JOIN USGermany has taken a welcome and path-breaking decision to phase out nuclear power by shutting down all nuclear plants by 2022. It is the first major industrial country to say no to nuclear power. The current notion among most advocates of development is that the world can not do without nuclear power in future because the fossil-based energy sources are fast depleting. It is also argued that the dominant methods of energy production now are carbon-intensive and contribute to higher levels of green house gas emissions which create global warming. Nuclear power is touted as clean, cheap and dependable.
But the case for nuclear energy does not take into consideration the huge hazards of radiation which can threaten life and health of populations if an accident occurs at a nuclear plant. The fact that the chances of accidents cannot be dismissed has been proved by the Chernobyl and Three Mile Island disasters and recently by the Fukushima disaster in Japan. There have been hundreds of smaller mishaps also in the history of nuclear energy. Germany had ordered a three-month moratorium for its oldest nuclear plants after the Fukushima melt-down and instituted two commissions to review its nuclear policy. It has now decided that its industrial establishment will not be affected by a shutdown of its 17 nuclear plants and decided in favour of abandoning the nuclear option.
The decision also conforms to the popular mood in Germany which has a strong public opinion supporting environmental groups and parties. Ten years ago the country had decided on a slow phasing out of nuclear power and the decision has now been fast-tracked. Environmental and human hazards were not the only consideration. Last month the Reactor Safety Commission reported that none of the country’s nuclear plants can be defended against an attack by a terrorist group. This should also be a major consideration for other countries that go for an expansion of their nuclear energy programmes. Germany aims to get most of its energy from renewable sources after shutting down its nuclear plants. This will not be easy because it does not have a profusion of solar and wind power. But the fact that it is confident of meeting its energy needs without any reliance on nuclear power should be a lesson to other countries. It should show the way to countries like India which has abundant sources of renewable energy.