent System Operator of Bosnia and Herzegovina provided relevant information about it. However, only a few pointed out the truly important facts from this collapse.

The BiH electricity system is an integral part of the unified transmission system of continental Europe, as BiH institutions proudly emphasize. If one were to consider only this fact, it would be easy to conclude that BiH is already part of the EU. However, unfortunately, this did not help it at all in preserving the system and supplying consumers with energy. The Bosnian public has not focused on the electricity system so far because it was generally believed that BiH has enough electricity and that minor, occasional failures are possible, but certainly not a collapse of the entire system. Therefore, the collapse surprised most people, although there are quite a few who expected it.

The system collapse could and should have been expected. Why? Well, firstly, due to the integration into a unified energy system, and secondly, due to the neglect of existing, traditional energy sources, i.e., due to the arrival of the greens. Funded generously from abroad through various non-governmental organizations, aggressive green fanatics have also begun to advocate in BiH for the so-called green agenda, i.e., abandoning fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. The reason for their hysteria is the alleged fight against climate change, despite the fact that more than 1,800 climate scientists from around the world, including four Nobel laureates, have signed the Climate Declaration stating that there is currently no climate emergency. But what do scientists know compared to paid "agenda pushers".

As an alternative to fossil fuels, the greens have offered solar panels and wind farms. As BiH is fertile ground for all sorts of manipulations and especially foreign influences, the mania for solar panels and wind farms has - as expected - also spread to these regions. Unfortunately, at the expense of traditional energy sources. Therefore, Amer Jerlagić, former director of Elektroprivreda BiH, is absolutely right when he warned in a TV show regarding the collapse of the electricity system that at the end of June, when the temperature exceeded 36 degrees Celsius, the solar panels did not save the BiH electricity system.

And what saved the BiH electricity system? The most precise and accurate answer to that question was given by Jasmina Bišćević-Tokić, SDA MP in the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament, who said: “Elektroprivreda BiH engaged all capacities to normalize electricity distribution. Are you now aware of what it means to have the Tuzla and Kakanj thermal power plants? They are invaluable. New renewable sources will never be able to replace them”.

And she is right. Solar panels and wind farms are good alternative energy sources, but only for small consumers and, importantly, as alternative energy sources. Solar panels and wind farms are the most unreliable energy sources that are completely dependent on weather conditions. Unfortunately, green fanatics advocate for closing down stable energy sources in BiH, such as thermal power plants, despite the fact that BiH, according to data from British Petroleum and the US Energy Information Administration, has coal reserves sufficient for the next 264 years at the current consumption rate.

From the foregoing, a clear conclusion follows. If BiH follows the green agenda and abandons the resources it possesses, then, gentlemen, prepare for collapses of the electricity system to become your daily reality. But that is not the only consequence. Prepare, gentlemen, for the price of electricity to skyrocket. But don't worry about anything. While sitting at home without electricity, you will be able to proudly say that the BiH electricity system is an integral part of Europe's unified transmission system and that BiH is fulfilling all its decarbonization obligations. However, also prepare for additional taxes that you will pay to Western brokerage dealers and banks - through the insatiable BiH institutions - for exceeding carbon emissions.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's abandonment of its resources is, of course, not a very intelligent policy. For example, it is understandable that a country like Sweden, whose existing coal reserves are not enough for even the next year, is abandoning coal. But that same Sweden has also abandoned solar panels and wind farms because, as government representatives say, they need more reliable electricity supply systems. However, despite this, the Swedes sent their (paid) emissaries to "teach and implement" the abandonment of coal in BiH.

Unfortunately for most, those in charge in BiH have not realized what times we live in. The world as it existed before is gone. Bill Holter, an American precious metals dealer and financial analyst, is absolutely right when he says that the existing, over-indebted (over three trillion dollars) financial system has absolutely no chance of survival, as it is simply mathematically impossible. Translated to our situation, this means that well-off employees here, mainly in public administration, will have fewer and fewer opportunities to live off foreign loans that will be repaid by future generations.

Countries will have to turn to themselves in the future, which is not a good sign at all for BiH, which is used to others dictating its economic policy. In the not-too-distant future, only those who truly have something concrete to sell that is in demand on the market will survive. All concrete goods - and especially energy - will have priority over any paper or digital money. In such a situation, abandoning coal reserves sufficient for the next 264 years is not a particularly intelligent move.

Unfortunately, this confirms that two psychologists, Richard Lynn and Tatu Vanhanen, were right. In their study "IQ and the Wealth of Nations," they stated that BiH has one of the lowest average IQs in Europe. According to the study, only Serbia has a lower IQ, while Croatia has the same IQ as BiH. To make the whole thing even sadder, one doesn't really need to be overly intelligent to understand what is currently happening in the world. One just needs to know how to read.

For example, the German Prognos Institute has publicly warned German politicians and businessmen - and others who want to read - that in the coming period, under conditions of geopolitical divisions, world trade will change significantly and that German businessmen must prepare for a weakening of cross-border cooperation. The revitalization of multilateral global cooperation in economic policy is unlikely, conclude Prognos researchers, adding that everyone must prepare for the permanent cessation of globalization. The realistic scenario, according to Prognos, is the reversal of the globalization process, with an increased emphasis on national interests and protectionism.

Interestingly, similar assessments are coming from the USA. Larry Fink, head of the huge American fund BlackRock, recently warned his shareholders about the "end of globalization." And this ultimately leads us to the question - should we rely in the future, at least in the case of energy, on Europe's unified system or on the resources we possess? The recent collapse of the BiH electricity system provides us with the best answer to that question.