Final Word from Monday, May 28, 2007
Much has been said about Václav Klaus's position on global warming, but less attention has been paid to his views on energy security. He told Rádio Česko that if we want to ban nuclear power, ban the mining of brown coal completely, and mostly ban the mining of black coal, and we want to do it all without being dependent on Russia for oil and natural gas, we can return to living in caves. Under such circumstances, he said, there's no solution to the question of energy security, so there's no point in looking for one. Eliminate the bans, he said, and a solution will then present itself. Klausophobes might view this as part of his "don't demonize Russia" spiel, but his underlying point actually brings him closer to the Greens than either he or they would like to admit. Europe can't continue its existing way of life, he said, with all its cars and its air conditioning, without being heavily dependent on Russia for fossil fuels. Ultimately, it's a lifestyle issue.[Czech Republic power Czech Radio]