Germany is moving beyond nuclear power, but at what cost?
&quot;Nuclear energy, to start with, is ultimately not safe, and the Germans have always been particularly uneasy with it. After the nuclear accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan in 2011, Chancellor Angela Merkel ordered the “Atomausstieg,” the exit from nuclear energy once and for all. Why? Because, as Ms. Merkel put it back then: “The residual risk of nuclear energy can be accepted only if one is convinced that — as far as it is humanly possible to judge — it won’t come to pass.” After Fukushima, Ms. Merkel, a trained physicist, was no longer able to believe that a nuclear disaster would not occur. That there was a catastrophe even in a high-tech country like Japan made her change her mind.&quot;<p>This article dismisses nuclear power as &quot;not safe&quot; with nothing more than the decision of Merkel to justify it.  Yes, Merkel has a background in physics, but she made that decision as a politician.  It&#x27;s an unfortunate truth that science is rarely the first consideration in political decisions.<p>Merkel&#x27;s decision ignored the truly extraordinary circumstances of the Fukushima disaster, which was triggered by an earthquake and tsunami that, each individually, exceeded the design parameters of the reactor, which was 40 years old at the time of the disaster.  Updated studies indicated the reactor was vulnerable to tsunami, but were ignored.  Repeatedly.<p>The reactors of 40-50 years ago can indeed be unsafe if operated poorly (e.g. Chernobyl) or if necessary threat mitigation is totally ignored. Newer designs are safer, and older designs can be made safer if people don&#x27;t bury their heads in the sand about necessary updates.<p>Ultimately, nuclear reactors are designed and operated by humans, and mistakes do happen.  However, the fact is that the Fukushima disaster has killed fewer people in total than coal power kills every year under normal operating conditions.<p>Is Germany paranoid about nuclear power?  Yes.