From: Rüdiger Koch (rkoch@rkoch.org)
Date: Fri Mar 22 2002 - 00:46:45 MST
First, let me say that I didn't read the article. But since this is a more or
less hot topic in Germany for the last 20 years almost everybody here is
sufficiently informed to give an answer.
For Germany, this isn't exactly news. The bill passed more than a year ago.
Currently no new power plants are built but the old ones can stay operational
for up to 30 more years.
So what are we doing to replace them? First, we build plenty of wind
generators. No idea if they really produce enough energy to be a replacement.
Second, it seems like we're simply importing electricity from France and the
Czech Republic. One can argue if the Russian built Czech reactors are safer
than the Siemens reactors - maybe Tchernobyl gives a hint.
On Friday 22 March 2002 02:48, Robert J. Bradbury wrote:
> What is the problem? Russia certainly has ample supplies
> of materials that could be used to fuel nuclear reactors.
> So it has to be either a perspective that nuclear power
> is unsafe, or a waste disposal issue that radioactive
> isotopes cannot be transformed into nonradioactive variants.
Exactly this is what the debate during the last 20 years was all about. The
fear that something like Tchernobyl might happen here and the feeling that it
is not responsible to put lots of radioactive waste underground because noone
can ensure that it's safe there for the next millenia until it's converted to
lead.
-- Rüdiger Koch http://rkoch.org
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