The Internationalism

Internationalism No. 88, June 2026 Page 15 From the series The world energy battle The war against Iran has highlighted the dependence on fossil fuels and the need for world economies to reduce dependence on the Middle East and on these energy sources. The European Union's “Green Deal” aims to achieve these goals, but the structure of the economy and the economic and social costs pose significant obstacles for the energy transition. Problems of renewables versus fossil fuels According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), during the period 2015-2024 global cumulative investments in renewable energy production amounted to $12.5 trillion, surpassing the $11.8 trillion invested in fossil fuels; despite this, the share of total energy supply accounted for by fossil fuels fell only from 85% in 1990 to 81% in 2023 [United Nations, Energy Statistics Pocketbook 2...

Internationalism No. 87, May 2026 Page 15 From the series Atom and industrialisation of science In 1945, Robert Oppenheimer, the scientific head of the Manhattan Project, stated: If atomic bombs are to be added as new weapons to the arsenals of a warring world, or to the arsenals of nations preparing for war, then the time will come when mankind will curse the names of Los Alamos and of Hiroshima. The people of this world must unite, or they will perish. This war that has ravaged so much of the Earth, has written these words. The atomic bomb has spelled them out for all men to understand [Richard Rhodes, Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb , 1995]. American underestimation of Soviet science According to Rhodes, the idea that the danger of an atomic war was common to all the nations of the world had been brought to Los Alamos by Niels Bohr [1885-1962], and s...

Internationalism No. 86, April 2026 Page 14 From the series The world energy battle A weather phenomenon dubbed Dunkelflaute is causing havoc in Germany and pushing energy prices to two-decade highs ( Fortune, December 12th, 2024 ). Uncertainty in renewables and nuclear energy The German term Dunkelflaute combines the words Dunkel (dark) and Flaute (lull, absence of wind) and refers to a series of days when dense clouds descend over northern Europe. During a Dunkelflaute event, solar panels produce little energy and wind turbines slow to a halt. This weather phenomenon can occur two to ten times a year, usually in autumn and winter, and lasts 24 hours or more ( The New York Times, December 30th, 2024 ). A decade ago, it was not a problem: Europe obtained electricity from stable sources, namely nuclear power plants and fossil fuels. The situatio...

Internationalism No. 77, July 2025 Page 15 From the series Atom and industrialisation of science At a conference in January 1946 in Princeton, New Jersey, Albert Einstein was asked why, when humanity’s intellect had advanced so far as to discover the structure of the atom, it had not been able to devise the political means to prevent its use. The scientist replied: That is simple, my friend. It is because politics is more difficult than physics [Grenville Clark, The New York Times , April 22 nd , 1955]. Truman, Churchill, Stalin, and the atomic bomb From July 17 th to August 2 nd , 1945, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin [1878-1953], British Prime Minister Winston Churchill [1874-1965], and American President Harry Truman [1884-1972] met in the German city of Potsdam. Their purpose was to negotiate the terms for the end of World War II, after Germany had surrendered o...