the three question marks today:
Agreement at the World Nature Summit - Is the company now starting to save the world?
Elon Musk – Did the billionaire really let his own customers vote him out of the CEO post on Twitter?
Football World Cup - Is there more than a hangover from Qatar?
1. The agreement on a final document gives hope - but it is uncertain whether the World Nature Summit will actually contribute to saving species
Really good compromises are characterized by the fact that everyone involved is dissatisfied with the result.
This diplomatic wisdom actually applies to every field of politics, but not today.
Because in the morning European time (and in the middle of the night Canadian time) a historic agreement was reached at the UN conference on the protection of biological diversity, which is a compromise and still gives many people hope and good spirits.
After lengthy negotiations, the participants at the World Nature Summit in Montreal, Canada, have agreed on a final declaration.
Around 200 participating countries have set themselves the goal of protecting at least 30 percent of the world’s land and sea areas by 2030.
»It is uncertain whether the disagreements in Montreal can be resolved.
Above all is the dispute over money«, my colleague Philip Bethge from the science department wrote at the beginning of the conference almost two weeks ago.
In fact, richer countries are now supposed to give poorer countries around $20 billion a year until 2025, mostly for the protection of biodiversity.
Enlarge image
Poster of a waterfall at COP15: Negotiations continued until early Monday morning
Photo: Lars Hagberg / AFP
Cheers erupted at the Montreal Convention Center after the final declaration was passed.
The German Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, who was present in Canada herself, said about the agreement at the summit that the decision opened up "a protective shield for our livelihoods".
Representatives of environmental organizations such as the German Nature Conservation Union reacted more cautiously.
The 15th World Summit on Nature, also known as COP15, was a tough undertaking.
"The tug-of-war between the 200 countries ended in long night meetings, where every word was fought over," report my colleagues Susanne Götze and my colleague Serafin Reiber from Montréal, describing the measures that have been decided upon.
“But in the end, all countries agreed to protect 30 percent of land and 30 percent of oceans by 2030.
« So can the rescue of the world really begin now ?
According to the colleagues, the agreement was "the emergency brake in the middle of the great death".
»Roughly one million of the estimated eight million animal and plant species in the world are threatened with extinction.«
My colleague Philip Bethge is rather disillusioned with the result.
The contracting states of the UN Biodiversity Agreement want to reduce environmentally harmful subsidies by 500 billion dollars a year.
But there are no measurable goals that could stop the loss of biodiversity from agriculture, forestry, fisheries or the financial sector.
Above all, it remains unclear how the agreement is to be implemented and how the agreed goals can be monitored and sharpened.
"What hasn't been successful internationally must now at least be implemented nationally," says Philip. "The Federal Government is responsible for going beyond the Montreal Agreement with the new edition of the National Biodiversity Strategy."
Read more here: The world rescue can begin
2. Twitter users were allowed to vote for Elon Musk's resignation from the CEO post - but he had already announced it himself
The very rich car manufacturer Elon Musk is admired by many people like a fairy tale hero.
Some would like to see him as a multi-talented prince, some as a very lonely, confused, grim king.
Recently, Musk's appearance has reminded me of Grimm's fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin.
Rumpelstiltskin is gifted with magic.
It therefore makes wild demands - and at some point a question, the correct answer to which ensures that Rumpelstiltskin tears himself apart, cursing out of sheer anger, and vanishes into thin air.
In a Twitter survey, Musk, who is obviously a fan of the wish fairy, asked the users of his communication platform whether he should resign as head of Twitter.
He fueled the poll with the tweet: "Be careful what you wish for, it could come true." Today at 12.20 p.m. German time the poll ended, the vote of the participants is clear.
57.5 percent are in favor of Musk retiring from the top management.
The other participants voted against.
There were only "Yes" and "No" options.
Enlarge image
Elon Musk: The entrepreneur is in the process of transforming Twitter
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris / AFP
What exactly and if anything will happen immediately is unclear.
Elon Musk has often asked users about decisions related to Twitter.
It has also happened that he deleted an ongoing survey and started it again with fewer options.
Will he now tear himself apart in his role as Twitter boss?
My colleague Patrick Beuth from SPIEGEL's business department has an almost rational explanation for Musk's behavior: "The most important thing about this decision is that it was made beforehand," he says.
"Musk had already said publicly a month ago that he would not remain Twitter CEO for long, but wanted to find someone else for the job." Of course, some now see the result of the survey as a disgrace for Musk.
"But with the current result, he has given himself an almost honorable exit by simply keeping his promise to accept the result of the vote," said Patrick.
“Had a majority voted to stay, he could have presented it as confirmation of his course.
So Musk couldn't lose."
Read more here: Twitter users vote for Elon Musk's resignation
3. Morally and in terms of association politics, the World Cup in Qatar was a gloomy event, and the final in particular was great fun
Football is great sometimes.
That was my basic feeling of happiness late yesterday afternoon during the very entertaining and sporty World Cup final between the teams from Argentina and France.
I guess I lack moral sensitivity.
In any case, the thorough, critical reporting on this sporting event, also in SPIEGEL, didn't stop me from getting uninhibitedly excited in front of the television set yesterday.
Enlarge image
Photo:
Mike Egerton/IMAGO/PA Images
I wasn't even bothered by the cuddly assault of the French head of state Emmanuel Macron, who tried to comfort the player Kylian Mbappé on the pitch with lots of pats after the penalty shootout was lost.
I found the paternal gossip helpless and a little touching.
My colleague Christoph Scheuermann disagrees on many things and was a lot less amused than I was.
At the end of the series »Qatar compact – the mini-column on the World Cup« he writes: It's finally over.
In the end they all cried, the Argentine coach, the goalkeeper, the goal scorer to make it 1-0, the shooter of the winning penalty, the whole team. Only Messi didn't cry. I looked closely. Messi laughed and looked so light as if he had been relieved of a huge burden like all of us.
Luckily it's over, this insane World Cup in the desert, Gianni Infantino's billionaire show, this embarrassing PR number by the Emir of Qatar, who, at the moment of his greatest happiness, put a Qatari robe on Messi to say one last "fuck you" in the World to send: We bought all this vermilion here, we determine how it ends.
I looked at the players celebrating and then went outside to the Christmas market around the corner.
No one talked about France versus Argentina there.
A mug of mulled wine was steaming in front of me, and I was thinking of Messi's incredible goal in extra time.
It was like slowly coming off a six week LSD trip.
This tournament took strength from everyone who looked at it with halfway open eyes. The human rights violations in previous years, the exploitation of workers, the corruption in the ranks of Fifa, football in the gravel desert - this World Cup was wrong. Still, I enjoyed watching a lot of games, Morocco vs Portugal in the quarter-finals or Netherlands-Argentina; it has no heart who did not flinch as the mother of Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou danced on the pitch with delight at her son's performance. It's not possible to enjoy something and distance yourself from it at the same time. Thank goodness this schizophrenia is over. I wish that with this World Cup the very German moral rigorism that knows everything better, does not tolerate other attitudes and wallows in a boycott will also end, who is at least a decade too late. Hey, it's almost Christmas, you can make a wish.
When I got home, the crime scene was playing as if nothing had happened.
And it was exceptionally wonderful.
Here you can read a summary of the World Cup in Qatar: The dance for the Golden Cup
News and background to the war in Ukraine
How long does the gas last in a cold winter?
Because of the harsh winter, the gas storage tanks are emptying faster than expected.
Model calculations show how a shortage in spring can be prevented.
Russia and China hold naval maneuvers in front of Japan and Taiwan:
China makes no secret of the fact that it wants to "unite" Taiwan with the People's Republic - if necessary by conquest.
An annual military maneuver in the region is therefore viewed with particular suspicion.
Ukrainian Journalists Association criticizes new media law:
The Ukrainian parliament has passed a new media law.
It is intended to introduce the country to EU rules.
But journalists fear stronger government influence.
The President's signature is still missing.
Find all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine here: The News Update
What else is important today
Lambrecht suspends further purchases of the Puma infantry fighting vehicle for the time being:
The series of breakdowns during shooting exercises with the Puma infantry fighting vehicle has consequences: the tank is not initially used for the NATO rapid reaction force.
And there will be no new purchases for the time being.
EU representation in the Central African Republic burned down:
Russia continues to expand its influence in the Central African Republic.
That's why France withdrew its soldiers.
Now the EU representation has gone up in flames.
Uniper shareholders vote for nationalization:
Because Russia had stopped supplying gas to Germany, the energy company Uniper stumbled.
Now the company's shareholders voted for the federal government to get involved.
Water-rich planets discovered around distant star:
At first glance, the masses of two special exoplanets do not match their size.
Experts attribute this to large amounts of water, but these are probably not comparable to oceans on earth.
My favorite story today: Are grades dispensable?
My colleagues Silke Fokken and my colleague Armin Himmelrath write about what the school of the future could look like without grading in their history.
It deals with ideas for reducing the pressure to perform on students.
In an interview, the Thuringian Education Minister Helmut Holter (left) thought aloud about whether grades were absolutely necessary in certain subjects such as music, art and sport.
Enlarge image
Teenagers in music class: »Telling children that they are the fool in front of the Lord, that doesn’t belong in school«
Photo: Monkey Business 2 / IMAGO
My colleagues collect many expert opinions on this.
What I like best is that of the green Baden-Württemberg Minister of Education, Theresa Schopper, perhaps because I had to put up with a lot of ridicule for my grades and achievements in art when I was at school.
It is "not the purpose and task of schools to shame children and put them down," says Schopper.
Sure, children with deficits have to be told that they still have to practice.
"But telling them they're a fool in front of the Lord doesn't belong in school."
Read the full story here: Are Grades Dispensable?
And if so, in which subjects?
What we recommend today at SPIEGEL+
What comes after zero Covid?
After almost three years, China is relaxing its strict measures and is largely unprepared for a potentially gigantic corona wave.
The consequences could also bring the western world into new difficulties.
Why Orbán's punishment is more important than Qatar:
The EU has finally frozen funding for Hungary.
The late decision shows that only a tough reaction to authoritarian tendencies is effective.
Let's get away:
The socialist island is experiencing the worst economic crisis since the 1959 revolution, there is a shortage of foreign exchange and food, and tourists are staying away.
Hundreds of thousands of Cubans see only one way out: the airport.
How to get started with Mastodon:
Mastodon, the decentralized alternative to Elon Musk's short message service, is attracting more and more users.
Finding your way there is not exactly easy.
Five pieces of advice for newcomers.
Which is very important today in the world of entertainment
Enlarge image
Taraneh Alidoosti in Cannes in 2022, where »Leila and her brothers« ran with her in the title role
Photo: Daniel Cole / dpa
Cinema star fighting against the regime in Iran:
Taraneh Alidoosti, currently imprisoned Iranian actress, received support from the Cannes Film Festival and prominent filmmakers today.
The release of the popular, also internationally known actress, who plays a leading role in the 2017 Oscar-winning film »The Salesman« by Asghar Farhadi, is being demanded.
The 38-year-old Alidoosti has long been a campaigner for women's rights and was arrested on Saturday evening in connection with the protests in Iran that have been going on for three months.
She had previously said of life under the mullahs' regime: "We are prisoners."
Typo of the day
, now corrected: »670 kilometers.
A 6th exit at the Rammstein Airbase.«
Cartoon of the day:
Putin's terror
And tonight?
Could you please read an extraordinarily entertaining book.
My colleague Frauke Böger has put together some nice pre-Christmas reading and gift recommendations and recommends, among other things, Walt Disney's »Funny Paperback 566«.
In it, the rich Uncle Dagobert, who has now had three-quarters of a century on his back and in his aimless activity sometimes reminds of the equally super-rich Elon Musk, flies out of the billionaires' club.
With three adventurous business ideas, he has to prove that he is still worthy of the club.
The new adventures on the occasion of Dagobert's 75th birthday are "as classic as they are exciting," writes Frauke.
"Donald, Tick, Trick and Track always have to come along, and there are always surprisingly profound sentences."
I wish you a nice evening.
Yours sincerely,
Wolfgang Hoebel
