Nuclear power must not be a taboo, especially now that “fourth generation technologies are emerging, without enriched uranium and heavy water. There are countries that are investing in this technology, it is not mature, but it is close to being mature ». To say it is the Minister of Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani according to which “if at a certain moment it is verified that the kilos of radioactive waste are very few, the safety is high and the cost is low, it is crazy not to consider this technology“.
Opening the School of Political Training “Merit Europe”, in Ponte di Legno, an event organized by Italia viva, the minister, who is above all a physicist, warned that «in the interest of our children it is forbidden to ideologize any type of technology. Let’s stay with the numbers, when they are available we will make the decisions ». Cingolani, pragmatic and convinced of the need for an epochal change on the environmental front, launches a clear criticism of “radical chic environmentalists”, he says that the world is “full” of them as “it is full of extremist, ideological environmentalists: they are worse than climate catastrophe towards which we are shot, if we do not do something sensible. They are part of the problem, I hope you remain open to non-ideological confrontation, that you look at the numbers. If you don’t look at the numbers you risk getting hurt like never before ».
And immediately comes the resentful reaction of Angelo Bonelli, national co-spokesman for Green Europe: “Never has a minister of the Republic expressed himself with such recklessness and lack of respect for a community of people in our country”. According to Bonelli, the minister “has launched a campaign of fear against the ecological transition, to stop modernization and defend the interests of the oil lobbies”. The ecological transition, explained the minister in his speech, “must be sustainable otherwise we will not die of pollution, but of starvation. We need a transition with decarbonisation and a brake on CO2 production, but that gives society time to adapt to these transformations. Co2 cannot be reduced by closing car factories tomorrow, putting millions of families on the pavement », he reiterated. On the subject of green interventions, “Italy must demonstrate that it is a leader and must take the other countries with it and Europe must be a leader and take the other continents with it. A planetary effort is needed over the next ten years. This challenge is epochal, politics has a monstrous task, we need an ethical policy at the international level ”.
There was no lack of reactions from other parties. But it is the president of the 5 Star Movement Antonio Conte who is now asking Cingolani for clarification. “I plan a meeting for September 14 with the Minister of Ecological Transition for a clarification on projects and policies for the environment and ecological transition, also in light of the recent declarations made at an event organized by Italia viva”.