Environment: Germany - Nuclear Free by 2022

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, declared this week Germany's commitment to be nuclear free by 2022. All seventeen of the country's nuclear power plants are to be shut down by then. The effort to remediate the radiation and return the nuclear sites to safe and normal use will take over 100 years.

Germany was recently planning on expanding its usage of nuclear power. The Fukushima disaster altered those plans. The power production of the seventeen plants will be replaced by new solar and wind energy power plants. Neighboring Denmark has had recent success employing wind energy.

Germany is already a world leader in solar energy technology. This decision will strengthen the position of their companies in the growing world market of renewable energy. As nation's around the world begin to understand fully the benefits of renewable energy Germany will be the leading country to benefit from that market growth.

Meanwhile, the United States is in total denial about the need for renewable energy production. The only response from our government to non-fossil fuel energy production is to expand nuclear energy. When you take in the 100 years required to decommission and renature a nuclear site and the cost of handling and storing spent nuclear rods, the real cost of nuclear energy us much higher than all other forms.  That high cost is there even if potential disasters do not happen.

Since a recent poll showed that the majority of the members of Congress do not accept global warming, it is very doubtful that any efforts to help our renewable energy industry to compete will be enacted. It used to be a major function of our government to help new industries to get started. That does not seem to be the case for renewable energy. 

The global warming denial machine funded by the oil interests and others is making sure nothing will happen. The lies spewing from that machine is sowing confusion and distrust in the public and the politicians. Oddly, the public inaction by the government is contrary to the plans by the military and the oil industry to deal with increased oil exploration in the Arctic. British Petroleum, BP, who gave us the Gulf oil spill disaster has contracted with Russia to explore for offshore oil in the Arctic Ocean. This could not have been done when the Arctic was ice covered year round.

While the US is shackled in indecision, other countries are making progress. A market that could be ours for the taking will be dominated by other countries. They will have the good manufacturing jobs, and we will be left flipping hamburgers.

It is a pity.