German plan to shut all nuclear plants to add 40 million tons of CO2 emissions per year

Yahoo News ^ | 06/01/2011 | Nina Chestney and Jackie Cowhig Nina Chestney And Jackie Cowhig

[SeekAndFind]

Germany's plan to shut all its nuclear power plants by 2022 will add up to 40 million tones of carbon dioxide emissions annually as the country turns to fossil fuels, analysts said on Tuesday.

The extra emissions would increase demand for carbon permits under the European Union's trading scheme, thereby adding a little to carbon prices and pollution costs for EU industry.

"We will see a pick-up in German coal burn," said Barclays Capital analyst Amrita Sen. "Longer term, they will be using more renewables and gas but this year and next, we should see a lot of support for coal burn."

The phase-out is seen as more political than technical as German Chancellor Angela Merkel tries to capture anti-nuclear sentiment in the aftermath of Japan's Fukushima crisis.

Environmentalists welcomed the shift, although some demanded a faster phase-out, hoping it would spur a shift to renewable energy which they view as less harmful by avoiding radioactive waste.

But analysts say the move will also see an increase in planet-warming greenhouse gases equivalent to the annual emissions of Slovakia, as Germany uses gas and coal to plug a power generation gap, both of which are more carbon-emitting than nuclear power.

That calculation implied some skepticism with the coalition's assertion it would cut power demand and expand the use of renewables such as wind and solar power.

Deutsche Bank analysts estimated an extra 370 million tones of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through 2020, compared with Societe Generale's extra 406 million tones.

Matteo Mazzoni, analyst at Italy's Nomisma Energia, estimated an extra 20-29 million extra tones of CO2 per year.

[BwanaNdege]

Ahhh, the Greenie “Catch-22”.

Put that in your Prius & Drve It!

Ain’t IRONY great!

[Col Frank Slade]

They put 4 reporters on this story.

Allocation of resourses for the agenda.

[Greysard]

Q: Where is this extra oil and gas coming from?

A: From Russia (and some from Norway.)

This means Germany will be living hand to mouth, working all summer to keep the lights (and heat) on during winter. Russia can also have de-facto ownership of a good part of the German industry. Putin may even want to build more nuclear power stations and sell the energy to Gaia-worshipping, quaking-in-their-caves Europeans. The division lines between Eloi and Morlocks are already forming, and we can see who is who.

[MrB]

Ah, there’s no dilemma to it -

the goal all along has been to eliminate the use of all energy by the “commoners”.

[hadaclueonce]

Then watch start bitching when they are sitting in the dark.

Idiots.

[muleskinner]

They can partially off set the increase in CO2 by halting production of beer and sauerkraut.

German Green Party might go for it.

[Jeff Chandler]

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[dead]

The phase-out is seen as more political than technical as German Chancellor Angela Merkel tries to capture anti-nuclear sentiment in the aftermath of Japan's Fukushima crisis.

Pathetic. Lip service to the dopey hippies. Germany will produce exactly as much nuclear power as they are capable of producing.

Of course, no new nuke plants will mean lower productivity and higher costs, making Germany less competitive and aggressive over the long haul, which is ultimately good news for the countries on their traditional military parade routes.

[dennisw]

lol-— back to coal and other reviled fossil fuels. Germany has been importing Appalachian coal from us.