Atomkraft. Nein Danke?

The war in Ukraine has put a strain on Germany’s plan to phase out nuclear energy this year. As less natural gas is imported, there is a greater need for a variety of energy sources. While facing this energy crisis, Germany should opt to prolong the phasing out of nuclear energy in the country. However, in the long run, the country should phase out nuclear energy in exchange for cleaner, less dangerous energy sources, such as wind and solar. Rather than reverting to coal, Germany should continue to use nuclear energy for the time being. Nuclear energy produces a fraction of the amount of GHGs as coal, is not geologically constrained, and can produce enormous amounts of energy in one place. Despite the benefits associated with nuclear energy, there are downfalls as well. The radiological processes associated with nuclear energy can present a threat to safety and life, as was seen in Fukushima in the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake. As Herr Schulz put it in our discussion, the use of nuclear energy defers the problem to another generation. This mentality is how we ended up in an environmental crisis to begin with. The country should therefore continue the use of nuclear energy while the crisis in Ukraine continues, but plan to phase it out in the long run.

My party, Die Linke, is the far left party and hopes to have nuclear energy phased out as soon as possible. In 2011, the government proposed a bill to shut down all remaining nuclear plants by 2022. Die Linke only objected because they felt this timeline wasn’t fast enough. They would, therefore, choose to phase out nuclear power by April 2023.