 As the state of international relations continues to shift rapidly, and new contradictions are made apparent daily, it is of utmost importance to pay attention to the actions of one's government and to hold them accountable for their crimes. Analyzing and criticizing other countries is also necessary in contextualizing current events, but before judging others, make sure your house is in order. America routinely ignores international law, and as Americans, we should exercise our power to hold our government responsible for these misdeeds. America is now accused of sabotaging the Nord Stream Pipelines in September 2022. This unprecedented leak of natural gas has led to significant negative consequences for the economies of Russia and much of Europe, as well as the most released methane emissions for any event in history. The pipeline's destruction furthers much of Europe toward American liquefied natural gas for their energy needs. Once the context of economic and political international relations is analyzed, the United States appears to be the perpetrator. Nord Stream 1 and 2 are each a pair of natural gas pipelines that run from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. The project is designed to bypass traditional transit countries like Ukraine, Belarus, and Poland. Nord Stream 1 is owned by multiple companies, including Gazprom, Wintershall, E.ON, Gasunie, and GDF Suez. Nord Stream 2 is also owned by Gazprom, but it has different partners, including ENGIE, OMV, Royal Dutch Shell, Uniper, and Wintershall. Each pair of pipelines can transport 55 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas annually to Europe. The second most productive pipeline from Russia to Europe is the Yamal-Europe Pipeline, which runs through Belarus and Poland to Germany. It has a capacity of 33 bcm per year. The gas transported through Nord Stream is sold on the European spot market, making it available to buyers across the continent. The gas can be purchased by utilities, industrial companies, and other consumers that use natural gas as a fuel source. Nord Stream 2 could double the amount of natural gas transferred, which would be enormous for all countries involved. With Nord Stream 1 being in service since 2011, we can infer what impact Nord Stream 2 would have on the Russian and European economies. It isn't easy to provide an exact percentage of Russia's yearly revenue generated by Nord Stream 1, as the revenue generated by the pipeline is not reported separately from other revenues generated by Gazprom. However, it is estimated to make up 40% of Russia's annual income. According to a 2018 study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), the construction and operation of Nord Stream 1 generated around €2.2 billion ($2.3 billion) in economic activity and supported around 12,000 jobs in Germany. The study also estimated that the pipeline generated around €200 million ($213 million) in tax revenue for the German government. In 2020, Nord Stream 1 supplied Germany with approximately 8.8 cm of natural gas, accounting for around 19% of Germany's total natural gas imports that year. While Germany is the endpoint of the Nord Stream pipelines, the gas transported through the pipelines is distributed to other European countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom. In 2021, Russia provided nearly 40% of the EU's natural gas supply through Nord Stream 1. The United States has opposed the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, arguing that it would increase Europe's dependence on Russian energy and undermine Ukraine's energy security. The U.S. imposed sanctions on companies involved in the pipeline's construction, including some European companies. In December 2019, President Trump signed the Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act (PEESA), which imposed sanctions on companies involved in the construction, financing, or maintenance of Russian energy export pipelines, including Nord Stream 1. The law "requires the U.S. government to identify and sanction companies that make investments or provide goods, services, or support worth more than $1 million or $5 million over 12 months in the construction, modernization, or repair of certain Russian energy export pipelines." On July 21, 2021, the United States and Germany agreed to allow the completion of the pipeline in exchange for German commitments to invest in Ukraine's energy sector and take action if Russia uses energy as a weapon against Ukraine. The agreement was the result of months of negotiations between the two countries. Under the agreement, Germany committed to taking several actions to mitigate the impact of the pipeline on Ukraine and to support Ukraine's energy security. These actions included investing at least $175 million in a new "Green Fund for Ukraine" to support renewable energy projects in Ukraine, providing $70 million to Ukraine for energy security and energy efficiency measures, engaging in diplomatic efforts to extend Ukraine's gas transit agreement with Russia beyond 2024, and using all available leverage to prevent Russia from using energy as a weapon against Ukraine. In return, the United States agreed to lift sanctions on the company responsible for laying the pipeline and its CEO, which had effectively halted construction of the channel for over a year. Biden, at a white house press conference on February 7, 2022, said, "If Russia invades, that means tanks or troops crossing the ... border of Ukraine again, then there will be ... no longer a Nord Stream 2. We, we will bring an end to it," When asked how that would work, Biden responded, "I promise you, we'll be able to do it." On September 26, 2022, a series of explosions occurred on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea, causing significant damage. This happened in international waters, not within any country's territory. However, it did occur within both the Danish and Swedish economic zones. Both countries, along with Germany, have been investigating the area, although Russia has been excluded from having its experts analyze the scene. Overwhelming evidence confirms the use of explosions and rules out any natural causes, such as earthquakes. According to the Geological Survey of Denmark, the detected tremors were much more similar to those of explosions than underwater earthquakes. Björn Lund, Associate Professor in Seismology at The Swedish National Seismic Network, said, "there is no doubt that these were explosions" with an estimated equivalent of 100 kilograms (220 lbs) of TNT. According to a report by Wired in November 2022, satellite imagery revealed two large unidentified ships with their AIS trackers turned off around the site of the leaks days before the incident. Swedish authorities announced in November that remains of explosives were found at the site of the leaks, confirming sabotage as the cause. Two weeks before the sabotage occurred, the German government received a warning from the CIA that the pipelines may be attacked. While the United States has denied any involvement, it has vehemently opposed the UN investigation into the act of criminal sabotage. And while the United States has accused Russia of being the perpetrator of the attack, Russia has been very eager to have the UN investigate. China, likewise, has called for the UN to investigate this "deliberate sabotage." On February 8, 2023, an American veteran and investigative journalist, Seymour Hersh, published an article in which he presented leaked information from an anonymous source within the American military. Hersh has a history of uncovering American military crimes and has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for exposing America's role in the My Lai Massacre. From his article¹: "The Norwegians were key to solving other hurdles. The Russian Navy possesses surveillance technology capable of spotting and triggering underwater mines. The American explosive devices needed to be camouflaged to make them appear to the Russian system as part of the natural background—something that required adapting to the specific salinity of the water. The Norwegians had a fix.' 'The Norwegians also had a solution to the crucial question of when the operation should occur. Every June, for the past 21 years, the American Sixth Fleet, whose flagship is based in Gaeta, Italy, south of Rome, has sponsored a major NATO exercise in the Baltic Sea involving scores of allied ships throughout the region. The current exercise, held in June, would be known as Baltic Operations 22, or BALTOPS 22. The Norwegians proposed this would be the ideal cover to plant the mines.' 'The Americans provided one vital element: they convinced the Sixth Fleet planners to add a research and development exercise to the program. The exercise, as made public by the Navy, involved the Sixth Fleet in collaboration with the Navy's "research and warfare centers." The at-sea event would be held off the coast of Bornholm Island and involve NATO teams of divers planting mines, with competing teams using the latest underwater technology to find and destroy them.' 'It was both a useful exercise and ingenious cover. The Panama City boys would do their thing, and the C4 explosives would be in place by the end of BALTOPS22, with a 48-hour timer attached. All Americans and Norwegians would be long gone by the first explosion." While these allegations are not proven, the fact that BALTOPS22 was in place at the time reported is public knowledge. While the EU has received the plurality of its gas from Russia for years, the United States is motivated to sabotage the Russian pipelines, especially as it strikes deals with the EU to increase its supply. In March 2022, the United States said it could supply 15 bcm of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the European Union this year, a process which is much more complicated and expensive due to transport costs, lack of proper infrastructure, and the significant mark-ups that provide European third party companies plenty of profits. Additionally, this has been a leak with unprecedented environmental effects. "It dwarfs the previous known leaks," says Ioannis Binietoglou of the Clean Air Task Force. Upper estimates put the methane released at half a million tons, five times more than the previous most significant leak. It also released a massive amount of carbon dioxide, with estimates ranging up to a loss of 15 million tons. For reference, Denmark was responsible for 44 million tons of CO2 emissions in 2021. Animal life in the area has also been deeply affected. Small whales and porpoises native to the site are critically endangered, and even the loss of a single one could be disastrous for their populations. The explosion's shockwave killed all marine life within a radius of 2.5 miles and damaged the hearing of animals up to 31 miles. At this point, investigations are ongoing. Even without examining all the facts presented here, a basic understanding of contemporary politics along with the age-old question, "Who benefits?" indeed points towards America as the leading party responsible. As Americans, we must hold our government accountable for its actions. The most patriotic American should demand a thorough investigation to prove America's innocence and reaffirm strict dedication to international law and justice. Hans Sanderson, Michał Czub, Sven Koschinski et al. Environmental impact of sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, 10 February 2023, PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square [https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2564820/v1] Hernandez, America. "Why Cheap US Gas Costs a Fortune in Europe." Politico, 15 Nov. 2022, www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.eu/article/cheap-us-gas-cost-fortune-europe-russia-ukraine-energy/amp/. "Text - S.1441 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act of 2019." Congress.gov, Library of Congress, 31 July 2019, https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1441/text. Renshaw, Jarrett, and Nina Chestney. "U.S., EU Strike LNG Deal As Europe Seeks to Cut Russian Gas." Reuters, 25 Feb. 2022, seymourhersh.substack.com/p/how-america-took-out-the-nord-stream. Shalal, Andrea , et al. "Biden Pledges End to Nord Stream 2 If Russia Invades Ukraine." Reuters, 8 Feb. 2022, www.reuters.com/world/biden-germanys-scholz-stress-unified-front-against-any-russian-aggression-toward-2022-02-07/. Ganz, Jared. "Swedish Say They Found Evidence of Explosives in Nord Stream Pipelines." The Hill, 18 Nov. 2022, thehill.com/policy/international/3742163-swedish-say-they-found-evidence-of-explosives-in-nord-stream-pipelines/amp/. Duffy, Kate. "The CIA Warned Germany Weeks Ago about a Possible Attack on the Nord Stream Natural-gas Pipelines, Report Says." Business Insider, 28 Sept. 2022, www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/cia-warned-germany-attacks-nord-stream-pipelines-leak-sabotage-report-2022-9%3famp. Alkousaa, Riham. "CIA Warned Berlin about Possible Attacks on Gas Pipelines in Summer - Spiegel." Reuters, 27 Sept. 2022, www.reuters.com/world/cia-warned-berlin-about-possible-attacks-gas-pipelines-summer-spiegel-2022-09-27/. Xiaoming, Zhou . "If the US Is Not behind Nord Stream Explosions, It Should Have No Reason to Block a UN Investigation." South China Morning Post, 3 Mar. 2023, www.google.com/amp/s/amp.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3211959/if-us-not-behind-nord-stream-explosions-it-should-have-no-reason-block-un-investigation. Kasprak, Alex. "Alex Kasprak." Snopes, 10 Feb. 2023, www.snopes.com/news/2023/02/10/hersh-nord-stream-sabotage/. Renshaw, Jarrett, and Nina Chestney. "U.S., EU Strike LNG Deal As Europe Seeks to Cut Russian Gas." Reuters, 25 Feb. 2022, seymourhersh.substack.com/p/how-america-took-out-the-nord-stream. Hernandez, America. "Why Cheap US Gas Costs a Fortune in Europe." Politico, 15 Nov. 2022, www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.eu/article/cheap-us-gas-cost-fortune-europe-russia-ukraine-energy/amp/. Benshoff, Laura. "The Nord Stream Pipelines Have Stopped Leaking. But the Methane Emitted Broke Records." NPR, 4 Oct. 2022, www.npr.org/2022/10/04/1126562195/the-nord-stream-pipelines-have-stopped-leaking-but-the-methane-emitted-broke-rec. MATHIESEN, KARL, and ZIA WEISE. "8 Things to Know about the Environmental Impact of ‘Unprecedented’ Nord Stream Leaks." Politico, 28 Sept. 2022, www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.eu/article/8-thing-know-environmental-impact-unprecedented-nord-stream-leak/amp/. Svantesson, Sara. "EMISSIONS OF GREENHOUSE GASES." Danmarks Statistik, 4 Oct. 2022, www.dst.dk/da/Statistik/temaer/klima#:~:text=I%202021%20udledte%20vi%2044,indbygger%20i%20Danmark. Hans Sanderson, Michał Czub, Sven Koschinski et al. Environmental impact of sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, 10 February 2023, PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square [https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2564820/v1] AuthorChristian Jacobson is one of the founding members of the People's Glorious Reading Group of Sublime Understanding, along with James Hammond and Matthew Stooksbury. The Marxist-Leninist group is a constantly expanding, Orlando based book club, dedicated to reading, analyzing, and discussing texts they democratically determine will be helpful to the particular members' understanding of history, marxist theory, and current events. Christian is also a current student at Full Sail University, and is pursuing a career in writing and directing, and is currently working on several projects. Archives March 2023
2 Comments
Joanne
3/18/2023 05:39:19 am
Interesting read. Hopefully we can get to green sources of fuel world wide, soon, instead of pipelines.
Georgia
7/20/2023 12:21:11 pm
Very well written! Leave a Reply. |
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