| The Atomic Age Enters a New Dawn |
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| Written by Michael Sauga | |
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Germany may still be debating
whether to abandon its nuclear phase-out plans, but the rest of the
world is already moving full steam ahead into expanding the use of
nuclear technology. SPIEGEL ONLINE examines a glowing comeback, from
Switzerland to China.
It was seen as risky, dangerous and uneconomical. Less than 10 years ago nuclear energy was still being treated as yesterday's news. After the devastating Chernobyl reactor disaster, hardly any countries were interested in placing their bets on nuclear technology, and not even the energy companies believed that electricity from nuclear power plants had much of a future. 
AFP
Two fundamental developments are fueling the nuclear energy
comeback. The international effort to combat climate change favors
power generation technologies that involve relatively low emissions of
carbon dioxide. This includes nuclear reactors, which emit only a
fraction of the amount of CO2 into the environment that comes from a
coal-fired power plant, for example.
But for months now, gas prices have followed the steep rise in oil prices, and it is becoming increasingly clear to Western nations that the world's gas reserves are primarily in countries that are not necessarily considered the most political stable on earth, such as Libya and Russia. Many Western politicians now fear that those who choose to turn their backs on nuclear power could very well be putting themselves at the mercy of arbitrary dictators and autocrats. In light of these new realities on the energy markets, many are now once again seeing nuclear energy as the lesser evil. Copyright: Spiegel Online |
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