For all the green energy praise heaped on Germany it is surprising how they have flown under the radar while building about a dozen new coal power plants to take over base power duty as their nuclear plants are phased out.
The environmental damage of this decision is astounding. Some of the largest strip mining equipment on the planet is used to feed the power plants now being put online.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overburden_Conveyor_Bridge_F60