Outgoing German environment minister Jurgen Trittin played a key role in the country's decision to shut down all its nuclear reactors by 2020.
Although the new Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU party wanted to extend the closure deadline, outgoing Chancellor's Gerhard Schroeder's SPD party have retained the environment ministry in coalition negotiations and say they do not intend to review the policy.
As Britain gears up for a debate on the future of its nuclear industry, Mr Trittin, a member of Germany's Green Party, explains to the BBC News website why he believes his country should consign atomic energy to the past.
BBC : Viewpoint: German nuclear phase-out
Moderator: Peak Moderation
BBC : Viewpoint: German nuclear phase-out
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4357238.stm
Olduvai Theory (Updated) (Reviewed)
Easter Island - a warning from history : http://dieoff.org/page145.htm
Easter Island - a warning from history : http://dieoff.org/page145.htm
This just seems so unrealistic. 
"We have already made good progress. In 2004, 9.8% of electricity in Germany came from renewable sources.
Ten years ago, the figure was not even half this. And this trend is set to continue. Our goal in Germany is to provide at least 20% of electricity from renewable energies in the year 2020. "
What about the other 80%?!!
If they are not going to use Nuclear, then the 50% of current electricity produced by coal and lignite looks set to continue...... Presumably the current 12% from gas and oil be produced by something else. Lots of whole in the figures imo.
"We have already made good progress. In 2004, 9.8% of electricity in Germany came from renewable sources.
Ten years ago, the figure was not even half this. And this trend is set to continue. Our goal in Germany is to provide at least 20% of electricity from renewable energies in the year 2020. "
What about the other 80%?!!
If they are not going to use Nuclear, then the 50% of current electricity produced by coal and lignite looks set to continue...... Presumably the current 12% from gas and oil be produced by something else. Lots of whole in the figures imo.
Real money is gold and silver
-
Totally_Baffled
- Posts: 2824
- Joined: 24 Nov 2005, 11:09
- Location: Hampshire
Sorry - was a bit negative in my earlier post. I was trying to say that to completely revert to non-fossil fuels is a heck of a tall order. I felt there were holes in their sums or maybe just too much hopefulness in what they want to achieve.
But on the positive side, if Germany is generating 9.8% of electricity then good on them! A bit better than Britain it would seem..... and they certainly have ambitious targets.
I just think Nuclear has to be part of the mix - otherwise the transition after the Peak is going to be too severe for countries who have the nuclear capability. I think these countries need to be realistic and not throw away an energy source that will leave millions of people without electricity.
I accept that not everybody agrees with this opinion, nevertheless it is the one I have.
But on the positive side, if Germany is generating 9.8% of electricity then good on them! A bit better than Britain it would seem..... and they certainly have ambitious targets.
I just think Nuclear has to be part of the mix - otherwise the transition after the Peak is going to be too severe for countries who have the nuclear capability. I think these countries need to be realistic and not throw away an energy source that will leave millions of people without electricity.
I accept that not everybody agrees with this opinion, nevertheless it is the one I have.
Real money is gold and silver
-
Totally_Baffled
- Posts: 2824
- Joined: 24 Nov 2005, 11:09
- Location: Hampshire
LOL good point - indeed before anyone starts dreaming about a "non nuclear" UK - I believe we import electricity from nuclear France !?Vortex wrote:Hmm .... I wonder where the electrictity generated by all those power stations in France & Switzerland along the German border goes to?
Surely not to "non-nuclear" Germany?
(dont see too many people complaining either!)TB
Peak oil? ahhh smeg.....
Peak oil? ahhh smeg.....
Germany+nuclear
Post deleted, reason:posted twice
Last edited by heinbloed on 19 Sep 2006, 21:16, edited 1 time in total.
Germany+ no nuclear electricity imports
Germany is in fact a net exporter of electricity, about ten percent of it's el. energy generated is for export. Most of it to France. This summer, when -again- many French powerplants had to reduce output due to the lack of cooling water, it was Germany who helped them out. Spain and Italy couldn't help the French , they had the same problems.
This year for the first time ever(and only for an hour or so) during the heatweave it was German photovoltaic power- generated and sold for spot market price of ? 0.54/kWh - that was exported to France to cover their lack of el.energy, occuring during the midday heat when solar power is at it's most productive output ......
And that was despite the fact that Germanys fossile and nuclear powerplants had to reduce their generating capacitys for the same reason, lack of cooling water.
It where the "alternative" energys that prevent mass blackouts all over Europe this summer. And they do so nearly every day here in Ireland. Without wind energy the national grid would collapse every second day. Despite (or because?) the interconnector to Northern Ireland.
With increasing temperatures and melting glaciers in the alps (lack of cooling water during the summer) we will see this very situation on the continent more frequently.
Sweden is now "short" of nuclear power, 4 of 10 nuclear generators are taken from the grid. And no powershortages at all. And it's just end of summer, their water reservoirs only half filled. During winter we'll see -if there is enough snow/rain then they might find out that the nuclear reactors are yust not needed.
We could ban the sale of Tungsten bulbs and save 10% of our EU electricity demand-what's about the generated and sold (!) capacity of the EU nuclear powerplants. Simple solution. We have banned the sale of HCFC's for healthy and environment reasons -why not Tungsten bulbs?!
This year for the first time ever(and only for an hour or so) during the heatweave it was German photovoltaic power- generated and sold for spot market price of ? 0.54/kWh - that was exported to France to cover their lack of el.energy, occuring during the midday heat when solar power is at it's most productive output ......
And that was despite the fact that Germanys fossile and nuclear powerplants had to reduce their generating capacitys for the same reason, lack of cooling water.
It where the "alternative" energys that prevent mass blackouts all over Europe this summer. And they do so nearly every day here in Ireland. Without wind energy the national grid would collapse every second day. Despite (or because?) the interconnector to Northern Ireland.
With increasing temperatures and melting glaciers in the alps (lack of cooling water during the summer) we will see this very situation on the continent more frequently.
Sweden is now "short" of nuclear power, 4 of 10 nuclear generators are taken from the grid. And no powershortages at all. And it's just end of summer, their water reservoirs only half filled. During winter we'll see -if there is enough snow/rain then they might find out that the nuclear reactors are yust not needed.
We could ban the sale of Tungsten bulbs and save 10% of our EU electricity demand-what's about the generated and sold (!) capacity of the EU nuclear powerplants. Simple solution. We have banned the sale of HCFC's for healthy and environment reasons -why not Tungsten bulbs?!