The Ecological Restructuring of Germany

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The Ecological Restructuring of Germany

• Dr Ingo Cornils

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The Limits to Growth / Die Grenzen des Wachstums

• Pessimistic report published by the Club of Rome
  in 1972
• Predicted serious levels of pollution, erosion,
  hunger, population explosion and migration
• Questioned the wisdom of unchecked economic growth

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The Growth of Environmental Awareness - ein
Umweltbewußtsein entsteht
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Die Ölkrise 1973

• Following the second Arab - Israeli war when the
  West generally sided with Israel, the
  oil-producing countries reduced their output
• Widespread shortages and an increased desire to
  find secure sources for oil and gas (North Sea)

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Nuclear Energy / Atomkraft

• Seen as an alternative to coal/oil
• Research since the 1950s (EURATOM)
• Allowed Germany to be less dependent on
  oil-producing countries
• Massive building programme decided

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Beispiel AKW Brokdorf
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Gorleben (Endlagerstätte für nuklearen Müll in
Niedersachsen)
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Proteste gegen Wackersdorf, eine geplante
Wiederaufbereitungsanlage (wie Sellafield in
Cumbria) sind so erfolgreich, daß die Anlage
NICHT gebaut wird
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Tschernobyl 1986

• Major ecological disaster with global effect
• Convinced SPD to include the Ausstieg aus der
  Atomenergie in its party manifesto
• Similar reactors in the GDR switched off after
  unification

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Recycling / Kreislaufwirtschaft

• A major project of the Conservative Government
• Recyling resources in an organised, profitable
  way
• Relies on carrot and stick
• Verpackungsgesetz 1991
• Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz 1994
• Nothing can make economic sense if it doesnt
  make ecological sense

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Recycling, cont.

• The Grüner Punkt system is used to finance the
  collection system Manufacturers declare that
  their packaging is recyclable and pay a fee to
  the Duales System Deutschland GmbH, then produce
  as normal.
• This packaging is covered and can go into the
  yellow bag. The customer ultimately pays, and
  also has to be coaxed - though this is not too
  hard with law-abiding, environmentally friendly
  Germans - into sorting.

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Recycling, cont.

• Meanwhile, everything finds a place somewhere
  (corks from winebottles, batteries), and
  packaging waste has reduced dramatically, so much
  so, that the old infrastructure with
  council-built local waste incinerators suffers.

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Erfolge der Umweltpolitik
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Von Bewegung zur Partei

• The destruction of the 'heile Welt' outside one's
  own window (such as the discovery of secret toxic
  waste dumps, poisoned rivers and the
  Waldsterben due to acid rain) caused people to
  voice their opposition to government and business
  interests in Citizen's Initiatives
  (Bürgerinitiativen), and in various 'green'
  pressure groups in the 1970s.

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Die Grünen in der Opposition

• These were initially seen as magnets for
  crackpots, extremists and hippies, but soon found
  their way into local councils, regional
  parliaments, and, as DIE GRÜNEN, into the German
  parliament in 1983. The Green Party was seen as a
  short-lived phenomenon, but has since generally
  overtaken the liberals as the third largest
  political party in Germany

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Die Bundestagswahl 1990

• While the candidate for the SPD, Oskar
  Lafointaine, campaigned for an Ecological
  Restructuring of Germany and a confederation of
  the two German states, Chancellor Kohl for the
  CDU campaigned for a swift unification process
  he won by a landslide vote

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Die Rot-Grüne Regierung

• In 1998, when the electorate had tired of
  Chancellor Kohl and his policies, the SPD formed
  a coalition government with the Green party.
  Chancellor Schröder was joined in cabinet by the
  leader of the Green party, Joschka Fischer (as
  foreign minister) and Jürgen Trittin (as minister
  for the environment)

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Ökosteuer

• One of the first measures taken by the new
  government was the introduction of an eco-tax
  to encourage energy saving

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The new government proclaimes the Ausstieg aus
der Atomenergie
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Against opposition, Castor transports of
nuclear waste continue
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The government introduces the Erneuerbare
Energien Gesetz
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Alternative Energien / Renewables

• Development/Installation of wind farms subsidised
  by generous grants from the government
• Guaranteed price for green energy (challenged
  by European Commission)
• Has now reached critical mass
• Renewables 2004 in Bonn

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Windenergie in Deutschland
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Kritik

• Major wind farms planned offshore
• Major energy companies involved
• Safe, clean energy, but still has people up in
  arms because it spoils the landscape, creates
  noise, has adverse effect on wildlife

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Die Debatte hält an
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Ende offen