Japan's nuclear disaster helps greens in Germany to win election

[darleneconnor]

news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Video-Germany-Chancellor-Angela-Merkels-Conservatives-Lose-Control-Of-Baden-Wuerttemberg-To-Greens/Article/201103415961376?lpos=World_News_Second_World_News_Article_Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15961376_Video_Germany%3A_Chancellor_Angela_Merkels_Conservatives_Lose_Control_Of_Baden-Wuerttemberg_To_Greens

Why is this not getting more news coverage?

We don't get a huge amount of coverage of German local elections normally, although this one ism ore significant if it has the potential to unseat Merkel. Speaking personally, I've been quite impressed at how robust the Japanese reactor has proved to be, despite being hit by a quake and tsunami of a magnitude way beyond what it was designed to withstand. Unlike Chernobyl all those years ago which was a disaster waiting to happen. In quake-free, well-organised Germany, they seem to be a sound option.

"Speaking personally, I've been quite impressed at how robust the Japanese reactor has proved to be, despite being hit by a quake and tsunami of a magnitude way beyond what it was designed to withstand."

Exactly!

Those reactors have been put through hell and back and spent considerable time without power, and they're older designs and not as safe or reliable as more modern reactors.

And yet they haven't really done anything dangerous.

The media's happy scaring people with ill informed pseudo scientific babble because people want to read that sort of thing.

And parties like the Green's are happy to scare people as it could get them political power.

But in reality the whole situation is, so far, a big thumbs up for nuclear safety.

There's a calmer analysis of what's going on here if you want to know more:
www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/25/fukushima_scaremongering_debunk/

Even George Monbiot has now been converted to nuclear as a result of the robustness of the reactor!

Some of the other reactor buildings in the earthquake damaged area are being used as shelters for people left with no homes because they are the only builldings large enough that have been left standing.

Is that right about George Monbiot? Unfortunately that is only a drop in the ocean compared to everyone else who has been turned against nuclear, including entire countries!

That debunking article says everything is under control but I wouldn't say that is 100% accurate (it is still the a peice of media!). The risk of worsening is slim but the extent of damage has still not been verified due to the difficult conditions. Fundamentally it is a difficult area to report on as the information is so technical & tricky to put into layperson's term without detailed explanations which people don't have time for. I was appalled by the BBC -it reads more like Heat magazine these days rather than an international stalwart of news reporting.

"That debunking article says everything is under control but I wouldn't say that is 100% accurate"

I don't completely accept it as being the truth but it's a lot closer to a proper analysis of what's going on than the constant scare stories in most of the other media. It certainly takes the scares that they have hyped up and calmly explains why they're really not much of an issue.

Time will tell in the end over this, but "fear" is a major tool now and when coupled with the mainstream media's utter misunderstanding of science I'm not surprised to see how this story is being dealt with.

You have to know that the German press have been extremely hysterical in their reporting of the situation. I blogged about this. The scary stories in the British press are nothing compared to the German press. I know people who have bought iodine tablets.

The Germans have always been wary of nuclear power, and the protests are not new but they have never had as much backing from the general public.

Merkel can count herself lucky that it was not a general election or she would be packing her suitcases this week.

I followed the discussions online in the German media and a German parenting website and I was shocked by the mix of hysteria and hypocrisy.
Nuclear power wasn't the only issue which won this for the Greens though, there seems to be massive opposition against the extension of the trains station in Stuttgart as well.

Very disappointing about the German approach, as in general I tended to think of Germany as having a very strong technical, engineering & scientific background (thinking of rockets & cars). They would most likely have been the pioners of nuclear weapons (& power) if they hadn't caused the scientists to flee in the second world war & then they failed with their own experimental reactor at that time. Maybe they have a bee in their bonnet about that!

The conversion of George

Thanks for posting that blog entry, MmeLindt

The German press has been so ridiculous, I totally agree MmeLindt. I was in the gym and news coverage was on in the gym, it was playing videos of the tsunami along with horror music, I kid you not.

Leverkusen! although Sky news did that too, apparantly...