German minister: Nukes are Pandora’s box

If the G8 countries push nuclear energy as the way to economic sustainably, they will also be giving other countries the ability to develop nuclear bombs, Sigmar Gabriel, the German federal minister for environment, nature conservation and nuclear safety, told the The Jerusalem Post in an interview over the weekend.

“The problem with nuclear energy is that it is like Pandora’s box,” said Gabriel, who is here for official meetings and to speak at the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem. “At the end of the day, there is no safe reactor.”

Instead, Gabriel spoke said he favored switching to renewable energy sources such as wind power and solar thermal energy, and improving energy efficiency.

“Environment Minister Gideon Ezra told me in a meeting during my visit that within 10 years time, 5 to 10 percent of electricity production in Israel will be produced by renewable energy,” said Gabriel. “Environmental policy does not seem to be on the top of government’s agenda, but environmental problems could be helped through cooperation with neighboring countries in the region such as Jordan,” he said.

Jerusalem Post