Prominent Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was temporarily detained in western Germany on Tuesday. Although she was temporarily released and returned to protest the next day, the story attracted the world’s attention. The center of it all: the expansion of a coal mine and questions about the sustainability of fashionable power. Technologies
Here’s the story (and how Q. ai can invest in a cleaner future!).
The protests where Greta Thunberg was arrested took place in a village called Lützerath. This small village (which once housed a hundred inhabitants) is about 24 km from Germany’s western border.
Ten years ago, a German court approved the long-term demolition of the village to facilitate the expansion of the nearby Garzweiler lignite coal mine. But this is the first time.
The mine, along with two other open-pit operations in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, has been expanding for decades. In total, around 50 local villages were evicted and demolished to become coal mines.
This scenario has brought the already questionable open-pit mine to the forefront of developing climate debates in Germany. Enter: the European electricity company RWE Power.
On January 11, 2023, RWE Power announced that it would officially begin demolition of the village. The company’s press release said that “the entire original population had left the village [in 2017]” and that the remaining population were squatters “illegally occupying the buildings. “and areas” of your property.
RWE added that the people want to get rid of the tons of coal underneath to deal with Germany’s energy crisis. Once the evictions are complete, he plans to build a fence around the village before demolition.
The energy company is subsidized through a recent court ruling that allows the company to evict squatters. But since then, a series of environmental protests have grown in duration and controversy, leading to clashes with police.
Energy and mining have been hot topics in Germany for several years. The recent events in Lützerath are the latest and most emblematic iteration of a wider movement.
In 2019, Germany pledged to move away from its dependence on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse fuel emissions. In 2021, the country’s High Court upheld this position and stated that the government will have to take even more drastic measures.
But when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the calculations changed. In retaliation for global sanctions, Russia cut off herbal fuel materials to Europe. As a result, the country has missed its 2022 climate goals.
Then, in October 2022, the German government reached an agreement with RWE. The utility would agree to shut down its coal operations until 2030, 8 years ahead of schedule. In return, they would get permission to expand mining.
The deal would save several more towns and farms once doomed to destruction. However, RWE argues that the destruction of Lützerath is to “make optimal use” of the coal until then.
The deal angered climate activists, who staged near-daily protests across Germany. In addition to their presence in Lützerath, protesters blocked the city’s main streets and airport runways. Their message: Going back to coal will generate carbon emissions and violate the temperature targets of the Paris Climate Agreement.
The Garzweiler mine is a special point of contact, producing 25 million tonnes of lignite per year. Lignite is by far the dirtiest form of coal and produces about 1/5 of Germany’s carbon emissions.
But RWE and some members of the German government reject claims that expanding mining operations will generate carbon emissions. They argue that EU carbon caps mean any additional emissions will be offset elsewhere. Desires in the midst of Russian hostility.
However, coalition activists may simply exaggerate the country’s need for coal-fired power. Some cite an August report that found coal-fired power plants have more than enough fuel to run even at “maximum capacity” until 2030.
This brings us to Greta Thunberg’s at the Lützerath protests.
Greta Thunberg made her mark for the first time by demonstrating outside the Swedish Parliament for stronger climate protections at age 15. After more academics took part in protests, he helped organize widespread climate movements in schools.
In 2018, Ms. Thunberg addressed the United Nations Climate Change Conference. There, he chided world leaders for stealing the future of young people through their climate change.
Since then, Thunberg has participated in dozens of protests and social media campaigns for one of the climate-related causes. Between events, he addressed world leaders at forums ranging from the European Parliament to the World Economic Forum.
Last week, Greta Thunberg’s travels led to protests in Germany. She tweeted Friday that “[She] is lately in Lützerath, a German town threatened with demolition by coal mine expansion” and called on others to join the cause. .
On Saturday, Thunberg addressed an estimated crowd of 15,000 to 35,000. “The science is very clear,” he said. The carbon will have to stay in the soil. And as long as carbon is in the soil, this fight is not over. We will have to prevent the current destruction of our planet and sacrifice other people for short-term economic expansion and business. greed.
Greta Thunberg remained at the protest for several days, according to law enforcement officials. The arrest that captured global attention came Tuesday. (Although, as one official noted, she had also been detained on Sunday. )
A Reuters video shows Greta Thunberg being carried from a sit-in to the edge of the mine by 3 policemen. Reports imply that she was held in a location away from the edge of the mine for some time and then released later that night. Officials said Thunberg was not under arrest and that detained protesters would not face fraud charges.
Reuters reported that police had informed the protest organization that they would “use force” to take protesters to an “identity check. “Police called on protesters to “cooperate. “
An Aachen police spokesman said Thunberg was among an organization of protesters who “ran to the edge” of the mine. “However, he later arrested and transported according to tradition with this organization out of the danger zone to identify his identity. “
Police reportedly expressed concern that the “masses of protesters” were setting in motion the rain-softened floor. The police spokesman also noted that the government had not been able to fully secure the domain at the time. Officers intervened to move protesters away from the “danger zone,” temporarily detaining them in the process, they said.
By all accounts, Thunberg’s detention was peaceful, with a spokesperson adding: “She did not resist. “
He even resumed the crusade on Wednesday, tweeting: “Yesterday, a member of an organization that peacefully protested against the expansion of a coal mine in Germany. We were arrested by the police and detained, but we were released later that night. Climate coverage is not a crime
But you don’t have to sign up for a protest to make a difference on climate action and green energy. Instead, you can act on your investment and look for rewards in the process.
How?
It’s easy: with Clean Tech from Q. ai.
This kit allows investors of all types to personally invest in state-of-the-art technologies. Together, we can help drive blank inventions and a greener future.
You don’t even have to travel all the way to Germany, or anywhere else, to see your dollars make a difference. Just open your convenient mobile app to get started.
Download Q. ai today for AI-powered investment strategies.