Monday, March 28, 2011

I have a (non-nuclear) dream...

In view of yesterday's amazing/historic election result in Germany (see below), I'm dreaming of a time when: a) the British electorate might be similarly concerned about nuclear issues, and b) the outdated British (in particular English) election system might have changed sufficiently to allow similarly amazing outcomes.

See also extract from today's edition of UK Nuclear News below.


Germany

An estimated quarter of a million people took to the streets in four German cities on Saturday to call for the closure of all nuclear power plants in the country. The demonstrations in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich were organised by a wide range of environmental groups and supported by the main opposition parties in parliament—the Social Democratic Party, the Greens and the Left Party. The German federation of trade unions (DGB) also put its name to the list of sponsors and its chairman was the main speaker at the rally following the march in Berlin.

World Socialist Web 28th March 2011

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/mar2011/gdem-m28.shtml

Morning Star 27th March 2011

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/102752

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition was defeated in its southwestern heartland and failed to win control of a second state as the anti-nuclear Greens vote surged to a record, forcing her to reassess energy policy. The Greens were poised to enter the regional governments in Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate after state elections yesterday conducted in the shadow of the nuclear disaster in Japan. In Baden-Wuerttemberg, the Greens were set to lead their first state administration, ejecting Merkel’s Christian Democrats from power in Stuttgart after 58 years.

Bloomberg 27th March 2011

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-27/merkel-s-nuclear-policy-under-fire-as-greens-surge-in-elections.html

Telegraph 27th March 2011

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/8409736/Angela-Merkel-suffers-further-election-blow-over-nuclear-policy.html

Guardian 28th March 2011

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/27/german-green-victory-fukushima

Four nuclear power companies are preparing lawsuits against the German government in the wake of its decision to idle seven of the country’s 17 nuclear-power stations. Officials at the companies – Germany’s Eon, RWE and EnBW and Sweden’s Vattenfall – said no top-level decisions had been taken, but obligations to shareholders made suits “almost an imperative”.

FT 28th March 2011

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3d2319bc-588f-11e0-9b8a-00144feab49a.html