Doubts Increasing about Germany's Switch to Renewable Energy

Spiegel Online has an article which indicates Merkel's government is lowering expectations for the immediate future, while holding onto long-term (post next year's election) goals.  

In contrast to the following quotes, Merkel is reportedly noting "global warming will accelerate at a dramatic rate unless leaders reach a deal on limiting greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible."

National Inventory reports show that between 2005, when Merkel was elected Chancellor, and 2010, Germany's greenhouse gas emissions fell 6 %.

As did the USA's

And Canada's.

Doubts Increasing about Germany's Switch to Renewable Energy - SPIEGEL ONLINE:

...two ministers, Environment Minister Peter Altmaier and Economy Minister Philipp Rösler, have cast doubt whether the targets are reachable and said their priority is to make sure that electricity prices don't rise too much.
Altmaier, a close ally of Merkel who took over the ministry after his predecessor Norbert Röttgen was sacked in May, on Sunday cast doubt on whether Germany will be able to cut its energy consumption by 10 percent by 2020 as planned -- a precondition for reaching the 35 percent renewables target that year.
"If we still want to manage that somehow it will take huge efforts," he told Bild am Sonntag newspaper. Altmaier said his ministry had made mistakes, that there had been a lack of coordination and that forecasts for electricity prices had had to be revised. He even warned that the energy revolution could lead to social problems if prices rose too high. "For me it's a priority that electricity remains affordable," he told the paper.

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