German Greens Pave Way For Coal

Greens, as a rule, don't like nuclear energy. It may be renewable, it may have minimal carbon emissions, but they hate it anyway.

So when Fukishima happened, German Greens took the opportunity to turn up the pressure for closing Germany's nuclear plants. Never mind the fact that a Fukishima-style disaster (Earthquake followed by tsunami) could never happen in Europe. Logic doesn't apply here. They wanted nuclear out.

So, in the end, Angela Merkel (the German leader) gave in and promised to close down all 17 of the plants by 2022. Just 10 years time.

Of course, that leaves Germany with a problem. What do they replace them with? Nuclear provides 'base load' i.e. It's reliable and plentiful energy (Whilst renewables like wind and solar are intermittent). So, to replace like-for-like, that basically means gas- or coal-powered stations. Both of which DO emit carbon. Raising the nation's carbon footprint.

And since Germany is under economic pressure at the moment, they may be forced to plug the majority of that gap with coal-powered stations. Which give the worst possible carbon emissions of all fuels.

Oh dear, looks like the Greens haven't been looking at the wider picture and shot themselves in the foot.

Worse still, the coal for those stations is likely to come from outside Germany (who are no longer a major producer themselves), most likely Poland. So that's raised emissions, millions paid for foreign imports they wouldn't actually need had they kept nuclear, AND that money is going to the country that is vetoing all attempts by the EU to raise emission targets.

Great. Well, that really worked out didn't it?!

(More here)