에너지 정책의 문제와 기독교윤리 - 후쿠시마 원전사고를 중심으로 -

Abstract

The Fukushima nuclear explosion served as a catalyst in the reevaluation ofnuclear energy worldwide. After the explosion, governments in European countriessuch as Germany, Switzerland, and Italy announced their decision to stop orreduce their use of nuclear energy. Grounds for these changes in energy policieswere found in environmental friendliness, economical advantages, and safety issuesfor countries with nuclear energy that did not receive high scores. TheGerman government announced that by 2022, they will shut down all workingnuclear plants, replacing them with alternative environmentally friendly energysources. The Protestant Church in Germany spoke of the importance of denuclearizationin both communal and personal level. Furthermore, the churches inGermany emphasized the need for alternative energy sources through churchevents and public hearings. Unfortunately, in contrast to these changes in internationalpolicies, no changes could be found in South Korea. In the perspectiveof Christian ethics, nuclear energy is related to three important theologicalthemes: Preservation of Creation, Technical Utopia, and Christian Ethics &Responsibility for the Next Generation. Looking from such perspective, nuclearenergy holds a number of problems. Christian Ethics acknowledges that nuclearenergy is practical. However, such advantages cannot serve as an excuse for theproblems derived from nuclear energy. The government energy policy must bothreduce its use of nuclear energy and at the same time focus on the developmentof alternative energy sources. The churches in South Korea must serve a positiverole in this process of creating a social common good.