Is Germany overly sensitive to nuclear issues? I think so. Let me explain why: About 25 years ago -- when I addressed several ministries in the then West German capital of Bonn after the Chernobyl accident -- I pointed out that, although there might be important health consequence from radioactive fallout from Chernobyl, fewer lives would be lost from it each year than from our reliance on fossil fuels. At the time, very few Germans were sympathetic to my argument. Now the reactor accident in Fukushima has pushed the German public back into turmoil. And, again, the question arises: How should we weigh the risks of nuclear power against its benefits?
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