Inside the past, outside the present
#26
I recently travelled with the last on-board bistro on Deutsche Bahn's long-distance trains that still has its original furnishings. It’s from 1988. When the world was still in pastel.
It was a wonderful trip. Cold because the heating didn't work. And the bistro was closed because of a lack of power. But wonderful.
We took the train through the German state of Brandenburg. There, as in many other places in Germany, the energy transition is visible because of the many wind turbines. – And this is what today’s post is about.
There is a lot of discussion about this energy transition in Germany, and probably not just here. And so I wonder if the phasing out of fossil fuels has the potential to endanger democracy.
What indicates is that populist parties are experiencing a significant boost due to the climate debate.
They deny (wo)man-made climate change and thus deny the necessity of all (expensive) climate measures – and the costs that arise with it. Everyone should be able to continue using their combustion engine cars and keep their oil heater, they claim, everything can stay as it is. That appeals to many people.
This is conservatism in the bad sense.
But I think this conservatism will not prevail. For three reasons:
First, reality. Climate change is here, and it will stay. Denial is becoming increasingly difficult.
Second, success. The limitation of CO2 emissions has long been taking place. And measures are working pretty well. The European Union has steadily decreased its greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, reaching a total minus of 32.5 per cent in 2022.
Third, progress. The prices for renewable energy have been falling for years. The technology for fossil-free energy generation is not only becoming cheaper but also better. New things are coming into the world that we could only have dreamed of yesterday.
Will it happen like that? I don’t know. But this is certain: A successful climate policy takes this issue away from the populist parties. That would strengthen democracy.
By the way, wanting to hold on to the old ways is not fundamentally wrong. At least it's human. I like the old times, too. I like travelling in this old on-board bistro. Reminiscing about times gone by. Imagining lives lived. And carrying a little pain of parting with this old time. Not too much pain. Just enough pain to feel melancholy. And being aware that nothing can stay the same. That things go by. Like my trip in this old on-board bistro. It was my last. The wagon will be taken out of service when the timetable changes on December 10th.
✊,
Johannes