Brückentechnologie -Wird der Ausstieg aus der Atomenergie aufgehoben oder aufgeschoben?

The coalition agreement of October 26, 2009 of the black-yellow German federal government contains these statements, among others, about the peaceful uses of nuclear power in Germany: "Nuclear power is a bridge technology until it can be replaced reliably by renewable energies. Otherwise we will not reach our climate goals, tolerable energy prices, and less dependence on other countries. In the interest of these goals, we are prepared to extend the service lives of German nuclear power plants while maintaining the strict German and international safety standards. The ban on construction of new nuclear power plants expressed in the Atomic Energy Act will remain in force." In German usage, the term "bridge" can evoke associations leading into dimensions of space or time. Timewise, a bridge (also retrospectively) describes historical transitions from one epoch to the next. For the whole area of primary energy use, a historical development can be sketched for the global energy mix which, in the past 2 centuries, runs from traditional fuels, such as wood and dung, to coal, oil, and natural gas. The peak use of oil in the 1960s and 1970s at the same time enlarged the energy mix as a result of the global entry into the peaceful use of nuclear power. If one considers the time line until the middle of this century, trends are foreseeable which imply a declining relative share in consumption of fossil energy resources because of international agreements and climate protection efforts. Cost-effective energy systems not endangering the climate will increasingly contribute to meeting the worldwide energy requirement. The energy resources of this type include water, wind, on a medium term also the sun and biomass and nuclear power, with nuclear fusion being a longer-term option in this context. The meaning of the term "bridge technology" is described and discussed also from the vantage point of a worldwide analysis of today's and future energy requirement and energy supply.