Fifty years ago, Germany's first nuclear reactor was built near Munich. DW-WORLD.DE spoke to an safety expert about standards in today's German atomic plants and the possible problems for the future.
DW-WORLD.DE spoke to physicist Christian Küppers, of the Darmstadt Öko-Institut and a member of the government's advisory Radiation Protection Committee, about safety standards in German nuclear plants and potential problems ahead.
Germany
Germany Faces Shortage of Nuclear Safety Experts
Thursday, November 1, 2007NSG member Germany is not enthusiastic about nuke deal
Wednesday, October 24, 200724 Oct, 2007, 0242 hrs IST, TNN
NEW DELHI: The US hope that the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal will be carried forward is not mirrored on the international stage. The issue is not likely to feature in any major way during the high profile visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to India from October 29 to November 1. It is understood that under the present situation, Germany, which will soon chair the Nuclear Suppliers Group, sees no point in formulating a position towards India’s civilian nuclear aspiration.
Police Break Up Ecological Demonstration
Friday, October 12, 2007By Galina Stolyarova
Staff Writer
Alexander Belenky / The St. Petersburg Times
An ecological demonstrator is carried away by a policeman as a protest on St. Isaac’s Square, in front of the Legislative Assembly building, was broken up on Thursday.
The police on Thursday disrupted an environmental picket outside the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly, detaining more than 10 activists from local and international ecological groups campaigning against the import of spent nuclear fuel and depleted uranium hexafluoride. The picket was held in the wake of a hefty cargo of depleted uranium arriving in the city.
European anti-nuclear ministers want alternatives to nuclear power
Monday, October 1, 2007Vienna - High-ranking European government officials, representing anti-nuclear states Austria, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Italy, Luxembourg, and Latvia, called Monday for alternatives to a renaissance of nuclear energy.
The group met in Vienna on Sunday and Monday to forge a joint declaration against nuclear energy. At a press conference, the participating politicians called for more investment into energy efficiency measures and renewable energies.
Merkel rejects call for early nuclear shutdown
Wednesday, September 5, 2007Merkel rejects call for early nuclear shutdown
Tue Sep 4, 2007 1:12PM EDT
Nuclear fallout
Monday, September 3, 2007Nuclear fallout
Aug 2nd 2007 | BERLIN
From The Economist print edition
Two accidents heat up the debate over whether to revive nuclear power to fight climate change
EPA
UNTIL recently, nuclear power seemed to be making its way back into public favour in Germany. A warm winter, and dire warnings by scientists about climate change, convinced many that carbon emissions might be a bigger danger than nuclear accidents or radioactive waste. Opinion polls this spring showed that fewer than half of Germans favoured continuing the policy, adopted in 2000, of phasing out all nuclear plants by 2021.
German chain reaction
Tuesday, July 24, 2007What were initially minor incidents in the non-nuclear sections of two German nuclear power plants have quickly developed into an industry crisis.
Merkel Furious about Nuclear Mishaps
Wednesday, July 11, 2007German Chancellor Angela Merkel is furious with energy company Vattenfall for having been slow to publicly admit the severity of recent mishaps at two reactors in northern Germany. Meanwhile, the company still seems to be in denial.
Sometimes it's not what you say, but when you say it. And for Vattenfall, a leading energy company in Germany which operates the two nuclear reactors near Hamburg which were forced to shut down in recent incidents, it is becoming increasingly clear that trying to cover up mistakes is not the best way to generate positive PR.
Reactor Affected in Nuclear Power Plant Fire
Wednesday, July 4, 2007Contrary to previous reports, a fire at a nuclear power plant in Germany last week did in fact affect the reactor. The disturbing news comes at a time when the German government is debating the future of nuclear power.
Nuclear energy set to dominate G8 summit
Monday, March 13, 2006Paris, March 13, 2006 - Nuclear power will dominate the first G8 energy summit in Moscow next week.
The rising price of fossil fuels, combined with concerns about the greenhouse effect and the demands of the Kyoto agreement ha s meant industrialised nations are having to reconsider how they source their energy supplies. Most countries regard nuclear energy as the solution to environmental concerns and dwindling fossil fuel supplies.
