Understand - Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement: 8. Shutdown
Download Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement: 8. Shutdown
There are competing protests on either side of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany. It’s 2023, on the eve of the final shutdown of the country's last three remaining nuclear power plants.
On one side, anti-nuclear campaigners and politicians celebrate their victory. This is a new, clean, dawn for the German power grid, they say.
On the other side of the gate, a small but vocal group of pro-nuclear greens condemn what they believe is a grave mistake. And as other countries pledge to increase their nuclear energy capacities, this group is playing the long game. They believe they may have lost the battle here in Germany, but they will win the war.
How did the green-on-green struggle over the German energy system go nuclear?
Presenter: Justin Rowlatt
Producer: Rachel Naylor
Series Producer: Ellie House
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound Design and Mix: James Beard
Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele, Brenda Brown, Sabine Schereck
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Archive:
Saubere Energien kämpfen gegen schmutzige, Nuklearia, 13/5/2023
Footage of Fridays For Future protest in Berlin, @digitalwerber and Nuklearia, 24/9/2021
Published on Monday, 20th July 2026.
Available Podcasts from Understand
We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Understand webpage.