"Error switching them off": Thunberg considers the continued operation of the nuclear power plant to be more sensible at the moment

Created: 2022-10-12 06:15

Activist Greta Thunberg speaks during a global climate strike in Berlin (archive image, September 24, 2021).

© IMAGO / Emmanuele Contini

If the nuclear power plants are already running, it would be a bad idea to shut them down and rely on coal, says climate activist Greta Thunberg.

A swatter for the Greens in Germany?

Berlin - While the traffic light coalition has not yet been able to reach agreement in the dispute over nuclear power plants in Germany, nuclear power advocates are receiving support from unexpected quarters.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg said in an interview snippet with Sandra Maischberger shared on Twitter on Tuesday that it would be a mistake to "shut down nuclear power plants and turn to coal."

Debate about nuclear power plants in the traffic light coalition: "Time is of the essence"

Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) has asked the FDP to go along with the planned nuclear power reserve.

"Time is of the essence," Habeck told

, according to a report on Tuesday.

"If you want the nuclear power plants to be able to produce electricity after December 31, you have to clear the way now." The FDP, for its part, rejected the fact that the schedule for the planned continued operation of two nuclear power plants was in jeopardy.

Habeck had proposed allowing the use of the nuclear power plants Isar 2 in Bavaria and Neckarwestheim 2 in Baden-Württemberg as a reserve during the energy crisis until mid-April 2023 at the latest.

To do this, the Atomic Energy Act and the Energy Industry Act must be amended.

According to the current legal situation, all three German nuclear power plants that are still in operation - the third is the Emsland nuclear power plant in Lower Saxony - will be taken off the grid at the end of the year.

After the final shutdown of all nuclear power plants, coal-fired power plants are to be taken from the reserve instead.

The necessary cabinet decision was initially planned for last Wednesday, but did not take place.

A decision was then prepared for Monday - but this date was also canceled.

The background is apparently that the FDP wants to let all three nuclear power plants run much longer and also wants to buy new fuel rods for them.

In December, the FDP Presidium spoke out in favor of continued operation of all three power plants until a maximum of 2024.

In an interview, Greta Thunberg advocates continued operation of the nuclear power plants

In the debate about nuclear power as an alternative to the lack of gas supplies from Russia, climate activist Greta Thunberg is now also getting involved.

When asked about the subject in an interview with journalist Sandra Maischberger, she reacted pragmatically.

"Personally, I think it's a bad idea to bet on coal while the nuclear power plants are still running," Thunberg said.

"But of course this is a very heated debate," added the activist.

When asked whether the nuclear power plants should be switched off at all after the current crisis phase, Thunberg said: "It depends on what happens."

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“Nuclear power plants would be the better choice for the climate, at least for the moment?” Maischberger wants to know.

"It depends on.

If they're running, I think it would be a mistake to turn them off and go to coal," Thunberg said.

A swatter for the Greens?

In any case, the FDP feels confirmed in their view: "Even Greta Thunberg is in favor of the continued operation of the German nuclear power plants," wrote Justice Minister Marco Buschmann on Twitter on Tuesday.

"Further proof that this is correct from a physical (grid stability), economic (price reduction) and climate policy (climate neutrality) perspective," continued the FDP politician.

Thunberg also suggested alternatives to reusing coal power: “I think there are other ways forward.

With renewable energies.” She warned against continuing to invest in fossil energy – even if she understands the need to protect citizens from excessive energy costs, said Thunberg.

But people have also “made themselves dependent and created a society in which we are unable to see more than a year into the future.

That's not sustainable!” said the 19-year-old activist.

Thunberg criticized that the climate crisis is still not being treated like a global emergency.

From their point of view, the consequences of the climate crisis should not be lost sight of even in times of war.

“Every war is a disaster.

On many levels.

But we have to be able to deal with different things at the same time."