Nord Stream 2: Pros and Cons

... inevitably fall in the long term. The 23-per cent drop in gas consumption in 2013–2014 is used as a basis for furthering this argument. The reason for this sharp drop, however, is the revival of one of the most polluting energy sources, namely, coal. Coal became a kind of buffer for a number of countries during the financial crisis. It was thanks to its low price and availability (especially of the particularly environmentally un-friendly lignite variety) that countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom made sure that the power energy continued to turn a profit . In terms of electricity production, Europe has developed in the opposite direction to that of the United States. The growth of shale gas production in the United ...