The sentiment on HN on this topic has traditionally been negative, and comments that support the move get downvoted.
The fear of nuclear energy is deeply rooted in Germany and cannot be simply ignored. The "Anti AKW" (anti nuclear power) movement was huge since the 80s, it predates the fear of global warming, and it was at the core of what became the Green party. And Merkel, who has a doctorate quantum chemistry, came to the conclusion that nuclear power is too risky. And this sentiment had the backing of the parliament. And the parliament had the backing of the population. These are the facts. It is likely that her party, traditionally pro nuclear, will change its opinion now that she's stepped down. But they're not in power for at least the next 4 years, and the new governing coalition has agreed on nuclear being a non-option for energy policy.
Merkel... Did not come to the conclusion that nuclear power is too risky.
She wanted to do more nuclear, well aware of CO2, but Fukushima happened (killing zero victims, but hey) and she saw her policy would get her voted out office, and no potential replacement was going to do better, so she folded, in the hope that large investment in renewables would help. It didn't, because a renewable world is a 18th century world, and now we're going there
This seems to be your opinion when one can read it also differently. After Fukushima she and her government (backed by the coalition partner FDP) started a risk re-assessment process that involved two commissions (the reactor security commission and an ethics commission) that resulted in the government declaration below. Hence, the assessment was not done on a whim, it was backed by several months of work by experts. Could it still be a mere power play? Possible, but unlikely - she ran the risk of alienating her own party and to be seen as a flip-flopper.
> The sentiment on HN on this topic has traditionally been negative, and comments that support the move get downvoted.
Just because this is a popular move within Germany doesn't mean we need to support it. Research has shown nuclear to be clean and safe when managed properly, _those_ are the facts. I'm glad the government is listening to its citizens, but I also support using nuclear power and personally think this is bad move with the information I have at hand.
> The fear of nuclear energy is deeply rooted in Germany and cannot be simply ignored.
It's not being ignored. We're all here complaining about how short sighted it is. What's their plan for renewables again? Aren't we in the middle of a low sunlight, low wind winter where nat. gas demand is through the roof? So Germany's plan is Nord Stream 2, buying from Russia trying to invade Ukraine?
Merkel wanted a pipeline that just happened to terminate in her district you forget to mention.
She may have a physics degree but she is a politician and I have a feeling she used her political education more than her physics on this one.
The public debate was polluted by misinformation. I remember a poll showed most Europeans think Fukushima killed thousands and nuclear emits massive CO2.
Does "Green" have the same set of meanings in Germany as in the US?
Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder . . . served as the chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005, during which his most important political initiative was Agenda 2010. As Chancellor, he led a coalition government of his Social Democratic Party of Germany and the Alliance 90/The Greens. . . . Schröder has been chairman of Russian energy company Rosneft since 2017.
PJSC Rosneft Oil Company (Russian: Росне́фть, tr. Rosnéft', IPA: [ˌrosˈnʲeftʲ] stylized as ROSNEFT) is a Russian integrated energy company headquartered in Moscow. Rosneft specializes in the exploration, extraction, production, refining, transport, and sale of petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products. The company is controlled by the Russian government through the Rosneftegaz holding company. Its name is a portmanteau of the Russian words Rossiyskaya neft (Russian: Российская нефть, lit. 'Russian oil').
The fear of nuclear energy is deeply rooted in Germany and cannot be simply ignored. The "Anti AKW" (anti nuclear power) movement was huge since the 80s, it predates the fear of global warming, and it was at the core of what became the Green party. And Merkel, who has a doctorate quantum chemistry, came to the conclusion that nuclear power is too risky. And this sentiment had the backing of the parliament. And the parliament had the backing of the population. These are the facts. It is likely that her party, traditionally pro nuclear, will change its opinion now that she's stepped down. But they're not in power for at least the next 4 years, and the new governing coalition has agreed on nuclear being a non-option for energy policy.