“P.S. We also don’t eat cats and dogs,” Berlin’s foreign ministry taunts Republican presidential candidate.

Germany’s foreign ministry hit back Wednesday at former U.S. President Donald Trump after he criticized the country’s energy policy at the presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump slammed Germany in his closing remarks, claiming Berlin regretted its decision to transition to renewable energy.

But the German foreign ministry took umbrage at that, blasting Trump in an unusually blunt statement on social media.

“Like it or not: Germany’s energy system is fully operational, with more than 50 percent renewables,” the ministry wrote. “And we are shutting down — not building — coal and nuclear plants. Coal will be off the grid by 2038 at the latest.”

    • @The_Terrible_Humbaba@slrpnk.net
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      8 months ago

      Because it’s still the second safest energy source, very close behind solar. And about 10 years ago, before heavy investment in renewables, it was the safest.

      This is like being afraid of airplanes because things only have to go wrong once for hundreds to die.

      Edit: Here is the mortality rate of different sources of energy in 2012, and here it is in 2022.

        • @Railing5132@lemmy.world
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          18 months ago

          Regarding hydro, the ecological effects upon the area flooded, the impact on migration of species, and risk of poorly designed and maintained dams needs to be considered. Wind? I’m guessing the impact on airborne wildlife - only thing I can think of.

        • @The_Terrible_Humbaba@slrpnk.net
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          -18 months ago

          Don’t know, you’d have to ask the experts; what I do know is that the data shows nuclear is safer than wind and much safer than hydro.

          I’m on mobile right now so it’s convenient to find and post it, but if you want you can scroll my profile and you should some older comments with the data and sources.

      • @Jumi@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        There are reasonable and cost-effective alternatives to nuclear, to planes in many cases not so much. Also a plane crash doesn’t leave whole towns uninhabitable for centuries or needs special places to store burned fuel

        • @The_Terrible_Humbaba@slrpnk.net
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          8 months ago

          Again, this is baseless, unscientific, fear mongering. Nuclear is the second safest energy source, not far from solar. And still far safer than for ex. hydro, which destroys environments, and in that case it’s not an “if”.

          Honestly,I feel like I’m back in like 2005 arguing against pro-oil people; in this case it’s about renewables, but the arguments are still unscientific and usually based around “But tHe ecOnOMy”.

          The more things change, the more they stay the same.

          Edit: Here is the mortality rate of different sources of energy in 2012, and here it is in 2022.

          • @Jumi@lemmy.world
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            -38 months ago

            “Safest”, that’s why we need to think generations ahead to make signs that make clear forever that whatever is behind it shouldn’t be touched.

            I feel the same, first pro-oil and now pro-nuclear.

            We have safer and cheaper regenerative options and it’s about damn time we utilise them.

            • @The_Terrible_Humbaba@slrpnk.net
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              8 months ago

              No, you have one safer option (solar), and just barely. And again, that is after a decade of heavy investment and development. The data doesn’t lie. You can’t just just throw out science and data when it doesn’t serve you. Stop spreading BS. You are quite literally spreading misinformation.

        • @rottingleaf@lemmy.world
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          28 months ago

          There are both much safer (than Chernobyl or Fukushima or whatever) reactor models and fast-neutron reactors that can reduce the amount of spent fuel to be stored.

          About reasonable and cost-effective alternatives - with bigger storage expenses and grid losses.

          IMHO a good grid has at the same time a few nuclear stations (no, not those which will be inevitably shut down, but those which are being prolonged or replaced as the time passes), a huge amount of renewable sources, storage to alleviate spikes\falls of said renewable sources and backup coal stations.

          And German grid is connected to a few others, so that they themselves have gotten rid of nuclear energy doesn’t matter much, with unified grids.