Climate activist Greta Thunberg opposed shutting down Germany’s remaining nuclear power plants, arguing for the apparent reversal of energy sources she previously said she was against.
“Personally, I think the focus on coal is a very bad idea. [nuclear power] Thunberg told German public television on Tuesday, Deutsche Welle reported.
The comments come as Germany and other European nations grapple with an energy crisis amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Much of the continent is cut off from the formerly energy-dependent Russian natural gas.
The crisis has prompted Germany to look to coal as a way to make up for the shortage, which Mr Thunberg said was a “mistake” given the country’s still operating nuclear power plants.
Germany spends $195 billion to tackle high energy prices
“It depends. If you’re already doing them, I think it’s a mistake to close them and focus on coal,” the climate activist said.
However, Thunberg has always been unsympathetic to claims of nuclear energy, saying in 2019 that he was “against nuclear energy.”
“This could be just one part of a very large new carbon-free energy solution, which is very risky, expensive and time consuming, yet a viable source of renewable energy.” Even more so in countries and regions where there is no possibility “time.”
Thunberg made it clear that the country’s long-term solution is still to look to renewable energy sources, and acknowledged that the debate over nuclear power is “very infected”.
Germany keeps two of its three nuclear power plants running in case of possible energy crisis
German nuclear power plants have long been a source of heated debate in the country, with the German government passing a law to phase out nuclear power more than two decades ago.
The phase-out of the country’s nuclear power plants was due to be completed by the end of this year, but the government has decided to stop the operation of the last two plants in operation amid the energy crisis brought on by the war in Ukraine. I agreed to the extension.
But while the extension has only been approved for a few months to help guide the country through the cold winter months, there’s been a lot of movement around the idea of a longer extension.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, leader of the conservative Free Democrats (FDP) party, hailed Sanders’ apparent change of heart on social media on Tuesday.
Lindner tweeted, “We welcome Fridays for Future founder Greta Thunberg for supporting the FDP’s position to keep nuclear power plants on the grid.” In an energy war, everything that generates electricity needs to be on the grid, and the reasons are clear, both economically and physically.”