ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Anti-nuclear movement in Germany

Okay kiddo, so you know how some things are really, really dangerous? Like touching a hot stove or playing with sharp scissors? Well, some people believe that nuclear power - a way of making electricity by splitting tiny atoms - is one of those dangerous things.

In Germany, a lot of people started to worry about nuclear power back in the 1970s, when some accidents happened at nuclear plants in other countries. They were scared that if something went wrong at a German nuclear plant, it could be really dangerous for people and the environment. So they started to protest - to speak out loud and clear against nuclear power.

Some people didn't like nuclear power for other reasons too. They thought it was expensive, and that the government was putting too much money into it instead of focusing on other kinds of energy, like wind or solar. Others thought that using nuclear energy meant making more radioactive waste - a kind of waste that can be harmful for many, many years.

These people who were against nuclear power - who wanted to stop it from being used in Germany - joined together in a movement. They organized protests, rallies, and marches to show the government that they were serious. They made posters and signs, wrote letters to their representatives, and even sang songs about how they didn't want nuclear power in their country.

Their hard work paid off. In the 1990s, the German government started to listen. They made some new laws to limit the use of nuclear power and to make sure that if a plant was being shut down, it was done safely. Some older plants were closed down altogether.

Today, there's still a strong anti-nuclear movement in Germany. People continue to push for more energy from sources that are safer and cleaner, like solar and wind. It just goes to show that when people come together to speak up for what they believe in, they can make a big difference.