For the record, the state I live in is New Jersey. In my state more than 50% of the energy is
nuclear. I write everybody I can write to ask for
more nuclear power. I'll bet that
my global climate change profile is
lower than yours.
But like I say, if you don't know what you're talking about, make stuff up.
As for your argument that if no energy is produced, it can't be purchased I assume that you are working for energy
caps in Germany then, no? Is anyone in Germany calling for an energy
cap? Why then were the new
coal facilities announced?
If one is
interested in data (although apparently you are not interested in data) here are the
numbers: In 2004 Germany produced 862 million metric tons of CO
2. In 2001 it produced 847 million metric tons.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/international/iealf/tableh1co2.xlsI always thought that 862 was
bigger than 847, but I could be wrong.
I also don't think that Germany can applaud itself for having a carbon intensity that is almost 50% greater than it's neighboring nation, France:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/international/iealf/tableh1gco2.xlsAs for Germany's spectacular reduction in per capita CO
2 since 1990, congratulations on shutting down the old inefficient GDR facilities.
Since 1998, Germany's per capita carbon dioxide emissions have remained more or less level, having risen slightly since 1999. Maybe you think Germany deserves an award for staying pretty much
constant while temperatures approach 40C around the world. I don't agree. I note that the German official
plan is to get
worse, not better.
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&screen=detailref&language=en&product=SDI_MAIN&root=SDI_MAIN/sdi/sdi_gp/sdi_gp_res/sdi_gp1410As these
european statistics show, German per capita emissions of CO
2 are 60% higher than that of France.
France, by the way, and not the United States or Germany is the
world standard for environmental responsibility with respect to electrical generation. France is the
model of what I would like to see
every country on earth do with its electrical generation.
Of course, if countries
also embrace renewable strategies, so much the better, as long as they do so
seriously by using whatever renewable strategies are available to phase out fossil fuels. Any country that has
phases out fossil fuels by
any means whatsoever gets my unrestrained praise. Note that I am not calling for Iceland to go nuclear. They have a sensible and realistic plan to generate
all of their energy by
totally renewable means. I think every civilized person on earth can applaud, unreservedly, the Icelandic plans.
Here are the EU countries with lower per capita carbon dioxide than France: Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Portugal, Sweden, Hungary, Switzerland, Malta, Iceland, Bulgaria.
Of the countries that have
high living standards, Switzerland and Sweden have large hydroelectric and large
nuclear power fractions, and Iceland has thoroughly exploited both geothermal and hydroelectric resources. We shall see how Switzerland and Sweden fare on this score when the glaciers have disappeared.
You seem unhappy with the fact that the German nuclear power plants were not shut immediately. Of course we all know
immediately what would have happened if instead of being made
unhappy you were made
happy, and the nuclear plants were shut.
As for your rather weak understanding of nuclear prospects in the United States, a list of the new proposed reactors can be found here:
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf41.htmThese are utility announced COL's (Combined Operating Licenses) for 11 sites, many now proposing
two units each. I'm sorry I said "13 reactors" because I can't keep up with the speed of new announcements. The actual number of reactors is now
19.
Now let's be clear: Germany performs
better than the US in carbon emissions. Everyone in the United States should be deeply ashamed of our performance. I know I am. But in expanding nuclear energy, the United States is at least moving in the
right direction for
some of its capacity. We have not gone far enough, but I'm working in my country to make the issue clearer. I think you're working in your country to make matters more obscure.