Ex German Chancellor Schroeder: Japan can form energy policy without nuclear power

[kristopher]

Schroeder: Japan can form energy policy without nuclear power

BERLIN -- Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Japan is technologically capable of establishing a non-nuclear-based energy policy and could become a pioneer in sources of energy other than nuclear power.

The former chancellor, who played a leading role in passing legislation to phase out nuclear power in Germany in 2002, made the comments in an interview with the Mainichi as Japan marked six months since the onset of the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

"Japan is in a position where it is technologically capable of forming different energy policies," Schroeder said, adding that when Germany decided to eliminate nuclear power, "there was tremendous resistance from the power industry, which had believed that nuclear power was the essence of their business model, but debate was continued with industry executives until they understood." In making the comment, Schroeder stressed the importance of political leadership in forming new policy....

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110913p2a00m0na002000c.html

(Mainichi Japan) September 13, 2011

[InvisibleTouch]

1. Yes, they can - and so can we.

If we can muster the will to do so. The whole world will be better off as a result.

[kristopher]

3. The nuclear lobby is unceasing in its false attacks on renewables.

It used to be the coal industry, but in the past decade the nuclear lobby has taken up the cause with a zeal that is nothing short of disgusting.

[dkf]

2. If Japan does it, it will show our lack of transition was a failure of leadership.

[SpoonFed]

4. I disagree...

It is really easy to make the "leadership" the scapegoat. Take present day Germany... it is not like Merkel & Company really wanted to give the finger to the nuke industry. I believe the citizens and the protests had something (closer to everything) to do with the current nuke-free trajectory.