EDIT overhaul:

source is too old to be relevant, ~~”~~ **~~Germany until March 2011 obtained~~** **~~one-quarter~~** **~~of its electricity from nuclear energy, using 17 reactors … while 35-40% of electricity comes from coal, the majority of that from lignite.”~~**

~~Nuclear Power in Germany – World Nuclear Association . (2021). Retrieved 8 December 2021, from~~ [~~https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-g-n/germany.aspx~~](https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-g-n/germany.aspx)

this graph shows the energy sources used by Germany, [Germany’s energy sources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_Germany#/media/File:Germany_electricity_production.svg).

Fossil fuels provide steady power for when the wind doesnt blow and the sun doesnt shine, but thats where nuclear comes in (until improved energy storage systems are scalable for renewables). Nuclear power is very consistent (like fossil fuels) but with less environmental damage (like renewables). Let’s hope nord stream 2 doesn’t open up… beyond politics it’s just a bad idea environmentally.

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apologies for posting the same subject as many others in this subreddit, my bad.

9 comments

  3. Why use completely outdared figures?

    https://strom-report.de/strom/

    In (edit: 2020), 50.5% renewables, 12.5% nuclear and 24.1% coal

    Renewables today produce more than the “gap” left by reducing both coal and nuclear.

    Main reason to phase out nuclear: we are a democracy, and the majority doesn’t want it (And we don’t have enough money. Nuclear is by far the most expensive form if electricity generation)

  4. May i ask what has caused you to aks this now? It feel like we got that question at least 5 or 6 times in the last week. I am curious what might have triggered this

  6. edit: looks like this has been over posted recently, sorry i didn’t check before I asked. Just ignore this post or downvote it.

  8. There is a big anti nuclear movement in Germany dating back to the late 70s. A lot of people were concerned about the technology and its potential for huge disasters.

    Politicians back then were mostly in favour of nuclear energy and always stated how safe it is and that an accident with catastrophic dimensions is impossible to happen, while pumping tax money into new power plants.

    The majority of Germans back then supported nuclear energy but a lot of people didn’t and the doubt was growing every time when occasionally accidents in power plants were kept secret by the government and also occasionally news about politicians who were at bot to much “involved” into the nuclear industry.

    Then Chernobyl happend. I can remember the day and it was horrifying. Suddenly you had to be afraid of rain.
    We (as kids) weren’t allowed to go outside for a few days.
    The news showed which areas had to expect radioactive downfall (mostly Bavaria and that’s why it is still unsafe to eat mushrooms from Bavarian forests up until today. Radiation is still above safe measures)

    Chernobyl proofed the scientist and politicians wrong who earlier stated that an accident like that couldn’t possibly happen.
    They still tried to tell us that this can only happen in “communist power plants” but people lost their trust more and more and started to see what potential dimensions only one single accident can have.

    For the next 20 years it went back and forth a bit.
    Nuclear energy was still there and got still tax money, while a huge amount of people were heavily opposed to it.
    The society was very divided about that issue and every action of the nuclear industry was immediately followed by massive demonstrations and rallies from the anti nuclear movement.

    2011 Angela Merkels government decided to allow the nuclear power companies their (already old) nuclear power plants to run for a longer time than they stated in the past would be safe.
    And then: Fukushima.

    The public opinion changed heavily towards anti nuclear.
    Angela Merkel made a U turn and decided that every nuclear power plant built before 1980 hat to shut down within 3 months and all others within a certain time frame.

    Today even the big power companies state that they have no interest in bringing back nuclear power as it is not profitable anymore.
    No tax money (and every politician who would try to spend tax money on new nuclear power plants would be not much longer a successful politician), responsible treatment of nuclear waste (instead of just throwing it into the sea or in a random cave like they did for decades), and other reasons made it just less profitable then other forms of power generation.

    To make it short: They lied about the safety, they lied about the costs, they lied about the waste management, they lied about accidents that happend and made a lot of money.
    Until the majority decided to not trust them anymore.
    Fukushima was just last straw.

  9. “when the wind doesnt blow and the sun doesnt shine”

    – That is what batteries are for.

    Do you also believe wind mills cause cancer?

    Nice try atom lobby.

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