Renewable, Not Nuclear Energy Must Be The Focus

AFTER reading about uranium being seen as an energy option for Namibia, I herewith want to lodge my reservations by asking the following questions: 1.

How can we face the risk of going nuclear when none of the so-called peaceful nuclear power stations worldwide is insured sufficiently? 2. How can we ever opt for nuclear disarmament and at the same time place one of these nuclear plants inside our country, thus coming under nuclear threat even if attacked only with conventional weapons? 3.How do we solve the safe storage of the nuclear waste? This problem is as un-solved as it has been 50 years ago.4.Why do we want to opt for a solution which will never have a meaningful share in solving the world’s energy problems since uranium reserves have just no yield to cater for this? 5.Why do we want to make ourselves an international suspect similar to Iran? It is just the level of enrichment which determines the application being peaceful.6.Don’t we see that even South Africa is unable to safely run and maintain the Koeberg Power Station? This power station was once meant to secure safe power supply for the Cape area.7.The nuclear pebble-bed technology was discarded in Germany in 1989 and the nuclear station HTR 300 has been closed down after only four years of service.Does anybody hope for a safe revival in countries like China, South Africa or Turkey? Only if satisfactory answers can be given to all the above questions should we even start to think of the nuclear option.In contrast to the propaganda of the nuclear industry, this more-than-questionable technology is currently on the demise: in 2006 alone, the worldwide number of nuclear power stations has been reduced from 442 to 435.In my view nuclear power constitutes a graveyard of enormous worldwide government subsidies.Since Chernobyl nuclear energy has lost its fair chance to produce what it promised but will never be able to deliver: energy too cheap to measure.On the contrary, it is so expensive that for example in the UK after privatisation of electricity generation none of the new providers wanted to take over any nuclear station.We should abandon the old tracks of thinking: Namibians could satisfy all their energy needs – electricity and fuel supply – from an area of 6 400 hectares by harvesting and converting renewable energy.Here lies our real challenge towards energy autonomy.Conrad Roedern Windhoek, NamibiaHow can we ever opt for nuclear disarmament and at the same time place one of these nuclear plants inside our country, thus coming under nuclear threat even if attacked only with conventional weapons? 3.How do we solve the safe storage of the nuclear waste? This problem is as un-solved as it has been 50 years ago.4.Why do we want to opt for a solution which will never have a meaningful share in solving the world’s energy problems since uranium reserves have just no yield to cater for this? 5.Why do we want to make ourselves an international suspect similar to Iran? It is just the level of enrichment which determines the application being peaceful.6.Don’t we see that even South Africa is unable to safely run and maintain the Koeberg Power Station? This power station was once meant to secure safe power supply for the Cape area.7.The nuclear pebble-bed technology was discarded in Germany in 1989 and the nuclear station HTR 300 has been closed down after only four years of service.Does anybody hope for a safe revival in countries like China, South Africa or Turkey? Only if satisfactory answers can be given to all the above questions should we even start to think of the nuclear option.In contrast to the propaganda of the nuclear industry, this more-than-questionable technology is currently on the demise: in 2006 alone, the worldwide number of nuclear power stations has been reduced from 442 to 435.In my view nuclear power constitutes a graveyard of enormous worldwide government subsidies.Since Chernobyl nuclear energy has lost its fair chance to produce what it promised but will never be able to deliver: energy too cheap to measure.On the contrary, it is so expensive that for example in the UK after privatisation of electricity generation none of the new providers wanted to take over any nuclear station.We should abandon the old tracks of thinking: Namibians could satisfy all their energy needs – electricity and fuel supply – from an area of 6 400 hectares by harvesting and converting renewable energy.Here lies our real challenge towards energy autonomy.Conrad Roedern Windhoek, Namibia