Nuclear phase-out: A bad idea in times of climate protection and energy scarcity? | DW News

At the end of March, Germany's Environment Minister Steffi Lemke of the Green Party used just a few words to put an end to the dispute that has kept the country in suspense for years: "The risks of nuclear power are ultimately uncontrollable; that's why the nuclear phase-out makes our country safer, and avoids more nuclear waste."
Last year, the government found itself once again caught up in a dispute over nuclear power. In their coalition agreement, the governing SPD, Greens, and the FDP had agreed to stick to Germany's nuclear phase-out, which was decided under Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2011. Accordingly, the last nuclear power plants were to close at the end of 2022.
But Russia's invasion of Ukraine changed everything, because Russian gas supplies to Germany stopped and the government feared an energy shortage. Chancellor Olaf Scholz finally decided to extend the operating period of the power stations until April 15, 2023.
Few disputes have polarized people, especially in the former West Germany, for as many decades as the one over nuclear power. On June 17, 1961, a German nuclear power plant supplied electricity to the grid for the first time, at Kahl in Bavaria.
Some 22,596 days and plenty of heated debate later, the last three German nuclear power plants still in operation will finally be shut down on April 15.

#Germany #nuclearpower #sustainability

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[bev]

Nothing Germany does seems to be making any sense anymore

[gustavderkits]

As a physicist who was near three mile island at a critical time, and in Germany at Fukushima time when that critical decision was made, I consider myself sensitive and knowledgeable to this issue. In my informed opinion, this decision was dumb. It damages Germany’s technical leadership on the basis of ideology based on emotional, technically illiterate fear. Nuclear is safer than coal in essentially every way.

[lukebandolino]

The biggest mistake that countries make about the transition to "green energy" is to FIRST decommission existing power plants (nuclear, coal, gas), and only AFTERWARDS they build new power plants based on renewables.
It should be done the other way around.

[SuperAnatolli]

Green enviromental politics: Nuclear out -> coal in.

[wobblybobengland]

The greatest mistake Germany has made post re-unification. If you have built the reactors you might as well use them until they are no longer fit for purpose, a rational safety review could have been made for each station. That is the truth folks.

[Jim_]

Humanity’s rejection of Nuclear power was a massive mistake, and the environment has payed dearly for it as we continue to rely on fossil fuels for our electricity.

[president-for-life]

diversity of energy sources is the strength to energy security.

[AWriterWandering]

People focus on the radioactive contaminate risk for nuclear, oblivious to the fact that burning coal actually releases far more radioactive waste into the environment.

[slimjimnyc]

I really liked how the news anchor took the opposite view when interviewing the various spokespersons. Pro-nuke questions for anti-nuke person and anti-nuke question for pro-nuke person.

[maninredhelm]

Germany tries so hard to do the right thing, and still ends up wrong.

[anthonymigliaccio]

It’s pretty clear that since the 90s Germany has done everything in its power to be as “good” as possible, to make every right decision. Yet, as has been consistently noted by commentators, they just can’t seem to ever get it right.

[farcenter]

Nothing makes me more skeptical of the motives of the climate activists then shutting down nuclear plants. It's obscene. Future generations are going to shake their heads in disbelief and condemnation at this.

[williewonka]

Becoming dependent on Russian energy and trusting them has been the greatest disaster for Europe. Continuing and even expanding nuclear energy would be tremendously beneficial for economic growth on the future.

[svs]

There is GREEN Nuclear options.. Why Germany does not talk about THORIUM ??

[kevkeary]

Insane decision to put an end to Nuke power in germany.

[Andrii]

Shut down energy plant just when you need more energy. Brilliant ! 😆

[harpomarx]

"We need to find solutions" he says ... but let's shut them down anyway.
Brilliant. Maybe solar cells, wind farms, unicorn horns and fairy dust will heat your houses next winter.

[Sir.Craze-]

Why do I have to live in the word where solutions are incredibly obvious yet as a collective we're still somehow far to dumb to grasp them...

[rockyjohnson]

Bad idea! They should have modernized it instead. in fact till fusion is achieved they should triple down! Then sell that surplus energy to other countries which there are lots knowing your creating greener energy than they are currently using.

[abyranni]

Looks like Germans willing to pay more for energy.
The big question here is, does Germany have alternative energy sources to substitute the energy sourced through nuclear?