Irish Examiner view: We have to afford greener energy
Nuclear Energy Coal From Difficult Third Energy Its Wealthy Economy One Has A Phasing Germany Still A Challenge Out Found Being Despite While It Generates Of
Some readers can probably recall the public protests of the late 1970s when nuclear power was mooted as a strong possibility for Ireland.
Carnsore Point in Wexford was to be the location, but those protests led to the plan being abandoned, and now the issue lives on mostly in the memories of those who attended the famous music festival (Ireland’s Anti-Nuclear Power Show) which rallied opposition in 1978.
Those festival-goers would be forgiven for a knowing smile at the news this week that Germany is to phase out nuclear energy — its last three nuclear plants will close in the coming days as the country seeks to reduce emissions and find greener alternatives.
This is easier said than done. Despite being a wealthy economy Germany has found phasing out nuclear energy a difficult challenge — it has taken over 20 years to do so — while it still generates one third of its energy from coal.
As an indication of the scale of the challenge facing Germany, it’s estimated that the country will have to install four to five wind turbines a day for the next few years to meet its energy needs.
CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB
This in itself is not insurmountable, of course, and the urgency of the climate crisis means that there are few alternatives open to Germany — or any other country — which do not involve fundamental, sweeping changes to its infrastructure.
But this development should come as a warning to Ireland also. While we do not have the legacy of nuclear power plants to deal with — thanks to those protesters over 40 years ago — the challenge of finding greener energy sources is as stark for us as for Germany.
Can we afford an infrastructural project along the lines of the Germans’, building four to five wind turbines a day for years on end in our future? Can we afford not to build them?