Thunberg: Coal worse than keeping German nuclear plants on

By FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Climate activist Greta Thunberg says it would be “a mistake” for Germany to switch off its nuclear power plants if that means burning more planet-heating coal. The German government is debating whether to end nuclear power as planned this year, despite the specter of a looming energy crisis due to the war in Ukraine. Thunberg inspired a youth climate movement with her solo protests outside the Swedish parliament in 2018. In an interview to be aired Wednesday by German public broadcaster ARD, she said it was “a very bad idea to focus on coal when this (nuclear power) is already in place.” Opposition parties and some in the governing coalition want to suspend Germany’s nuclear phaseout.