The G8 summit last week in Germany was a huge success - say all parties involved in the biggest and one of the most expensive political meetings ever in the history of Germany.Chancellor Merkel indeed won - her constant and nerve-breaking initiatives to tackle climate change finally cracked the hardest climate nut, George W. Bush. Merkel's negotiators worked on this success for weeks. Victoy was not sure at all: A few days before the summit started the German government still warned of to much expectations.President Bush, however, won too. When it comes to save from his presidency as much as possible he finally can claim to have come to an agreement with his allies of the G8. Mr. Bush was far too much into critiques with his own proposal to set up a Post-Kyoto-Treaty that would not be under the umbrella of the United Nations. The protesters won as well. They made their way through the wood and the countryside to finally arrive at the security fence. This was the horror scenery for police. Due to riots on the streets of Rostock the weekend before the summit they did not want the risk of escalations right in front of the summit site. Peaceful protesters made it through the security lines and showed to the world that protesting in Germany is still part of a decent and democratic political discourse.In the end the countries in Africa won, too. And this may become the only real measurable victory at all. While Bono and Groenemeyer sang for the continent the politicians decided to raise the help to cure those sick of Aids and other diseases. Now it remains to be seen - as it was after the summit of Gleaneagles in 2005 - if the richest nations of the world keep their promise and help to combate climate change and care for the poor.The G8 discussed in the Atlantic Community

The German Greens opened a theme box last week: with the claim ”ecological justice” they organized a conference in the Reichstag, German parliament. One of the goals was to connect the ecological questions with those concerning justice, even on the international level. Our pioneer Verena went to see what it is all about:

Verena's blog:The background:

 

The rich industrial nations use the majority of energy resources of our planet and are together responsible for approximately 80 percent of the greenhouse gases produced so far. Less strongly, but still very clear in their impact are the rising developing countries India and China, which made themselves (with reproduction) follow the bad example of the industrialized countries. In sharp contrast: wide parts of the southern hemisphere remain in deep darkness. In Africa, Latin America and Eastern Asia, where the majority of the 1.1 billion humans live (who must getting along with less than an euro per day) prevails poverty also at energy.

 

The conference:

 

Opening note was held by Susan George, vice-president of the transnational institute and co-foundress as well as ex- member of the board of „Attac“. First she defined the term “ecology” and “justice” in the context of the globalization debate. Then brought up a general critic of quantitative growth in capitalism, which is in conflict with ecology and sustainability. She also drew the attention to the fact that today's kind of food production not only damages the local agriculture, but also is responsible for 1/3 of greenhouse gases and 25% of CO2 emissions.

 

Afterwards Bärbel Höhn, former green minister of consumer safety, called to build a new green citizen movement. This citizen movement might not only be limited to political demands. Key is a life-style change. Each individual person can do something, f.e. ecological electricity and healthy food.
The question remains: is this enough for a citizen movement?! Especially since we know that even in the green roam it, again and again, costs conviction work to convince people of something as simple as switching to ecological electricity.

 

Another panel followed discussing “Ecological justice now! - Requirements of the German G8-Presidentship“. The discussion group consisted of the chairman of the German Green Party Claudia Roth; Professor Walden Bello (focus on global south); Jennifer Morgan (E3G-Third generation Environmentalism) and Olaf Tschimpke (NABU). The overall topic: the planned G8 conclusion document and its consequences.

 

Above all Jennifer Morgan spoke of the congruence of two models: Bush model versus European model. One disagreement was based on the question of the relationship between ecology and economics and the meaning of technical innovations for climatic protection.

 

I personally think that it must be both: on the one hand innovations, on the other hand in addition, renouncement and reduction of consumption. It was positively mentioned that George Bush does not stand for all Americans and that in America exists a civilian-social Initiative for more climate protection. Reinhard Bütikofer, leader of the German Greens, even spoke of an isolated president

 

 

The discussion in the afternoon between the former German secretary of the environment Klaus Töpfer and Reinhard Bütikofer generally ran very harmoniously. Contradictions were recognizable only about the question: can we supply our energy need in the future completely without coal power stations?

 

Töpfer spoke up for more pollution free power stations. He also pushes an „international contract for nature protection“ similar to the German „Vetragsnaturschutz“. Töpfer also made clear that town development policy would have to be an important component of international climate protection politics because over 70% of the emissions is made in urban environments (cities).

 

Claudia Roth, chairman of the German green partyAt the end of the day a nice quotation of Bärbel Höhn: Young Ladies go only out with young boys, who are coming with ecological cars
About Verena:Verena is a trained speech pathologist but also studied psychology and catholic theology. She took part in a working group for a "sustainable Germany" and was also member of two district parliaments for four years. 2002 she run for candidacy for the German federal parliament.

The streets to Heiligendamm were empty last week when I went there. Nothing but police men, a lonely citizen once in a while. It is not fun to live here theses days.

Protesters are about to reach the restricted area the radio reported. So I had to turn my car and follow new directions to get into Kuehlungsborn the village next to Heiligendamm. Here are 3000 journalists from all around the world to report about the G8 summit.

There was a lot of confusion before the summit about an agreement about combating climate change. One distraction here was the focus on Africa. But this is also not an attracting topic. The G8 member states have not set in practice for Africa what they promised in the years before.The protesters want to make sure that the voice for the poor will not be overheard in Heiligendamm. However, violent riots in the city of Rostock the weekend before the summit rose the question of how to protest the right way.On Tuesday night there is a welcome party for the journalists. A nice camp in Kuehlungsborn, more comfortable than the camps of the protesters I suppose.
On Wednesday the protesters cross the forbidden lines and reach the fence they were never intended to see. Blockades unable the journalist to drive over to Heiligendamm. So they see what happens over Television as well.
In the end Chancellor Merkel reaches an agreement with the United States. The Kyoto follow-up will be under the umbrella of the United Nations. They agree to a 50 percent reduction of their CO2 emissions until 2050. Merkel called this a "huge success". Before the summit it seemed that the US will deny any agreement of this sort.

Angela Merkel and George W. Bush
In the end Heiligendamm has returned to normal. The politicians have gone, so have the protesters. Leaving the area one can see people returning to the streets, starting their everyday live again. As small as te agreement here seems to be, the protests of so many helped the German Chancellery to convince the American government to join in a common statement about the reduction of CO2 emissions.

Talk with Tom Buhrow, Anchor-Man and Presenter of "Tagesthemen", German Television. We offer you the interview in English and in German.German Version:
Tom Buhrow used to be the Correspondent of German Television ARD in Washington from 1992 until 2000 and again from 2002 until 2005. He knows the United States and the politics behind the scene as much as the mentalities represented and living in the society of America. Since 2005 Buhrow is the presented of Tagethemen, the daily political program in the German public channel ARD.
His job now is to focus on domestic and internatinal affairs at the same time. We met him in Hamburg, sitting outside and talking about the G8 summit that will take place theses days in Heiligendamm, in the northeast corner of the country.English Version:He also remembers quite well the election campaign in the nineties when George Bush sen. called Al Gore the "Ozone Man", humiliating the democrat politician for his engagement in environmental matters. Today George Bush jr. changes the direction of his father's climate politics - finally, Buhrow says, because of George W. Bush's interest for national energy independence.

In September he will present the Peace Talks in Osnabrück, Germany. Guests are Bianca Jagger and Jakob von Uexkuell both well known to the community of Club of Pioneers.

American President George W. Bush sticks up for a new and worldwide agreement of reducing CO2 emissions in the year 2008. Observers see a change in the President's politics on climate change in this announcement. However, adressing a new initiative for 2008 signifies the no-interest of the President in finding a new strategy for lowering the CO2 emissions during the G8 summit neyt week in Heiligendamm, Germany.The German government is not really amused about President Bush's proposal but Chancellor Angela Merkel embraced it saying it is important that all polluters worldwide recognize their responsibility in lowering emissions and facing the possible risks of climate change.It is not ruled out there will be no agreement next week in Heiligendamm. In 2008 a new American President will be elected. It seems Mr. Bush wants to transfer the issue to his successor.

The G8 summit may not lead to the results climate activists have longed for. German Chancellor Merkel said last Friday expectations are due to be disappointed. The G8 member states have not agreed yet on definite statements and numbers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“The G8 nations have politically less in common than the EU member states”, Merkel said, explaining why according to her opinion it has been easier to define emission reduction fot the European Union during the summit in Mach. A common understanding is yet to be developed, the stateswoman said. “I am not sure we will achieve this in Heiligendamm”. The groups preparing the summit in the beginning of June on the German coast have not been able to negotiate a final document. Regarding climate change observers say a lot of the paper has not been agreed upon. If this is not improving, the politicians themselves will have to find the right words during their meeting. There are no signs the G8 summit will be a victory march, however Japan – a G8 member – proposed to half the world emissions of today by 2050. The German government want to achieve the same - but from the point of the world emissions of 1990.

Jürgen Thumann is the head of BDI, the national federation of German industry. Talking to us during the European Business Summit he emphazised on the work already done in German industry regarding renewables. Environment Technologies will provide as much employments as car and steelindustry in the near future.The aim of the European Union to bring down CO2 emissions drastically until 2020 by at least 20 percent is a great opportunity for German industry, Thumann added, for the industry to show off what already is developed or in development at the moment.What the BDI thinks about energy policy:Sustainable economic policy aims at efficient useof energy and raw materials. Together with its member associations, the BDI devises concepts for a both sustainable and cost-effective supply of energy that is also environmentally sound. The BDI plays an active role in the liberalisation of the European energy markets. Infrastructure and telecommunications systems, as well as innovative services, are Germany’s strategic basis as an industrial location.The BDI thus paves the way for the information society. It is the task of the Energy Policy / Telecommunications Policy Department to help create the framework to strengthen Germany’s competitiveness on these markets.Because the fact is that about 50 percent of the electricity production required for the base load is provided by nuclear energy. This base load – the electricity needed round-the-clock every day, for industrial production in particular – cannot, in the foreseeable future, be economically replaced in Germany by regenerative energy, combined heat and power, or savings in electricity consumption. The answer to this question is vital for securing the energy supply for Germany as a business location at competitive prices. And on top of that, there is the fact that without nuclear energy, we will hardly be able to fulfil our obligations to protect the climate", says BDI President Juergen R. Thumann.From the BDI website