It's been more than ten days since Russia invaded Ukraine, and Elon Musk, the controversial billionaire CEO of Tesla (TSLA), has urged Europe to restart dormant nuclear power stations.
"Hopefully, it is now abundantly evident that Europe should restart dormant nuclear power plants and improve the power output of current ones, as this is critical to national and international security," Musk tweeted recently.
Elon Musk Eats Near Nuclear Reactors
Nuclear energy, according to specialists from the environmental group Greenpeace USA, has no place in a safe, clean, and sustainable future since it is both expensive and dangerous. On the other hand, it is a nonrenewable energy source derived from the nuclei of atoms. However, following a succession of disasters such as Fukushima and Chernobyl, nuclear power facilities have earned a terrible image.
Russia took control of Europe's largest nuclear power plant this week, around 350 miles southeast of Kyiv, Ukraine, raising fears of another Chernobyl-style nuclear accident, according to The Street. Elon Musk volunteered to eat food produced near nuclear reactors on live air to prove it's safe, as part of a campaign to persuade European governments to boost nuclear energy production in the wake of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in a gas crisis.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded with a follow-up tweet a few minutes later, attempting to allay nuclear power fears. "'I did this many years ago in Japan, just after Fukushima. The risk of radiation is considerably lower than most people think," he continued, referring to the 2011 tragedy at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, which was caused by an earthquake and tsunami, Daily Mail reported.
Elon Musk Urges More Nuclear Enery Production in Europe
Musk's tweet urging more nuclear energy in Europe comes only two days after he urged for the United States to boost its oil and gas output to compensate for Russian supply disruptions.
Russia is one of the world's top producers of crude oil and natural gas, accounting for 10% of global production and nearly 40% of European Union demand. Russia's ties with numerous countries, including those that buy its energy, have been damaged as a result of the conflict.
After mishaps like the partial meltdown of Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island reactor in 1979, Ukraine's Chernobyl meltdown in 1986, and Japan's Fukushima tragedy in 2011, several countries have phased out nuclear power. While Ukraine was a member of the Soviet Union at the time of the Chernobyl disaster, the old plant's location is now held by the Russian military.
Germany is one of the European countries that is moving away from nuclear power. Then-Chancellor Angela Merkel said in 2011 that nuclear electricity and coal will be phased out in favor of renewables. Three nuclear power stations in Germany were shut down at the end of 2021, leaving three units operational.
Meanwhile, Germany has become more reliant on Russia for natural gas and coal supply. However, Germany startled Russia by delaying permission of Nord Stream 2, a natural gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany, following the invasion of Ukraine, asper CNET.
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