Re: Swiss Nuclear Phase out

[Fritz Seiler <faseiler@nmia.com>]

Jesse H. Coleman wrote:

> It seems that Switzerland has stated its intention to phase out
> its nuclear power plants after their operating licences expire
> (latest is 2012).

Hi all,

I am Swiss born and have lived there, off-and-on, for over 40 years.
Maybe I can shed some light on that decision.  When I was a kid in
the 30s and 40s, Switzerland mostly relied on hydroelectric power
and some coal, both for industry and home use.  The post-WWII
expansion led to environmental damages but did not yet lead to
public consciousness of the problems. Coal was largely replaced by
electricity for a large part of the industrial heat generation.  Hydro
power was maxed out, and nuclear power plants then took care of
the growth in energy consumption.  Early on, environmentalists were
supported (vocally and otherwise) by the communist party, until it
became a  political issue.  Then the other leftist parties jumped on
the band wagon because these activitists were costing them votes,
and then things really started to heat up.  As a faculty member at the
Physics Department at the University of Basel, I appeared on the
other side of the Nuclear Debate, so I know what it was all about:
A bunch of well-meaning activists and some savvy politicians trying
to make hey.  The situation went from bad to worse in the 70s and 80s,
and was aggravated by real SO2/NOx damages from car exhaust in
the Alps and other detrimental effects that everyone could see.  Most
of the trees in some alpine valleys are dead now. So the movement
grew real political muscle, leading to this latest peak of nonsense.  In
Germany the leftists (socialists) were similarly infected by communist
influence, and the more militant faction split off into the Green Party.
Now the Greens and the Socialists have just come into political
power and want to go the same way as Sweden did.  Ironically, in
Sweden, where the socialists were a very long time in power, it was
the political right that embraced the anti-nuke movement in order to
get into power by promising to abolish nuclear power early after the
millenium.  And now they face the real problem of where do we go
from here?  What now?  ....Well, Good Luck! ....The Swedes have
been soft-pedaling the 'abolition' issue for a long time now, and the
Germans are already showing the same signs.  I wonder when the
Swiss will wake up?  Probably when they start freezing!

I guess you have to be a rich country to indulge in that kind of utter
stupidity!  People like the Swedes, the Germans, and now the
me-too Swiss as well!  Well, the question is, what about us
Americans? Are we dumb, fat, and happy enough to run after the
Anti-Nuke Pied Pipers?


*************************

Fritz A. Seiler, Ph.D.
Principal
Sigma Five Associates
P.O. Box 14006
Albuquerque, NM 87191-4006
Tel.    505-323-7848
Fax.    505-293-3911
e-mail: faseiler@nmia.com

**************************


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