...how very nice to know that the green movement is consuming itself - as left wing movements tend to do - over nuclear energy. In the 80's and 90's, the green debate in Germany was between the Realo's and the Fundi's. Judging by German Chancellor Angela Merkel's anti-nuclear lunacy the Fundi's must have won. This seems to put Europe's powerhouse economy at odds with its neighbours. This from the UK Guardian...Nuclear power is back in favour, at least in government circles. Today, energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband will expand upon the UK's plans for a fleet of new nuclear reactors. Elsewhere, Sweden has reversed its decades-old ban on nuclear power and an increasing number of countries are expanding their nuclear generating capacity. Four new reactors are under way in Europe at the moment: two Russian-designed reactors in Slovakia, plus Finland's Olkiluoto 3 and France's Flamanville 3, which both rely on the French state-owned Areva's involvement and expertise. The Finnish site has been beset by delays, rising costs and criticisms over safety and still has no definite opening date, while the cost of Flamanville 3 has risen from €3.3bn to €4bn. But it's China that is pursuing nuclear power more enthusiastically and on a bigger scale than anyone else...more here...
...and from the comments...
...This was always going to be the case. The silly wind turbines are a feint for the real deal which will be implemented by New New Labour (the tories). Co2 is a very clever scam. Could you imagine hordes of enviro-dummies screaming for nuclear power ten years ago ?
...and from Nature.com , What are the knock on effects of Germany's decision ?...If Germany doesn't import electricity, its domestic carbon emissions are likely to increase — because even a doubling of power from renewable sources combined with a 10% cut in demand can't quite replace the low-carbon nuclear power that will be lost. Analysts put the increase between 170 million and 400 million tonnes of carbon dioxide between 2011 and 2020 (depending on different assumptions about the country's shifting power mix). Germany has national targets to cut carbon emissions to 40% below 1990 levels for 2020. That means that by 2020 it needs to slash 70 million tonnes a year from its electricity sector's carbon emissions, says Varró. "Without nuclear power, decarbonization is more difficult and more expensive," he says — predicting that the nuclear phase-out will lead to a surge in lower-carbon gas plants replacing coal plants...all up a signal that Germany, read Europe, will not meet its carbon emmissions targets...Ultimately, the effects of Germany's nuclear phase-out decision will spread around Europe. Other countries may have to replace coal plants with gas plants, and electricity will become a little more expensive for everyone. There will be a greater need for networks to transmit the cheapest sources of renewable electricity (such as northern European wind power or southern European solar power) across many European countries. "The power system needs to change substantially from a national to a supranational system," says Lindenberger.
