The power of our outrage, our unwillingness to support any politician allowing nuclear power is growing, is winning and we will prevail. The era of radiation risk is coming to an end.
Germany has ended nuclear power. Germany has joined Switzerland in a permanent commitment to mothball present nuclear stations, and removing all planned new stations.
Germany will shut all its nuclear reactors by 2022, parties in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition government agreed on Monday, in a reaction to Japan’s Fukushima disaster that marks a drastic policy reversal.
As expected, the coalition wants to keep the eight oldest of Germany’s 17 nuclear reactors permanently shut. Seven were closed temporarily in March, just after the earthquake and tsunami hit Fukushima. One has been off the grid for years.Another six will be taken offline by 2021, Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said early on Monday after late-night talks in the chancellor’s office between leaders of the centre-right coalition.
The remaining three reactors, Germany’s newest, will stay open for another year until 2022 as a safety buffer to ensure no disruption to power supply, he said.
Ms. Merkel backtracked in March on an unpopular decision just months earlier to extend the life of ageing nuclear stations in Germany, where the majority of voters oppose atomic energy.
Her Christian Democrats (CDU), their Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) and junior coalition partner the Free Democrats (FDP) met on Sunday after an ethics commission ended its deliberations this weekend.
“It’s definite: the latest end for the last three nuclear power plants is 2022,” Mr. Roettgen said after the meeting. “There will be no clause for revision.”
Germany decides to pull plug on nuclear power
ANNIKA BREIDTHARDT
Berlin— Reuters
This is a great day, a day to celebrate.
Germany joins Switzerland "Swiss energy minister to back nuclear exit"
ZURICH, May 22 (Reuters) - Energy minister Doris Leuthard is set to propose Switzerland gradually exits nuclear power, two Swiss newspapers reported on Sunday, citing sources close to the government.
The multi-party Swiss government was expected to make an announcement on nuclear policy on Wednesday and may recommend an exit.
The NZZ am Sonntag and the SonntagsZeitung both reported Leuthard favoured an approach similar to that of economy minister Johann Schneider-Ammann.
"She wants to set a clear signal for the exit," the NZZ am Sonntag quoted a source as saying.
In related news:
BERLIN May 30 (Reuters) - Germany plans to double the share of renewable energy in power production to 35 percent by 2020 and its goal of reducing greenhouse by 40 percent in the same timeframe remains in place, according to a government paper.
The paper, obtained by Reuters on Monday, sets out the strategy for securing energy supplies as it exits nuclear power by 2022. It also said Germany planned to cut electricity usage by 10 percent by 2020. (Reporting by Markus Wacket and Annika Breidthardt)
RPT-German to double renewables share by 2020 - document
Merkel lost a safe election in a safe region, as voters rebuked her and other pro-nuke parties just a few weeks ago, losing power there, and threatening her coalition.
We have the same power. All pro-nuke politicians must recant and act, irreversably, or be defeated.
This is the beginning of the end. The end the being resisted by the industry across the world. With lies of course. I am sick unto death of the posts about "you don't understand the science" its not that bad really" "no one was ever killed by radiation" "a little radiation is good for you" but it allows us to identify those who would continue to threaten the thin endangered life envelope that all life, all known life in the Universe, needs to survive. It allows us to identify and remove them from any office they hold.
The "Great Shutdown" begins.