For once I will not talk about finance. But the political recovery of the Swiss government in the face of the events that took place in Japan force me to take up my pen. Today, Doris Leuthardt announced a freeze on the procedures currently underway for the authorization of three replacement nuclear power plants.
Switzerland is not Japan, the seismic risks are fortunately not the same. Nevertheless, According to the Swiss Seismological Service, one region represents a significant seismic threat: Valais. But what is there in Valais? Nuclear power plants? No. Dams? Yes. Nine in total, all located in the valleys overlooking the Rhone plain, including the highest in the world: the Grande-Dixence, with a capacity of 400 million m3.
Surprisingly, no one is worried about it. Would they withstand a Japanese-style earthquake? Certainly not, and the results would be catastrophic for the majority of the Valais population. Ok, it is unlikely that an earthquake of this magnitude would occur in Switzerland, but then why on earth are we worried about nuclear power plants? Looking at the location of these plants on the map below, we even realize that they are placed in the least risky regions! The engineers had done a good job at the time.
But then, one last time... why this panic about nuclear power plants? Bern, Basel, Zurich... the golden triangle of Switzerland. It's something else than the idiots of the Alps of southern Switzerland...
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We don't control nuclear power, there's not even anything to debate about!! All sane beings can only say no to an energy
which is not made for our planet, no human being survives this energy, water, animals, plants, in short, the entire planet does not escape it! So how can you argue!! It's as if you wanted to explain to fish that they should get out of the water because the atmosphere is excellent for them...
As for the dams, of course it would be a tragedy but it would remain within human limits and would remain very "regional" which does not have at all the same consequences as nuclear particles irradiating an entire planet for centuries and generations.
My article is neither for nor against nuclear power. There are enough very or even too emotional debates everywhere at the moment on this subject, which is regrettable. So I am not arguing for nuclear power but rather against the political opportunism of the Swiss government (but also of other countries) which are suddenly discovering a new environmental vocation. What does not play, in Switzerland, is that it is not rational, that is to say not based on facts: the seismic risks in this country are the highest in Valais, where we find the greatest number of dams. Where the nuclear power plants are based, the risk is the lowest. However, we only talk about these plants, and nothing about the dams. As you say so well, it would remain "very regional". The government is therefore making fun of the people of Valais, after all the canton is on the fringes of Switzerland, and the economic fabric of the golden triangle Basel-Zurich-Berne would not be affected in the event of flooding following a dam failure. This is what I find unacceptable.
Chroom said:
"The government is therefore making fun of the people of Valais, after all the canton is on the fringes of Switzerland"
The local authorities and the civil protection of my home informed us that we would have 6 (six) minutes to climb to the top of a hill –
The dams are currently the subject of a Homeric battle: At the time their concession was ceded to the Swiss-German industrial cantons – these contracts will have to be renewed in the coming years:
The municipalities where they are located want to keep the comfortable income they generate.
The municipality of Finhaut (398 inhabitants in 2010) where the Emosson dam is located is particularly selfish.