English Summary #6

Whenever a crisis strikes, it is natural for people to wish for things to simply return to normal after the crisis is resolved. Unfortunately, such a reversal is extremely unlikely to happen in regard to the climate crisis. With pollution becoming more and more of an issue, the impact of this problem on our lives is only going to increase. However, not everyone agrees on the best solution to this crisis. Environmental lobbyists argue for significant investment into green energy sources such as solar and wind, as well as a massive reduction in carbon-emitting industries. Those on the right, on the other hand, are often very skeptical of these ideas, and are generally more worried about the human suffering that may come as a result of this economic contraction. Can we continue as we have, or is a radical change necessary to save the planet? Furthermore, what is the best way of enacting this change? These were the questions posed by Dr. Susanne Goetze when she gave her lecture on the topic on the 6th of June, 2023.

One issue that has made the situation worse is the compounding of multiple crises on top of each other. Not only is the world dealing with rising pollution, but also the aftershocks of COVID-19, a global recession and inflationary crisis, and the War in Ukraine. All of these issues combine to become an extremely dangerous mix, as they each interrupt our efforts to solve the others. For instance, many wish to transition the German economy to an entirely green one. However, doing so would put even more economic pressure on the German people, who are already dealing with unusually low economic activity and unusually high inflation. Furthermore, one of the simplest ways to help solve the economic problems currently faced by Germany would be to open their economy back up to Russian imports, which would undermine efforts to end the War in Ukraine. All of these issues are interconnected, and all play off of each other to make the current global situation worse. Despite this, it is still extremely important for us to find some way to counter our worsening climate.

Already, several significant consequences of the climate situation can be seen in Germany. In the Alps, rising temperature, heat waves, and unusually heavy rains have been noted. Wildfires have been reported across much of the countryside, and the island of Hallig Hooge has seen an increase in storms and flooding, as has much of the German coast. With that being said, there are still solutions that could be pursued to mitigate these issues. Decreasing emissions from traffic and industry, preserving forests and planting more trees, improving protections from environmental disasters, and increasing overall living quality are all solutions that have been proposed.

Despite this, there are those on the political right who are highly skeptical of these solutions. A common concern among those on the right can be summed up as “Watermelon Theory,” i.e. the worry that green policies are simply being used as a trojan horse for a communist (red) agenda. Especially considering the high level of state control necessary to implement many of the proposed environmental solutions, it is not surprising that some individuals, especially those who grew up in East Germany, may be alarmed at this possibility. Others also doubt that mankind has that much control over the climate, or, if they do believe in man-made climate change, they doubt mankind’s ability to do anything about it. There are also those who have less genuine concerns. Many industrial interests, and the fossil fuel lobby in particular, staunchly oppose green policies, as these laws would negatively affect their bottom line. While each have their own motivations, there is no denying that the push for green policies is not universally accepted.

Despite this, it is still important to push forward to effective means to ensure the preservation of nature. As the weather quality continues to deteriorate and the rate of natural disasters continues to accelerate, the need for action is now more urgent than ever. However, it is vital that any action taken is done intelligently, and with the support of the population. Attempting to force unpopular and inhumane restrictions onto a resistant populace will only serve to undermine real environmental action. If we are able to reach this perfect balance, then we may very well see real action taken on the climate crisis.