Nuclear energy has come under heavy fire since the woes began in Japan following the earthquake which impacted a major nuclear plant in the country. China, which currently is not a major user of nuclear energy, has decided to suspend the building of nuclear plants they currently have under construction. They have decided to take time to closely evaluate current nuclear reactors and the stages of construction currently ongoing throughout the country.
In Germany, some nuclear reactors have been shut down, while in the Untied States concerns are being risen about the likelihood of an earthquake inflicting damage to nuclear reactors. The likelihood of radiation exposure due to a nuclear reactor in the United States is currently 1 in 74,176 each year–with the greatest potential being one reactor near New York City, at only 1 in 10,000.
Concerns about nuclear energy continue to run high, especially as Japan clearly has many years ahead of them in terms of recovery. This past Sunday, protesters in Switzerland turned out against nuclear energy, approximately 20,000 to be exact. There is a strong anti-nuclear sentiment in the country, which has led leaders to consider ending nuclear power in the country.
The Swiss Cabinet recently voted to decommission their nuclear reactors, of which they have five but within a total of four plants. The decision must be approved in the Swiss parliament before coming into law. As the plan stands currently, all five reactors would be decommissioned between 2019 and 2034, when the units would be approximately fifty years old at the time of their decommissioning.
In addition, the Swiss Cabinet did note that individual reactors could stay functioning for an undetermined extra few years if they were proven to be safe. The decision to decommission the reactors will be made in June by the parliament.
As of now, forty percent of Switzerland’s energy is attained through nuclear generation. The majority of the remaining percentage is met through hydropower. Switzerland is intending to switch entirely to renewable energy sources with the decommissioning of the nuclear reactors. The country has hopes to attain the needed energy from solar, wind, biomass and additional hydropower.
