August is coming to an end and with it the meteorological summer. Looking back, it is clear that this summer was also unusually hot and dry – with fatal consequences. Extremely low levels in rivers and lakes, dangerously falling groundwater levels and increased forest fires are unmistakable consequences of climate change.
After the ARD documentary “Die Dürre” made a dramatic forecast for the future of the German water supply on Monday evening, Frank Plasberg then took up the topic. “The drought of the century: Are we experiencing our future right now?” Was the headline for his talk show. Among them were Mona Neubaur (Greens), the ARD meteorologist Sven Plöger, the climate activist Carla Reemtsma and the industrial manager and politician Werner Marnette (CDU).
Right at the beginning, Plöger realized that catchphrases such as “a drought of the century” were no longer applicable. “We have never experienced such a drought in this form,” he warned, pointing out that it has been going on for five years in a row. The reason for the extreme weather in this accumulation? Clear for the ARD weather expert: climate change. “If we don’t make progress on climate protection, we will end up with droughts in Central Europe that will last ten years at the end of the century.”
Plöger interpreted the dramatically low water levels of the Rhine this year as a harbinger of what could await us in the coming summers. “Sixty percent of the water that the Rhine carries in summer comes from the Alps. When the glaciers there are gone, they will no longer supply water and we will have much more unstable levels in the future,” is his unedifying prognosis. “We are victims of our own actions.”
Carla Reemtsma thought that the extreme weather events in Europe and also currently in Pakistan exceeded the worst expectations. “The extent of over 10,000 heat deaths in Germany is frightening. This shows that we as a society are not able to react to the crisis and are experiencing political irresponsibility.”
The “Fridays For Future” activist did not want to accept the measures against the impending energy crisis. “Politics are failing on both sides,” she said harshly. The climate crisis cannot be postponed. Politicians are letting socially and climate-friendly relief measures such as the “9 Euro Ticket” expire and are promoting redistribution to “fossil climate killer corporations” through the gas allowance. This makes both crises worse, according to her bold thesis.
“When are you going to resign, Ms. Neubaur?” Plasberg jokingly asked the NRW economics ministries, which had just been elected, after this criticism. Neubaur pointed out that the inheritance from the previous government was not easy to take on and that an energy emergency was to be effectively avoided in two ways and that renewable energies were to be expanded quickly.
Werner Marnette also warned of political failure in the current situation. “How can it be that, in times of extreme natural gas shortages, we burn natural gas on a gigantic scale to generate electricity, although we could start up other sources of generation?” asked the former Economics Minister in Schleswig-Holstein, annoyed.
With his criticism, he specifically targeted the incumbent Economics Minister. “And Mr. Habeck travels all over the world, buys natural gas at top prices and takes the natural gas away from other countries that are also affected by the climate crisis. There is absolutely no logic in it.”
Plöger stepped in between, defended Habeck and instead recalled the failures of the past. One must draw conclusions from this. “We must finally stop talking the world nice. We talked the gas nice, we talked Mr Putin nice. For many years.” Marnette was self-critical. Of course, his party would also have to “go in sackcloth and ashes” for the failures in energy and climate policy.
The debate became heated when it came to coal and nuclear power plants as a possible bridging technology. While Neubaur declared coal power a temporary option, Reemtsma used every proposal to vent her disappointment with the government’s green policy. “Anti-climate measures remain anti-climate measures, even if they are pragmatic. The government has missed its own climate targets. How can the Greens still be responsible for being in this government if they don’t even manage to show the Minister of Transport a red line for his inadequate work?”
The group also discussed the extension of nuclear energy. Marnette pointed out that wind and sun were not always available and always needed “back-up energy”. He also warned of “millions of unemployed” if “explosive electricity costs” caused lasting damage to Germany as a business location. In the round, however, he was not able to score points with his plea for nuclear power.
Plöger pointed to the problems with cooling reactors when there is a water shortage, as is currently the case in France, and Reemtsma instead called for the expansion of electricity storage for renewable energy. Neubaur also clearly dismissed the uncomfortable question of nuclear energy to bridge the gap: “To be honest, I’m tired of blustering about nuclear power again, as if that were the solution.”