Concern about climate protection - activist warns: "Don't have time for discussions"

Created: 01/10/2022, 3:00 PM

From: Dominik Stallein

Speaker of the climate movement: Jan Reiners (with microphone) takes part in climate demonstrations by the “Wor for Future” group.

In the interview he explains the demands of the initiative.

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“Wor for Future” makes demands to stimulate climate protection in Wolfratshausen.

In the interview, climate activist Jan Reiners becomes clear.

Wolfratshausen - They also protest in the cold: Before every city council meeting, climate activists from the “Wor for Future” alliance demonstrate for more consistent climate protection.

Now the activists have made specific demands on politicians.

Jan Reiners, one of the heads of Wor for Future, speaks in an interview with Dominik Stallein about how urgent the climate crisis is, how he wants to get the Wolfratshausen citizens on board and why the resolutions of the city council are not enough.

Climate activist from Wolfratshausen worried: "Many people are not clear about the consequences of climate change"

Mr. Reiners, how many city councilors do you know personally?

Jan Reiners:

About a handful, ten at most.

You have been demonstrating at every city council meeting for months.

There must have been opportunities to get to know each other

.

Basically yes, but most city councils just pass us by.

Why is that?

I don't take this as a personal rejection of our concerns.

Maybe you are just very focused on the upcoming session.

We are currently looking for personal contact with the city councils and the mayor.

We'd love to talk to everyone.

Then what would you tell them?

We would like to explain why climate protection is so urgent and so important on site.

Even if the topic is very present in the media, I have the feeling that many people are not yet clear about the consequences unchecked climate change will have here as well - not in 100 years, but also in the next few decades.

How do you come to this conclusion?

Our district forester (Robert Nörr, editor's note) is already talking about massive forest damage in our country due to climate change.

We have seen hail and flash floods - all of which will increase.

Our district is one of the risk areas for heavy rain.

That can be worrying.

And everyone knows that something has to be done.

But then there is a lack of willingness to implement measures immediately and consistently.

But that is exactly what would be necessary.

The city council has decided on funding programs for sustainable mobility and a wood hybrid construction for the school renovation.

Even a climate emergency was declared.

I don't want to downplay that either.

But that alone is not enough.

Climate protection needs an even higher priority, otherwise it will be impossible to achieve the goals set.

And the state of emergency is so far only a resolution.

Real projects have not yet emerged from it.

On your homepage you have made specific demands on the city.

In which direction should the city council take the first step?

First of all, you have to make it clear that climate protection has absolute priority.

For that you need resources - financial and human.

The first, very specific recommendation for action would be the energy transition in Wolfratshausen.

In comparison with the cities in the area, we are at the bottom of the list when it comes to the share of renewable energies.

Penzberg is much further, as is Bad Tölz.

There are recommendations for action from the Oberland energy transition and many examples from other cities.

You don't have to reinvent the wheel.

There are many ideas on the table.

That's good because we don't have much time left to hold discussions when the number of photovoltaic systems has to be increased eightfold in the next few years.

These measures cost money.

But the city is very concerned about its finances.

Do you make that argument count?

You just have to set priorities.

If you save money in one place, you can spend it on a pressing issue like climate protection.

The 500,000 euros for the asphalting of the Loisachuferweg, for example, could be used more sensibly.

Examples such as photovoltaic systems also show that climate protection investments are also financially worthwhile in the medium term.

Those who build a PV system today will pay less for their electricity consumption tomorrow.

One of the demands of their initiative is a climate committee ...

...correct.

They say we have run out of time.

It takes months until such a committee is set up, elected and constituted - and then not a single gram of CO2 has been saved.

Isn't it slowly too late for that?

I do not think so.

For two reasons: Before an advisory board was set up, the city can still make decisions.

On the other hand, the issue of climate protection doesn't just stop at some point.

The work must and will always go on - and an advisory board could accompany the process and support the administration.

Penzberg does a similar thing: An advisory board has revised the energy plan.

One can discuss climate protection.

Or continue working on the mobility transition.

That is quite controversial.

Some drivers feel that they are being pushed, but for many cyclists things are not going fast enough.

A big problem is that the mobility transition is perceived by many as opposing each other.

But it's not about the fight between cars and bicycles.

It would be ideal if it turned into a togetherness.

What helps one does not have to harm the other.

No motorist will be bothered by a cycle path network.

For this you need concepts that are worked out together with everyone.

That would be a task for a climate committee, for example.

The city has a lot of potential to become more bike friendly.

The city received the award as a bicycle-friendly municipality years ago.

In my perception, Wolfratshausen is not yet that.

Incidentally, this is not my exclusive, private opinion: Anyone who tries to take their child to music school by bike will notice that there is still a lot of room for improvement.

Many parents and many cyclists see it that way.

Back to the climate committee: would you get involved in this committee?

Clear.

How many active members does Wor for Future have?

The core that has been active for a long time and consistently is around ten people.

Many other people participate, but do not necessarily want to be in the foreground.

That is by far not enough to fill an advisory board.

How is that supposed to work?

I don't think it would be expedient to set up an advisory board solely from Wor for Future.

Politicians would have to take part, environmentalists too, of course, maybe traders.

Suddenly the number of potential candidates is significantly larger and the group would be representative.

In this way, one could develop concepts that are acceptable for the majority of people and actively relieve the administration.

In this way, one could actively develop projects in the city and actually tackle them.

The urban share of CO2 emissions is only a fraction.

Even if PV systems are built on all municipal buildings, thousands of private roofs will remain free.

How do you get the Wolfratshausen citizens on board?

On the one hand, we want to show citizens why it is so important to take action.

And we want to create an understanding that some projects are also personally worthwhile: You save CO2 and money.

Mr. Reiners, when you look into the future: How do you imagine the city of Wolfratshausen in 2030?

In a good vision, climate protection is perceived as the highest priority.

We get 100 percent of our electricity from renewable sources and the heating transition is almost complete.

We will have saved 80 percent of our emissions by 2030.

Hopefully we are a big step further in mobility, nutrition and all these things.

Then you don't sit next to moving cars in the café because people have more space.

How realistic do you think this vision is?

Maybe i'm naive.

Or optimistic.

But I believe we will make progress.

Unfortunately, however, we must also expect the effects of the climate crisis to be noticed more and more.

We all remember the hailstorm that year.

This may mean that the topic is finally taken as seriously as we need to take it.

dst

The new climate protection minister Robert Habeck (The Greens) took an inventory and saw a “drastic lag” in climate protection.

Now he wants comprehensive immediate measures for more climate protection.

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