this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2023
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@Mysteriarch I would like to understand /why/ #Engie is building 3 new fossil fuel burning plants instead of nuclear. If that decision was in their control, then indeed it seems like a good reason to target them for a boycott.
I'd argue that they don't even need to have decision making control to be a legit target for actions. Fossil fuel infrastructure is, by itself, reason enough, it seems to me, since any new investment is immoral and dangerous. Besides that, the new power stations are largely (if not completely) being built with taxpayer subsidies, the decision making is happening on all levels, from the corporate to the political. (and nuclear energy in Belgium is dead on arrival - too costly, too slow, too difficult - regardless of the ecological and technological debate)
@Mysteriarch If Engie doesn’t have decision making control the protest would be misdirected. You might as well be mad at an inanimate object. You’re just protesting the existence of energy infrastructure at that point. Find the decision makers and target them. If that leads to an elected official, fair enough to protest & vote them out, but assume some of the blame too if you voted for them.
@Mysteriarch Not sure on the details of why nuclear fails in Belgium. As such, isn’t continental Europe all sharing the same grid? In principle a nuclear plant could be installed just over the border, in Germany, & do the necessary to negotiate with the Germans. Then supplement with renewable power plants internally.
@Mysteriarch Of course, it depends on what actions we’re talking about. If the action is that you go off grid & nix all energy suppliers, install your own power generating sources, then it’d be hard to object to that.
@Mysteriarch Beyond that, it’s hard to pick a side without actually knowing the rationale for the fossil fuel plants. We know energy transmission is extremely lossy. So I could imagine situations where burning fossil fuels nearby might be less harmful than transmitting green energy from a great enough distance that inefficiencies lead to even greater harm.
@Mysteriarch I spoke to a few-decade power plant veteran worker. He said #Belgium had two nuclear plants that were shut down pre-maturely. He seemed to imply the licensing authority is where competency issues lie. And also said the gov is pushing for the fossil fuel plants not #Engie, fwiw. From there, I’m not sure if these 3 plants are sole driver of #codeRouge or if there are other factors.
@Mysteriarch Note as well that it’d be immoral and dangerous to /not/ supply people with energy. Lives depends on it even more immediately than lives depending on climate action.