[hippo22]

The story of their shutdown is really quite crazy.

The shutdown was initiated by chancellor Gerhard Schröder. After killing Germany’s nuclear sector, he signed off on Nord Stream 1 as he was on his way out of office. Just after leaving office, Gazprom nominated him for the post of the head of the shareholders' committee of Nord Stream AG. Russia later nominated him to be on their largest oil producers board.

This guy basically sold out Germany’s energy independence for Russia.

0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerhard_Schr%C3%B6der

[internet2000]

That guy is lucky the bar for "Worst German Leader Ever" is very high.

[pankajdoharey]

There should be a law that lawmakers can only be scientific people when it comes to science, i.e scientist's and engineers not humanities or arts majors. These people take decisions which are absolutely absurd. The entire western world has stockpiles of plutonium which is not going to be used for anything other than mutual self destruction. Because of these anti nuclear activists types the western hemisphere has trillions of dollars energy locked in the plutonium bombs, that could have been used in Fast breeder reactors and would have benefitted humanity.

[uecker]

The (second) decision to exit nuclear was made by the Merkel government. Merkel is a physicist with a doctorate.

[energy123]

And the appointment is made by a jury of their technical peers rather than a politician who can cherry pick someone who's ideologically aligned.

[alecco]

> There should be a law that lawmakers can only be scientific people

Nope. Merkel was a scientist but she caved to the green's pressure to keep her coalition. Also she spent a decade of surplus in millions of refugees from Middle East and neglected infrastructure.

"Merkel obtained a doctorate in quantum chemistry in 1986 and worked as a research scientist until 1989" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel

"Policy Reversal: In May 2011, just months after extending reactor lives, Merkel's government announced a total phase-out of all nuclear plants by 2022."

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46631586#46632118

[pankajdoharey]

WoW, i stand corrected. Though my actual point was that now we have Plutonium and it cant be wished away it cant be put in silos, even if we lock it up in silos sooner or later say in a few centuries when people will forget about it those silos will leak and threaten humanity. There is no better way to get rid of it than spent it away in fast breeder reactors. It will threaten humanity sooner or later.