Why Germany abandoned nuclear power before coal – and why it won’t go back

Enlarge / Jürgen Trittin, member of THE German Bundestag And ancient environment minister, stands following has A activist during A action of THE environmental organization Green Peace In in front of THE Brandenburg Grid In April 2023. THE action East has celebrate THE close of THE last three German nuclear power plants. Christopher Soeder/Photo Alliance via Getty Pictures

A year There is, Germany took It is last three nuclear power stations offline. When he come has energy, little events to have disconcerted foreigners more.

In THE confront of climate change, calls has accelerate THE transition far Since fossil fuels, And A energy crisis precipitate by Russia 2022 invasion of Ukraine, that of Berlin move has to leave nuclear Before carbon-intensive energy sources as coal has attracted significant critical. (Gréta Thunberg in a good place labeled he "A error. )

This decision can only be Understood In THE context of after the war sociopolitical developments In Germany, Or antinuclearism prior THE public climate speech.

From A 1971 West German Bestseller evocatively title Peacefully In Disaster: A Documentation of Nuclear Power Plants, has huge demonstrations of hundreds of thousands, including THE largest ever demonstration seen In THE West German capital Bonn anti-nuclear movement attracted national attention And widespread sympathy. He became A major policy force GOOD Before even THE Chernobyl disaster of 1986.

It is motivations included: A mistrust of technocracy; ecological, environmental, And security fears; suspicions that nuclear energy could generate nuclear proliferation; And general opposition has concentrate power (especially After It is extreme consolidation below THE Nazi dictatorship).

Instead, activists defended What they considered as safer, greener, And more accessible renewable alternatives as solar And wind, kissing their promise of bigger self-sufficiency, community participation, And citizen empowerment ("energy democracy").

This support For renewable energies was less about CO₂ And more aiming has reset power reports (through decentralized, from bottom to top generation instead that from top to bottom production And distribution), protect local ecosystems, And promote peace In THE context of THE Cold War.

Germany Energy perspective

THE contrast here with that of Thunberg of the last days Fridays For Future movement And It is "listen has THE experts" slogan East striking. THE older activist generation deliberately rejected THE General public skill of THE time, which SO considered centralized nuclear power as THE future And mass deployment of distributed renewable energies as A pipe dream.

This earlier movement was instrumental In create Germany Green Party today THE of the world most influential - who emerged In 1980 And First of all between national government Since 1998 has 2005 as junior partner has THE Social Democrats. This "Red Green" coalition banned new reactors, announcement A close of existing those by 2022, And pass A raft of legislation proof renewable energy.

That, In turn, turbocharged THE national deployment of renewable energies, which bloated Since 6.3 percent of raw domestic electricity consumption In 2000 has 51.8 percent In 2023.

These The figures are all THE more outstanding given THE contributions of ordinary citizens. In 2019, they possesses fully 40.4 percent (And on 50 percent In THE early 2010s) of Germany t...