In the interests of balance

Even though I don't agree with it, this editorial discusses how Germany is phasing out, and how some politicians in France are saying they are going to phase out, nuclear power.  The author argues that Britain should do the same.  Well, there's really only one way that's going to work, a way that the author states clearly. 

Nuclear energy - a fading dream

One can refer to my earlier post about the fact that countries with money are investing in the building of new nuclear power plants, because they supply carbon-free energy in abundance.  It's nice if some Western countries think their populace is going to do without and do with less, but I think that's trusting a lot to human nature.  In developing countries where the populace has gone without for a long time, the leaders expect that their people are going to want more -- cars, TVs, computers, cellphones, lights, the basic things that we take for granted.

So here's what he said:

"And as European politicians have turned increasingly against nuclear, they have started taking energy efficiency seriously. In Germany politicians plan to reduce electricity demand by 25% by 2050 through energy efficiency."

Yes, they plan.  But is that realistic?

"But the coalition government here in Britain is planning for electricity demand to double over the same period, even though Ministers accept that energy saving is cheaper and greener than building new power stations."

Well, if they don't want more nuclear power stations, then they'd better get the people believing in, and practicing, lots and lots and lots of energy saving.  Hope that works out.