Germany shuts down seven reactors because of Fokushima
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Re: Germany shuts down seven reactors because of Fokushima
#2I guess a knee-jerk reaction can be expected in a country where nuclear power is currently pretty controversial.
Re: Germany shuts down seven reactors because of Fokushima
#3Nice to know that there is another country out there that's as irrational as the US.
Does Germany have a lot of tsunamis?
Re: Germany shuts down seven reactors because of Fokushima
#4I guess a knee-jerk reaction can be expected in a country where nuclear power is currently pretty controversial.
Think of a needle on a gauge representing public opinion about nuclear power. One half of the gauge reads green for nukes. The other half is red for no nukes.
If the needle is firmly in the green, a slight shift towards red in response to Fukushima might mean commissioning some studies and announcing a budget for upgrading the safety features.
But if the needle is just barely into the green, a slight shift moves it into the red and that means shutting them down. So yes, in a country where public opinion is divided, it is not out of the question to swing from yes to no in response to the biggest emergency since Chernobyl. I'm not sure about the phrase "knee-jerk," though. It may seem like a drastic move, like a leg kicking in response to a small tap, which implies a response out of [proportion to the stimulus.
However, perhaps the response is in proportion, it's just that when the needle is right on the dividing line, it only takes a small move to get from green to red?
Now that I write my thoughts out, I obviously agree with you :-)
Re: Germany shuts down seven reactors because of Fokushima
#5Nice to know that there is another country out there that's as irrational as the US. Does Germany have a lot of tsunamis?
Only in public opinion. Did you read the bit about Merkel getting thrashed in regional elections?
Re: Germany shuts down seven reactors because of Fokushima
#6Nice to know that there is another country out there that's as irrational as the US. Does Germany have a lot of tsunamis?
Did the US shut down any of its nuclear reactors, if they did, I certainly haven't heard about it
Re: Germany shuts down seven reactors because of Fokushima
#7Nice to know that there is another country out there that's as irrational as the US. Does Germany have a lot of tsunamis?
This is more likely just a publicity stunt to calm down the people, since there are elections coming in several federal states and the reigning party CDU already lost a lot of ground. I would be surprised if anything really changes
Re: Germany shuts down seven reactors because of Fokushima
#8I guess a knee-jerk reaction can be expected in a country where nuclear power is currently pretty controversial.
I don't think this is a knee jerk reaction. I think this is a move for short term political gains without regard for the long term societal costs.
They had decided to extend the life of the reactors just last year. No new risk inherent to their design has been exposed. No new tsunami or earthquake risk in Germany has been exposed.
I agree with the person quote in TFA (despite the fact that his statement may be a political play as well) :
"She just wants to get through the provincial assembly elections," said Social Democrat leader Sigmar Gabriel, accusing her of playing political tactics with people's fears.
Re: Germany shuts down seven reactors because of Fokushima
#9This strikes me more as a political stunt by Merkel to rally the conservative base in Germany than anything else.
Still, it doesn't surprise me that this is such a hot button issue right now. I've long been a supporter of nuclear power, but the events of the past week have made me start to reconsider a lot of my beliefs about its safety.
Re: Germany shuts down seven reactors because of Fokushima
#10Nice to know that there is another country out there that's as irrational as the US. Does Germany have a lot of tsunamis?
Naww, but soon they'll have more people with lung cancer from breathing all that burning coal and oil for energy.
I think this is a political move that is going to help in the next election. The "greens" will see this as a handout to them and nuclear power is too complex and scary an issue to have someone defend it properly. Oh well, back to fossil fuels!