German Nuclear Policy Makes No Sense

(Osnabruck, Germany) In a departure from what previous leaders have said, German Chancellor Angela Merkel displays some logic regarding nuclear generating plants in Germany.

Speaking on Thursday at a national Catholic conference in the city of Osnabrück, Merkel said Germany's plan to abandon nuclear power "didn't make sense," especially as a country "with the safest nuclear power plants."

She said the country would be making a "laughing stock" of itself if it abandoned the production of nuclear power for the sake of a good conscience only to turn around and import nuclear energy from other countries.

I would add that purchasing nuclear-generated electricity would also be hypocritical. If Germany's energy policy is to be dictated by pie-in-the-sky, environmental ideologues, then the nation should learn to turn the lights out before buying any nuke electricity. After all, utopian dreams are more important than electrical appliances.

Meanwhile, Italy says it wants to start building nuclear power plants even though it's forbidden by a 1987 referendum calling for a ban and deactivation of the country's reactors.

"Only nuclear plants safely produce energy on a vast scale with competitive costs, respecting the environment," Italian Economic Development Minister Claudio Scajola said. "An action plan to go back to nuclear power cannot be delayed anymore."

Of course, the ban imposed by the referendum will first have to be overturned so expect a political battle. However, the head of Greenpeace Italy, Giuseppe Onufio, went a step further by calling the plan a "declaration of war."

All in all, the debate on nuclear power in Europe is becoming spicy.