Main focus of Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Fukushima has people thinking twice

Many countries are reappraising their nuclear programmes as a result of the nuclear catastrophe in Japan. Germany has suspended plans to extend the lifespans of its reactors, the EU has convoked a nuclear summit and Italy is at odds over the reintroduction of atomic energy. The press writes that it will be difficult to dispel doubts and fears and calls for nuclear phaseout.

Nuclear phaseout now

With an eye to the nuclear catastrophe in Japan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced a three-month moratorium on plans to extend the lifespans of the country's nuclear reactors. Now is the time for a full nuclear phaseout, the left-liberal Berliner Zeitung writes: "What has the horrifying catastrophe in Japan taught us that we didn't already know from Chernobyl? Nuclear power cannot be controlled, no matter how high the safety standards are. ... The conservative-liberal coalition's nuclear policy has had its day, and in one respect the chancellor is entirely right: after the moratorium nothing will be as it was before. After watching the television and surfing the Internet for the last three days, people know all there is to be known about cooling systems, meltdowns and radioactive clouds. In addition Japan - and that's the difference to Chernobyl 25 years ago - is closer to Germany than Russia was then. ... For all those who are serious about a quick nuclear phaseout, a window of opportunity has just opened." (15/03/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Energy, » Germany, » Japan
All available articles from » Brigitte Fehrle

Chain reaction of fear

In view of the nuclear catastrophe in Japan, politicians the world over are starting to react to people's fears of nuclear technology, the business paper Hospodářské noviny observes: "The German government yesterday reversed its decision to prolong the running times of nuclear power plants in the country. Austria has called for a pan-European stress test and experts will meet this week in Brussels. ... Even the US atomic renaissance could be very quickly nipped in the bud. ... At some point Japan will be able to put a number on its victims, as well as on the repercussions for its economy. The dramatic reversal in attitudes to atomic energy cannot be translated into precise figures. The psychology of the society that uses nuclear energy is as unstable as the atom itself. All it takes is one neuron of uncertainty and the chain reaction of doubt and fear is very difficult to stop." (15/03/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Energy, » Catastrophe, » Global, » Japan
All available articles from » Daniel Anýž

Rome acts irresponsibly

Italy should take Germany's decision to suspend plans to extend the life of its nuclear power stations as an example, the left-liberal daily La Repubblica recommends, noting that Italy's nuclear debate is headed in the wrong direction entirely: "Germany is acting in the name of safety, in the name of the health and the survival of the community. Surprising and alarming is the fact that in Italy the Minister for the Environment Stefania Prestigiacomo of all people is ignoring the call for caution and responsible action and proclaiming Rome's course of sticking to its nuclear programme with an almost challenging tone. It is to be feared that the Italian government intends to launch ... a nuclear campaign over the question of the peaceful use of atomic energy (to be resolved by a referendum), causing even more tensions and rifts." (15/03/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Energy, » Catastrophe, » Italy, » Japan
All available articles from » Giovanni Valentini

Nuclear waste the biggest risk

The catastrophe in Japan has fanned debate over nuclear energy across the world. However there is more to the issue than the safety of power plants, warns the daily De Standaard: "Almost every government now promises that it will 'learn' from the events in Japan. That is fair enough, and perfectly understandable. But at the same time the catastrophe in Japan threatens to confine the discussion about the pros and cons of nuclear energy to the potential damage from 'incidents' like natural catastrophes, plane crashes or terrorist attacks. Although potentially very risky, such incidents are not very likely. The largest safety risks from nuclear energy come not from such occurrences but from nuclear waste. This waste is a reality, not a probability. And more than a half century after the first nuclear reactors went into operation, we still have no idea what to do with it." (15/03/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » Energy, » Catastrophe, » Global, » Japan
All available articles from » Karin de Ruyter

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