Germany, in Reversal, Will Close Nuclear Plants by 2022

[Islander]

JUDY DEMPSEY (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/d/judy_dempsey/index.html?inline=nyt-per) and JACK EWING (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/e/jack_ewing/index.html?inline=nyt-per)May 30, 2011

BERLIN — The German government on Monday announced plans to shut all of the nation’s nuclear power plants within the next 11 years, a sharp reversal for Chancellor Angela Merkel after the Japanese disaster at Fukushima caused an electoral backlash by voters opposed to reliance on nuclear energy (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/energy-environment/atomic-energy/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier).

The plan calls for phasing out all of Germany (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/germany/index.html?inline=nyt-geo)’s 17 nuclear reactors — eight of which are offline — and expanding the use of renewable resources. The decision was based on recommendations of an expert commission appointed after the Japanese disaster to study an industry that generates 23 percent of Germany’s electricity.

“It’s definite — the latest end for the last three nuclear plants is 2022,” said Norbert Röttgen, the environment minister.

Related: In Japan, a Culture That Promotes Nuclear Dependency (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/world/asia/31japan.html?ref=europe) (May 31, 2011)

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/world/europe/31germany.html

[highlander]

Germans are brilliant engineers. I think they can show the world how it's done.
I test drove cars for 14 years. The German cars were consistently head and shoulders above the rest. They are the benchmark.

[Islander]

I test drove cars for 14 years.
How did you ever get such a to-die-for job??

[highlander]

How did you ever get such a to-die-for job??

Late 1994, the Gazette (daily paper in Colorado Springs) was trying to hire a part time graphic designer and writer for their Special Sections department (real estate, automotive, etc.). Easier said than done. Most designers are designers. Most writers are writers. Luckily I had experience in both and had also worked for an automotive warehouse for six years so I knew a bit about cars. Every week someone in Special Sections contacted an auto dealer for an interview and a long test drive (often overnight) and wrote an article for that week's automotive section. Sometimes I could choose the car, sometimes not. I worked as an employee there for two years (then became a mom, yay!) Then I freelanced for them for 12 more years until dangerously severe anemia took me out.

[Mr. Wizard]

Perhaps Germany can convince the rest of the world to follow its lead and shut down their nuclear plants. I am, however, not hopeful that this will be the case. Why? Answer: Chernobyl....