Germany and Bank Holiday blues

Looking out of the window, I see a grey sky and rain. It's the kind of weather I hate, really hate. That blanket grey with no breaks in it at all and the constant rain. Horrible... but typically BBH (British Bank Holiday) weather. I've remarked previously about the effect weather can have on mood. I'm a firm believer in this and my lack of enthusiasm today I'm sure is linked to the damp grey outdoors.

Good news from our friends in Germany though.... they have decided to dispense completely with nuclear power. Now, I am actually against nuclear power - well the way we play with it anyway. I do think it has potential as being a clean energy but there are two fundamental aspects of its use that we don't understand. The first is safety and the second is spent fuel. Nuclear safety is something we don't take seriously enough. Fukushima has taught us that and Germany have conceded that because we can't do it safely then it's best to not to it at all. After all, the nuclear industry is unable to get any organisation to insure its sites - the risk being so high.

The by-products and waste fuel are things we simply do not know what to do with. We prefer the 'out of sight, out of mind option' so bury it underground, hoping it will go away. The truth is of course that it won't - it'll be there in thousands of years from now, assuming it hasn't already leaked into the soil around it.

I do think Germany have made the right decision, but in doing so, they have set themselves enormous challenges to generate energy from conventional and renewable sources. They must be confident in their ability to do this and I don't think the decision to scrap nuclear energy has been just a knee-jerk reaction to Fukushima, though I do think it was influenced strongly by it.

Something I would like to see discussed is 'Thorium Energy'. It's probably something many have never heard of but if you Google the word 'thorium', you'll find a wealth of information relating to it. There are it appears several groups dotted all over the world already playing with it and a few who claim it to be the energy source of the future - clean, plentiful and above all, safe. I won't write much about it here, I'd rather prefer for others to make up their own minds as to the merits of Thorium Energy. It does all sound very exciting though...

Back to Germany and there is no doubt the decision they have made is a huge one - politically motivated or not. I wonder how many others will follow? I suspect very few...