On ARD, Frank Plasberg’s guests discuss the drought of the century on “Hart aber fair”. Showdown between climate activist and industry manager.
Cologne – “When will it really rain again?” Frank Plasberg rewrites the summer hit, sung by Rudi Carrell in the mid-70s, with a sarcastic undertone. In other words, “Are we to be ashamed of a full pool?”
The question becomes relevant again, especially at the end of the debate about the drought summer, when it comes to why it is actually so difficult for individuals to implement sensible and seemingly simple things that could at least save the climate a little. In large parts of the discussion, however, the viewers can sit back and relax, because the target of the discussion round is largely not them, but the usual suspects: politics and industry.
Carla Reemtsma accuses the government of “failure on both sides”.
First of all, everyone in the ARD group unanimously expressed their dismay at the low water levels across Europe from the Rhine to the Loire to the Po. Meteorologist and ARD weather expert Sven Plöger states quite soberly: “Of course there are also weather conditions, but this summer is a very clear sign of climate change”.
Werner Marnette, longtime industrial manager and former economics minister in Schleswig-Holstein (CDU) and climate activist Carla Reemtsma express similar dismay. In general, in the course of the ARD discussion, Marnette often tries to agree with Reemtsma, which, however, does not prevent her from verbal attacks on her counterpart. First of all, her criticism of “hard but fair” is directed at the current government, who can neither get the climate nor the looming social crisis under control. ,
- Guests at “Hart aber fair” (ARD) on August 29th, 2022:
Mona Neubaur: For the Greens as Minister for Economics, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy in the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Sven Plöger: Meteorologist and ARD weather expert.
Carla Reemtsma: Climate activist and speaker and co-organizer of the “Fridays for Future” demos
Werner Marnette: Former Economics Minister of Schleswig-Holstein (CDU) and long-time industrial manager.
Alexander Held: forest fire expert, forest scientist and fire ecologist.
Rolf Schmiel: Psychologist
“Hard but fair” (ARD) from August 29: “Politics are failing on both sides”
“Politics are failing on both sides,” says Reemtsma, the best example: the 9-euro ticket, a measure that could combine both and is now threatening to expire without a sound. “I see failure too,” agrees Marnette. “How can it be that we are burning natural gas at a time of extreme scarcity?” He is even ready for massive self-criticism with regard to what has been missed in the past: “We should all go in sackcloth and ashes,” he says contritely, the CDU explicitly with meaning.
“When are you going to resign, Ms. Neubaur?” Frank Plasberg uses these steep templates to Mona Neubaur from the Greens, incumbent NRW Minister for Economics, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy. However, neither now nor in the course of the further ARD program can such Attacks put off, stoically naming the goals to be tackled (“expanding renewable energies, securing gas supplies now”), but also emphasizing: “We have adopted the legacy of the previous governments”.
Violent exchange of blows between climate activist and industry manager
Since Neubaur appears objective in this way and offers little room for attack, a more violent exchange of blows develops between CDU man Marnette and “Fridays for Future” spokeswoman Reemtsma during “hard but fair”. While he wants to celebrate his past successes in switching from coke to natural gas, for example, the activist accuses him: “You made us dependent on Russian gas”. Frank Plasberg doesn’t even want to hear Marnette’s explanations of the situation at the time: “You don’t have to explain anything to a young and well-informed person”.
Marnette is now trying to be on an equal footing with Reemtsma: “We are doctoring the system here. We rely on sun and wind, both are only available intermittently.” While Frank Plasberg already sees nuclear power floating through space, Carla Reemtsma is annoyed by such “horror tales” about allegedly insufficient renewable energies.
“Hard but fair” (ARD) from August 29: “We have to increase coal and nuclear energy”
With almost ironic lightness, Sven Plöger throws in facts about the physical pitfalls of nuclear fission, the supposed bridging technologies as possible wrong turns and the occurrence of wind on the edge of Hochs between the Marnett versus Reemtsma battle.
Marnette tries one last round with his biggest trump card: the threat of a loss of wealth, the tide in your wallets. “We need to ramp up coal and nuclear power. You have to understand that too, it has nothing to do with ideology.” That sounds almost pleading, but Reemtsa counters coldly: “Yes!” and again refers to studies that show that life with renewable energies is possible. Exhausted, the long-standing industry manager invites the climate activist to go through the numbers together when the opportunity arises.
Is the private pool a symbol of reckless behavior?
Towards the end of the ARD program, however, it gets uncomfortable again for the citizens in front of the screen, who have previously been able to sit back and relax. The forest scientist, fire ecologist and forest fire expert Alexander Held had previously explained why the whole country has become flammable, how controlled fires can help and who the three main causes of the fires are: “men, women and children”, through “careless behavior “ like grilling, smoking or jetting through the woods with a hot catalyst.
Now it should still be about the private pool, which replaced the SUV as a new symbol for reckless behavior in the face of climate problems during the drought summer. Psychologist Rolf Schmiel explains why pool owners let the water in all the more quickly as the debate heats up. “When the pressure on individuals is too great, we become selfish.”
“Hard but fair” (ARD) from August 29: Between non-smoking and climate change
Fank Plasberg asks whether shame and social ostracism can change such behavior in the long term, and he seems surprised when Schmiel answers unequivocally: “Yes!” largely enforced. However, if you are constantly confronted with a lot of problems and stressful situations as we are at the moment, indifference sets in at some point. In any case, the citizens can breathe a sigh of relief, because Schmiel now also expresses “more understanding for the citizen than for the politician who is only geared towards being re-elected.”
Frank Plasberg ends the round with a specially prepared photo gallery on the topic: “Sealing the soil” and “what we can all do on a small scale”: A series of gravel gardens, accompanied by Smetana’s “The Vltava” runs across the screen. “A picture says more than 1000 words”, says Plasberg proudly. And what are these pictures supposed to say: that we shouldn’t create gravel gardens? In order to save any drop of climate, you need something more than that. (Teresa Schomburg)
Frank Plasberg had recently let FDP politician Christian Dürr get away with “hard but fair”.
