German farmers reap $15 million from wind power

Harvesting Clean Energy on Ontario Farms, a new report commissioned by the Heinrich Boell Foundation,

highlights the untapped business opportunities for farmers that can be found in renewable energy. The report will be presented during a tour through the Canadian province of Ontario in partnership with the Climate Action Network Canada, Pembina Institute, and The United Church of Canada. It focuses on numerous benefits of renewable energy, such as rural economic development and improved environmental conditions. It also describes the government policies needed to allow farmers to embrace these benefits.Some farmers in northern Germany make $2.5 million in a good year growing wheat. They make $15 million harvesting the wind, as the Ottawa Citizen reports.

More ingenuity from Germany - 100% renewable electricity 24 hours a day

"Survey finds wide gulf in global opinion on nuclear power"

The Asahi Shimbun reports that a "Survey finds wide gulf in global opinion on nuclear power" in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe, with the U.S. population showing the most favorable attitude toward the use of nuclear power, and the least concern about domestic nuclear accidents, of any of the other countries surveyed.

Swiss lower house of parliament votes to phase out nuclear power

In response to the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe, Switzerland's National Council, the country's lower house of parliament, has voted 101 to 54 to phase out nuclear power, World Nuclear News reports. This follows a Swiss Cabinet decision to reverse course, and not replace old atomic reactors with new ones -- effectively phasing out nuclear power in Switzerland by 2034. The upper house of parliament, the 46 member Council of States, must still vote on the matter. If it approves the phase out policy, then Switzerland will join the likes of Germany, which plans to phase out its atomic reactors by 2022, as well as Italy, which has just reaffirmed, by popular referendum, it's moratorium on new atomic reactors. Austria also disavowed nuclear power in the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe not far from its border with Ukraine.

Victory for the "si" vote against nuclear in Italy

"Following the decision the Italian people are taking at this moment, we must probably say goodbye to the possibility of nuclear power stations and we must strongly commit ourselves to renewable energy," said Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi after an overwhelming turnout and "yes" vote against nuclear Sunday and Monday looked certain to end nuclear plans in Italy.