Why was a nuclear phaseout easier than a coal phaseout in Germany? This is one of the most frequently asked questions we hear. Craig Morris has an answer about the historic reasons – and it’s not what you’re expecting. For the potential of a future coal phaseout, he has co-authored a new study. Most people both inside and outside Germany will tell you there’s one main reason for the German nuclear phaseout: angst. But let’s go back to the 1970s, when the Energiewende began as a protest against plans to build a new nuclear plant in southwest Germany. In my documentary “Welcome to the Energiewende” made last year, I visit the village where the protest began. At an awards ceremony, they talked about their motivations, none of which were related to nuclear risk. Rather, they did not want to be pushed around by corporations. Far from having an irrational fear of something safe, these people put their lives on the line in protest against a police force ordered to become brutal. The first protesters were … Continue reading Why didn’t Germany have a coal phaseout?