Twenty percent of America's energy comes from nuclear power according to the Energy Information Administration--in France this number is tripled--and Tenn. Senator Lamar Alexander (R) wants to build one hundred new nuclear plants. In Germany, as part of the European Union's environmental outlook plan, nuclear power is a dying art. All 20 of the country's plants are set to be offline by 2022.

"Who knows what all will surface in ten years," said Herr Karwoski, a young German resident spending a Sunday afternoon with his girlfriend at Sancoussi Park in Berlin. "[I say] out with all that nuclear stuff."

Berlin's streets are lined with bicycle paths, which can lead into the hay-roll dotted countryside within only a few kilometers. Germany is a bike country, something adamant environmentalists in America hope our awaking nation will one day become.  The average German citizen owns one car the size of a VW Golf, and tough emissions rules known as the Euro 5 and Euro 6 apply to all vehicles. The U.S. trend of cloth bags has been a German lifestyle for many years--customers are expected to bring their own bags to grocery stores, where a shopping cart height counter serves as the pack-it-yourself area.

The government's passionate aim to establish a no-nuclear mindset in its citizens has so far not worked for everyone. 

Ever since the 1970s Germany has been a world leader in environmental standards, and they now hope to gain even more respect by phasing out their nuclear power, which the Atomic Energy Commission calls a "high-risk technology".  In 2002, these proscriptions were made in amendments to the 2000 Atomic Energy Bill. On many roads in Germany there is a recurring sign posted on the trees reading--"Schwarz-Gelb, nein danke" (black and yellow, no thank you), referring to the caution colors of nuclear waste.

The government's passionate aim to establish a no-nuclear mindset in its citizens has so far not worked for everyone. "This is quite okay...a good alternative to burning coal," said a young man with a Doberman. "However, if there is an accident," he laughed, "then such a thing [as nuclear energy] is dumb, that's true."

Herr Schwetters held the more nationalistic opinion. "Regarding the technical know-how, very good. Regarding economics, very good. But the risk!" He continued, "The consequences are incredibly devastating."

When asked whether he thought it was a good idea for Germany to get rid of its nuclear energy, he said, "One should not touch it." He fastened his helmet straps under his bearded chin and said, "It is a basic law of statistics that what can happen, will happen. It is just a matter of time."

It was mentioned at the McCormick Specialized Reporting Institute on Nuclear Power on July 16-18 at UT that Germany may purchase some of France's nuclear power energy.

But Sigrid Hockamp-Mack, the Deputy Head of Division for the International Cooperation in Nuclear Safety, Radiation Protection and Nuclear Fuel Cycle in Bonn, Germany, said in an email response, "Please be assured, that this does not mean that we are going to buy French power instead. We will replace the decreasing amount of nuclear power by the power from renewable energies."

The rest of the European Union's vision includes clean coal, biomass, geothermal and further installation of wind and solar plants.

But is there even such a thing as clean coal? Bryan Walsh wrote in a January 2009 Time article that it doesn't exist, and added, "Though the coal industry is right to point out that it has improved filters on coal plants...the toxic waste that remains behind is only growing."

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR:

The interviewees spoke in German, and the reporter had their responses translated into English by a native German speaker. First names were not given, and spellings of last names may be slightly inaccurate.

Recordings of the interviews are on file.