Are German nuclear power plants safe?

On 28 June 2007 two German power plants were shut down because of unsettled incidents. [1]

An external fire in a transformator of the power plant of Krümmel, in the proximity of the metropol Hamburg caused the failure of the cooling system of the core of the reactor. Pressure and the level of cooling water went down, safety valves opened . A second cooling system avoided further harm. This incident, however demonstrates that external incidents interfere in the security of the nuclear core.

The German nuclear power plants are safe, because Germans are meticulous in everything they do. What is unsafe is nuclear power on itself.

The Oxford paper on nuclear power [2]The Oxford paper "Too Hot to Handle? The Future of Civil Nuclear Power" says that the idea that nuclear power can somehow reduce global greenhouse gas emissions is a pipedream. The energy which is needed in near future is so great that 3,000 would need to built by 2075, that is about one a week. It contrasts starkly to the highest historic rate of 3.4 reactors going online per year.
according to the paper, a civil nuclear construction and supply program on this scale is a pipe dream, and completely unfeasible. Instead, it argues, building more nuclear power plants just increases the risk of proliferation and a nuclear terror attack.
The paper does not mention that further limits to the nuclear are the limited world uranium resources, the unsolved problem of radioactive waste contaminating earth for ever and the dangers of nuclear accidents.

The German Energy Summit in Berlin 3.07.2007
The German Chancellor Angela Merkel, bound to the coalition agreement of her government, postponed the return to nuclear power to a change in 2009. For her present mandate she presented her energy and polution reduction plan.

German strategy [3]
Merkel calls for a 3 percent annual increase in energy efficiency in Germany as well as a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 by up to 40 percent in comparison to 1990 levels.
One of the main ways the government wants to achieve the energy efficiency goal is through better energy savings in isolation in buildings. A government energy working group is calling for subsidies for building improvements -- like better insulation -- to be increased from €1.4 billion to €3.5 billion a year.
Germany also wants to increase the number of co-generation plants that are capable of delivering both electricity and heat to consumers, as well as adhering to the EU goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions in cars from an average of 160 grams per kilometer to 120 grams, with more equipped to use greater amounts of biofuels; and homes must be better insulated to save energy. Additionally, renewable energies must play a far greater role in the country's energy mix
The energy efficiency will have to be doubled by 2020 over 1990 levels.


Germany should act global
German government, the industry, investors and think tanks should not forget innovative ways which could open a new road for German technology, such as to start a project on the desert zones of Africa to cover an areal with voltaic elements to produce hydrogen to phase out fossile energy in power plants and in automobiles. This would increase jobs in researche, production and image of German know how.
Covering some parts of the African desert with arcovoltaic elements would bring such arid places back to be used again for some kind of agriculture. Moving the voltaic elements could regain such arid zones. Winning clean energy would help the restoration of such waste zones, adding a precious contribution to environment. This project could be presented to the United Nations for an international collaboration.

Reduction of air traffic
Air traffic is the most deleting way to kill our environment. Unnecessary air travel and cargo should be phased out. Short vacation trips should elong to the past. This is what every person can do to save our planet instead of just having a nice blog. Phase out of air traffic is unfortunately no subject considering the Open Sky agreement between Germany and USA. Merkel is proud that this Agreement will double air traffic next year. (How does this match with the foregoing commitments to climate?.

[1] Spiegel Online: Trafo-Feuer wirkte sich doch auf Reaktor aus
http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/0,1518,492256,00.html

[2] Spiegel Online: Nuclear Renaissance Increases Terror Risks'
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,492404,00.html

[3] Spiegel Online: Merkel Nudges for Nuclear Power Comeback
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,492202,00.html

Is McDonalds committed to healthy food?

The Trans-fatty acid story of McDonald´s [1]
It is amazing that McDonalds proudly announces how unhealthy its products were,still are and will remain.
Using 30% trans fatty acid oil until 1998, gradualy reducing to 15% and loudly announcing to reduce this to 2% in mid 2008 following pressure from media and facing FDA mandatory labelling
demonstrates how little the company is really devoted to healthyness of their products.
ZERO-Trans oils are produced when the steaming temperature during the raffination process is reduced. This increases the time the oil has to stay in the system, resulting in a small increase of price.
McDonald´s should use the solution of Denmark and reduce the Trans to zero. This would be a real commitment to the health of their customers.

The environmental story of McDonald´s [1]
The fast food chain gloats with the intention to transform used frying oil in biodiesel. Used frying oil is already being delivered to the chemical industry which produces technical fatty acids, and more recently it is partially being converted in biodiesel. That is the way to get rid of waste oil food business is using since frying began. What is new is the dimension of environmental unfriendly transportation system necessary to avoid MacDonald´s and colleagues from collapse.

[1] ttx: The campaign against trans fats in food
http://www.tfx.org.uk/page236.html