Do the benefits of nuclear energy outweigh the risks?

Germany decided to phase out nuclear power after the accidents at Fukushima Daiichi in 2011, but how to dispose of our nuclear waste remains unresolved - waste that will have an unprecedented impact on future generations. The new search for a permanent nuclear waste disposal site has named 90 locations around the country as potential candidates, sparking a debate on who should bear the risks of a permanent repository.

Alongside the issue of waste, the operation of nuclear power plants itself comes with notoriously controversial risks. At the same time, nuclear energy does not produce greenhouse gases and is not hampered by the difficulties associated with renewables. While Germany phases out nuclear power, on a global scale the use of nuclear energy is expanding.

These divergent responses to the risks and benefits associated with nuclear energy may be grounds for critically reassessing Germany’s phase-out strategy. A reassessment may well determine that this strategy is justified, but from an ethical perspective we should not simply assume this conclusion.

This interdisciplinary panel seeks to open critical discussions about the ethical aspects of the civil use and phase-out of nuclear power. We will discuss this issue with our audience and an interdisciplinary group of world-renowned experts: Armin Grunwald (technology assessment), Behnam Taebi (philosophy of technology), Veronika Wendland (history of technology), Eberhard Umbach (physics/former KIT president), and Walter Tromm (safety research for nuclear reactors). The panel will be moderated by the cross-media journalist Katharina Linnepe, and is organized by the KIT Academy for Responsible Research, Teaching, and Innovation (ARRTI), represented by its director, Rafaela Hillerbrand (physics and philosophy).

We look forward to engaging in discussion with you!