March 2012 will be the one-year anniversary of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan. Friends of Europe will be holding a head-to-head Debating Europe debate on the future of nuclear energy in Europe between Patrick Moore, Co-founder of Greenpeace, Chair and Chief Scientist of Greenspirit Strategies in Vancouver, and Jo Leinen MEP, Member and former Chairman of the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Jo Leinen has been a prominent spokesperson in the past for the German anti-nuclear movement, whilst Patrick Moore is an outspoken proponent of nuclear energy.

Each panelist will have 15 minutes to convince the audience of their views on the future of nuclear energy in Europe and will also respond to questions from citizens interacting with them via Skype videos and tweets submitted through Debating Europe. A vote before and after the debate should judge who has most convinced the audience.

The debate, which will be live-streamed online at 18.00 on March 7 2012 at www.debatingeurope.eu, will address the following issues: Can Europe really make the transition to a low-carbon future without nuclear energy? Is nuclear safe? What is the future of nuclear in Europe and can the sector win back citizens’ trust?

You may also take part in the online Debating Europe discussions on the topic (see here and here). Please do not hesitate to contribute your thoughts using the form available at the bottom of the page. You may also follow the discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #debatingeurope.