Antinuclear

Anti nuclear movement on track to topple German government

the German federal government’s own Advisory Council on the Environment stated that “By 2050, Germany’s energy needs can be supplied 100% through electricity derived from renewable energy sources,”…”the federal government must set the course for the conversion of the energy system now.”

Germany’s Burgeoning Anti-Nuclear Movement Promises to Derail Merkel’s Energy Policy, THE HUFFUNGTON POST, Tina Gerhardt, 28 Sept 10, Merkel’s decision has reignited Germany’s anti-nuclear movement. A poll conducted last week by ZDF television found sixty-one percent of Germans oppose the plan of Merkel’s center-right coalition of Christian Democrats (CDU) and Free Democrats (FDP). Last week’s protest was the largest anti-nuclear demonstration since Chernobyl in 1986, an event that some of the protestor’s signs – stating “Never again Chernobyl” – referenced……..

And the demonstration last week is only the beginning. In November, over sixty organizations and thousands of activists will gather in Gorleben, Germany to stop trains from delivering nuclear waste. Although actions take place year-round at Gorleben, they reach their peak every fall when spent fuel is sent there for temporary storage.

Located amidst rolling cornfields about 146 miles west of Berlin, the tiny village of Gorleben has a population of around 600. It currently serves as a temporary storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, but plans are afoot for a nuclear waste repository deep underground in its salt dome. (Gorleben is to Germany what Yucca Mountain is to the U.S.)…….

The renascent movement, energized by the urgency of climate change, argues that it is entirely feasible – financially and technologically – for Germany to secure its energy needs solely from renewable sources but only if the federal government invests in it. In the estimation of some, Germany is at an energy tipping point or crossroads, where it must decide either to continue funding nuclear energy and coal or to switch to a smarter grid and renewable energy, such as solar and wind.

In a press release this summer, the German federal government’s own Advisory Council on the Environment (the Sachverständigenrat für Umweltfragen or SRU) SRU stated that “By 2050, Germany’s energy needs can be supplied 100% through electricity derived from renewable energy sources,” however, “the federal government must set the course for the conversion of the energy system now.” And with regard to nuclear and coal power, it added “for the transition period, neither renewals for nuclear power or for new coal-fired power plants are desirable.” Germany’s Federal Environmental Agency (Umweltbundesamt or UBA) holds a similar position…..

The SPD and Greens have vowed to repeal any nuclear extensions passed by Merkel, if they return to power in the next 2013 election. In recent opinion polls, the SPD and Green Party have surged ahead of the center-right parties, propelled by their campaign against nuclear energy.

Tina Gerhardt: Germany’s Burgeoning Anti-Nuclear Movement Promises to Derail Merkel’s Energy Policy

September 28, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | energy, uranium | antinuclear, climate change, energy, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, radioactive, uranium