The Bund Naturschutz (BN) has asked Prime Minister Markus Söder to end the new debate about extending the lifespan of the three remaining nuclear power plants. “As terrible as Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine is, it is deeply shocking that we are now having a ghostly discussion about a renewed lifetime extension shortly before the final phase-out of nuclear power,” said BN boss Richard Mergner on Thursday.
Mergner recalled that it was Söder who, a few days after the nuclear catastrophe on March 11, 2011 in Fukushima, Japan, as then Bavarian Environment Minister, ordered the shutdown of the Isar 1 nuclear reactor and thus heralded Germany’s phase-out of nuclear power. Mergner called it “absolutely irresponsible” that Söder has now started the renewed debate about extending the term. The reason: From the point of view of the BN boss, nuclear power is not only a great danger. Like fossil fuels, it is at the core of global conflicts. Therefore, the dependence on both energy sources must be ended not only for reasons of climate protection, but also for peacekeeping. According to nuclear expert Richard Uhrig, 60 percent of Europe’s nuclear fuel comes from the crisis regions of Russia, Kazakhstan and Niger.
Against bottlenecks in the energy supply, Mergner called for an “immediate program to save energy” and the rapid expansion of renewable energies. The Free State should encourage consumers to heat less. If they lowered room temperatures by just 1.5 degrees, you could immediately stop ten percent of gas imports from Russia. With a speed of 100 km/h on the freeway, 80 km/h outside of town and 30 km/h in town, one can save 2.5 percent of oil imports. The BN also renewed its ongoing demands for a ban on new oil and gas heating systems, a solar obligation for new buildings and the end of the controversial 10H distance rule for wind turbines. Mergner: “If Bavaria makes two percent of the state area available for wind turbines, more than half of the energy requirements here can be covered by wind power by 2040.”