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Germany Sets 2038 Deadline to End Coal Use:
In a pioneering move, a German government-appointed panel has recommended that Germany stop burning coal to generate electricity by 2038 at the latest, as part of efforts to curb climate change.
The Coal Commission reached a deal early Saturday following months of wrangling that were closely watched by other coal-dependent countries.
"We made it," Ronald Pofalla, the head of the commission, told reporters in Berlin. "This is a historic effort."
Germany gets more than a third of its electricity from burning coal, generating large amounts of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
The 28-member panel, representing mining regions, utility companies, scientists and environmentalists, suggests a review in 2032 could bring forward the coal deadline to 2035.
The plan foresees billions in federal funding to help affected regions cope with the economic impact, and to shield industry and consumers from higher electricity prices. The energy transition will also need a huge overhaul and modernization of the country's power grid, the commission's members said.
The decision still needs government approval.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by looorg on Monday January 28 2019, @01:11AM (4 children)
Question really is what they are going to replace it with. They already said it won't be nuclear, those are all supposed to be gone within a couple of years now. Decided so after the accident in Japan a few years back. So will and can solar and wind replace the need or are they going to be stuck sucking the Russian gas-pipe until something better comes along?
Naturally Greenpeace found something to bitch about as per usual, that shit organization is never happy about anything.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 28 2019, @01:26AM (2 children)
No one knows what exactly is going to happen, but it could be bad. Politicians in the US are already saying climate change will destroy the world in 12 years, so 2038 is irrelevant. For a couple years now I've been buying staples in bulk from chinese websites, my family thinks I'm the crazy one but they'll see when the time comes.
(Score: 5, Touché) by driverless on Monday January 28 2019, @02:37AM
So that when the zombie apocalypse comes they'll spare you because you can staple them back together again?
(Score: 2, Funny) by khallow on Monday January 28 2019, @04:53AM
That was your first mistake.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 29 2019, @06:27AM
Man sized hamster-wheel-paddle-farms? I hear Germany's got a refugee overpopulation problem...