Turmoil of high school graduates: On your summer Congress, the climate protection movement Fridays for Future self-celebrating, and promises Germany a “hot autumn”. Impressions from Dortmund by Astrid Prange.
It needs to go faster. Phase-out of coal energy 2038 – why won’t this go faster? A tax on carbon dioxide – why is this not been adopted long ago by the Bundestag? At the summer Congress of the climate protection movement Fridays for the Future in Dortmund, the participants press the pace. You will demonstrate and debate. You go on strike, and celebrate. You plant trees and make plans for a “hot autumn”.
A lot of praise, little change
The impatience of the 1600 attendees of the four-day meeting, is to grab with the hands. On every Panel, in every Workshop, in every debate is about how politicians, the legs could be made.
“The politicians praise us and Pat us on the head,” says Sebastian Grieme. “But you do nothing!”. The 19-year-old physics student from Potsdam don’t want to wait any longer. For Fridays for the Future, he evaluates the latest scientific studies.
Physics student Sebastian Grieme: “It is not exhausting to make a change.”
His demand: “We need a policy based on scientific findings and not the interests of lobbyists.”
“Then the policy loses us”
The young man is one of the self-conscious protagonists of a movement, based in Germany for eight months of political pressure in matters of climate protection. There are students and high school graduates, Angela Merkel and her Cabinet to challenge.
The Panel to the question “Is climate policy more social?”, the activists, the economic Christoph Schmidt in the defect. You want to know from the Chairman of the expert Council for the assessment of overall economic development, why the government is apparently so afraid of the introduction of a CO2 tax.
Critical looks: economic policy adviser Christoph Schmidt (from the back) answer any questions put by the activists in Dortmund
Economist, Schmidt is struggling to find an answer and know that the young people won’t be satisfied with this. His explanation: Even if the majority of the population might gain by the introduction of such a tax, so a minority of the disadvantages to hear but: “The policy, however, want to lose any population group.”
The reply comes promptly. “Then the policy loses us,” says Franziska Link. The 19-year-old high school graduate from Cologne wants to study environmental science and is thrilled by the Congress. “It’s summer vacation and the people here make a lot more than the politicians, who travel in the holidays!”
“It remains a movement!”
Pressure on the policy – to not only the activists of the movement Fridays for the Future, but also the invited guests and experts at the summer Congress. In addition to the economy, Schmidt also movement researcher Simon Teune is part of it.
“It remains a movement!”, Teune summons his listeners. The social scientists of the Technical University of Berlin, has researched the movement. His conclusion: “the parties have to make compromises, movements can, however, focus on a topic.”
Hunger! The huge eat snake, the Congress provided the participants a daily test of patience
The previous track record of the Fridays for the Future proves him right. Since in Germany every Friday on strike and students for the climate and the European elections in may, gave the Green a political flight of fancy, is one of the neglected climate protection in Germany to the political top.
Backing out of the area
Accordingly, the support for the Congress was situated in the Dortmund area Park. In the organization of Mega-Events, not two years, but only two months in advance was begun, the willingness to help is enormous.
Not only the city of Dortmund and the recreational facility area of the Park, including Greenpeace, the workers ‘ welfare, the Evangelical youth of Dortmund, Department of Munich, and many other organizations helped with accommodation and meals for the approximately 1600 participants.
Organizer Carla Reemtsma: “is not It quiet. We’ll make more”
After four days of the summer, Congress, with 400 Workshops, it is clear: The time of the Tätschelns and Petting is over. “The protests do not stop, it will not be quiet and relaxed,” notes activist and organizer Carla Reemtsma clear. “Especially in the autumn, where important political events, we need to be even louder and bigger on the road.”
The Countdown is on. For the 20. September, when the climate Cabinet of the Federal government, announces its results, has called the movement a nationwide air strike. Three days later, on 23. September, breaks up, German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the UN climate summit in New York.