CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Europe’s largest economy has been looking to leave behind nuclear power since 2002, but the phase-out was accelerated by former chancellor Angela Merkel in 2011 after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.

Detailed explanation-2: -Germany first codified the objective in 2002, and the law was finally passed in 2011 in response to the Fukushima nuclear reactor accident in Japan. The legislation ordered phasing out the use of nuclear energy for commercial electricity production because of the substantial hazards involved.

Detailed explanation-3: -German nuclear power began with research reactors in the 1950s and 1960s with the first commercial plant coming online in 1969. Nuclear power has been a topical political issue in recent decades, with continuing debates about if or when the technology could be phased out.

Detailed explanation-4: -The anti-nuclear movement in Germany has a long history dating back to the early 1970s when large demonstrations prevented the construction of a nuclear plant at Wyhl. The Wyhl protests were an example of a local community challenging the nuclear industry through a strategy of direct action and civil disobedience.