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Germany’s Role in Climate Policy

Legal Planet

Germany decides to phase out nuclear power, complicating efforts to decarbonize the power sector. My foray into Germany climate policy left me with unanswered questions: What was the politics behind Germany’s history of climate action? Germany has dragged its feet on EVs because of its powerful car industry.

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The Stream, November 17, 2021: Meet The Activist Saving a Polluted Chinese Lake

Circle of Blue

United Nations experts will assess plans to release treated radioactive water into the ocean from a closed nuclear power plant in Japan. HotSpots H2O: In Afghanistan, Political Upheaval Aggravates Drought-Fueled Famine – Drought, a financial crisis, and political collapse are accelerating the country’s decline into all-out famine.

2021 130
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Opinion: So, Germany, you want to do more to tackle climate change?

A Greener Life

The country’s struggle to reduce its reliance on coal was significantly helped by the purely ideological and populist decision to phase out all its nuclear power stations by 2022 (initially following the Fukushima accident in 2011 in Japan) .

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Nuclear Plant Closures And Renewables Increase Electricity Prices & Unreliability, Testifies Michael Shellenberger to U.S. Senate

Environmental Progress

4] Meanwhile, many experts see in recent trends an inevitable transition away from coal and nuclear power plants, designed to function as baseload capacity, toward variable renewable energy sources with just-in-time natural gas back-up. California significantly expanded its use of renewable energy starting in 2011. 5] The U.S.

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Testimony of Michael D. Shellenberger Founder and President, Environmental Progress For the House Oversight Committee August 5, 2020

Environmental Progress

In a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi after that hearing I noted that I am aware that Congressional hearings involve some political theater. However, I am not a political appointee. I did not expect to be drawn into political theater that violates basic civility. That may be the case.

2020 96
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Guest Post: Climate Litigation in Japan: Citizens’ Attempts for the Coal Phase-Out

Law Columbia

Japan is the world’s 5 th largest CO 2 emitter, with 85 % of emissions deriving from the energy sector, which heavily relies on the use of coal-fired power plants. But the country changed course as a result of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, which led to the forced shutdown of nuclear power plants and greater reliance on fossil fuels.

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RePlanet Nederland’s review of the draft Delegated Regulation on nuclear energy and gaseous fossil fuels in the sustainable finance taxonomy

Environmental Progress

It has therefore drafted a proposal(2)- a Delegated Regulation - which sets out screening criteria for investments in nuclear energy, effectively declaring nuclear energy part of the sustainable finance taxonomy. There are no good arguments to call nuclear a sustainable investment at one time and not sustainable a moment later.