Column: Nuclear Power? No Thanks!

Actually, we were looking for an exciting and environmentally relevant number of the month. In doing so, we came across the budget of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety. And that amounted to 1032 million euros just for the interim and final storage of radioactive waste! Hello? Are you serious? Over a billion euros for the supposedly “green” nuclear energy, just to store its waste! This is followed at a huge distance by climate protection, for which 670 million euros were spent, and a paltry 258 million euros for environmental protection in comparison.

But all of this is peanuts compared to the 480-billion(!)-euro rescue package that the government launched in 2008 to save the systemically relevant banks. What this shows is that – even though the water is already up to our necks respectively, Germany is drying up (Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg alone have since lost the water volume of the entire Lake Constance) – the powerful lobbies of big industry are served first before investing in environmental protection.

Incidentally, this is also a reason why decentralized energy supply, V2X concepts, and the like are not catching on. An insider told us: “There are two big energy suppliers in France with huge, expensive nuclear plants – why would they have an interest in decentralized energy supply?”

As mentioned, in 2021 alone, the interim and final storage of nuclear waste cost us over a billion euros, which of course does not appear on the electricity bill – but is hidden in all of our tax assessments. And if anyone still doesn't want to shut down, they should please offer a final storage site for nuclear waste on their own property, free of charge of course – then we would have the annoying interim and final storage costs off our backs! And three guesses as to who is one of the world's largest uranium suppliers? Exactly, Russia!

What does this mean?

Shut down – or: Volunteers who want to store nuclear waste on their private properties – the neighbors would also have to agree, of course. Even if oil and gas become expensive – energy conservation is more important than ever! Which is why, in addition to the energy and mobility transition, we also need a change of values in our heads! And quickly...exchange time for money, satisfaction for fame or or or – imagination knows no bounds here.