Last updated: 05 January 2012.
The aim of this short guide is to give the readers outside of Germany a snapshot of the status of climate science and politics in Germany.
I) HOW IS AGW VIEWED HERE?
Germany is a country with a powerful green movement. Environmentalism has become a religion for many. Environmentalism is extensively institutionalized and pounded daily into the German psyche by the public-funded media, the state school system and other institutions. Climate protection has practically become the state religion. Not believing in man-made climate change will get you accused of blasphemy by the more radical elements. What you do to “protect the climate” is a measure of how good you are.
II) WHO ARE THE SCEPTICS / NON-ALARMISTS IN GERMANY?
The real “troublemakers” feeding scepticism in Germany are:
1. European Institute for Climate and Energy EIKE news and blog.
2. Professor Gerd Gantefor, solar physicist, author of the recent controversial book:Klima. Der Weltuntergang findet nicht statt (Climate: The End Of The World Is Not Taking Place).
3. Professor Fritz Vahrenholt and Dr Sebastian Lüning, authors of the controverisal book Die kalte Sonne (The Cold Sun – Why the climate catastrophe is not taking place).
4. Readers Edition, news and blog.
5. Prof. Josef H. Reichholf of the Technical Univ. of Munich.
6. Dr. Wolfgang Thüne, senior meteorologist and harsh AGW critic, website: Der Wettermann
7. Hans H.J. Labohm (Dutch), journalist.
8. Prof. Augusto Mangini, U. of Heidelberg (maybe not a sceptic, but critical of AGW science).
9. Dirk Maxeiner, journalist, German blog.
10. Matthias Storx, journalist.
11. Professor Hans von Storch of the GKSS (warmist, but scientific and welcomes debate, which is enough to infuriate the German consensus-demanding establishment) and runs the Klimazwiebel website: http://klimazwiebel.blogspot.com/
12. Klimanews blog.
13. eigentümlich frei magazine website: http://ef-magazin.de/
14. Freie Welt website: http://www.freiewelt.net/
15. Der Spiegel magazine once in a blue moon publishes sceptical pieces.
16. Also see petition of 77 sceptical German scientists.
17. And of course this site, NoTricksZone, which serves as window for the rest of the world to see what’s going on in Germany.
And see here for the Heiligenroth Klimamanifest signed by German scientists: http://www.klimamanifest-von-heiligenroth.de/
III) WHO ARE THE ALARMISTS?
1. Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research PIK. Government-funded.
2. PIK Director Prof. Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber – visionary of the Great Transformation (a dangerous social engineering experiment). He’s the no. 1 climate advisor to Chancellor Angela Merkel. Has tried to shut down debate read here and routinely attempts to marginalise sceptic scientists.
3. Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf, gatekeeper, attack-dog for the alarmist side. Notorious for efforts to stifle dissent and to marginalise sceptics. Calls sceptical media reports irresponsible and disinformation. Famous for publishing alarmist scenarios just before climate conferences.
IV) ARE ATTITUDES CHANGING HERE?
Yes! Thanks to the little but vital information the media allowed to drip out about Climategate, the recent bitter winter and a small group of concerned but very active citizens, there’s been much success in educating the public. Recent polls have alarmed the massive Green Establishment. They’re in panic. The sceptics have the momentum. Indeed the dreaded “tipping point” may have been reached. Just a couple of years ago, the media promoted the notion of universal consensus, and Mann’s depiction of the last 1000 years as fact. Today they can no longer maintain that.
V) GERMANY’S POLITICAL PARTIES – HOW GREEN?
There are five significant parties in Germany.
1. CDU/CSU – center right. Equivalent to the US RINOS. Led by a centrist Angela Merkel. They like cap & trade and believe in AGW.
2. SPD – socialists. Equivalent to the US Democrats.
They love cap & trade, regulation and are in love with Barack Obama and the US Democrats. Against nuclear power. Led by Sigmar Gabriel – Fan No. 1 of Al Gore. He distributed 6000 copies of AIT to advanced secondary schools for indoctrinating university-bound children.
3.
The Greens
- . Made up of enviro-zealots, treehuggers and elitists. Vehemently against nuclear power.
4. FDP– Free Democrats – libertarian. Supporters of free markets, nuclear energy. But pay much lip service to green alternative energy, but not real big supporters.
5. Die Linke – The communists.
Currently a coalition of the CDU/CSU and FDP are in power. But they are weakening. Elections may have to be called.
VI) WHAT IF ELECTIONS WERE HELD TODAY (January 3, 2011)?
– CDU conservatives- 30%
– SPD socialists – 28%
– Green – 2o%
– Die Linke communists – 7%
– FDP libertarians – 3%
That means there’d possibly be a Socialist/Green government, and thus a huge push by Germany for a global climate treaty. So, although there’s been much progress, there’s still much to do in Germany when it comes to educating the public.
For English speaking people who deny AGW please visit
http://libertygibbert.wordpress.com/ for a world wide view. A happy friendly place where we welcome your views
Thank you
This is an interesting example of misinformation combined with wishful thinking.
Have you ever noticed that reality is your enemy?
Oh no, it’s a good primer for Americans who need to know what’s going on here. Found any mistakes? Come on, tell us.
I see Günther is bored and is itching to start something. This blog I see is getting under his skin.
Günther, why not go to WUWT or Climate Audit? There you’ll find a greater and much more lively audience to engage. This blog here is just a small, quiet little town, and we don’t welcome troublemakers.
Actually, I have to thank Günther for reminding me to update that page. I’m open to any reality-based suggestions
You forgot to tell us what is the missing reality is.
He he…
Tell us then is Günther Vennecke your real name?
Is reality your enemy?
As much as I can make it out the description for the Alarmists is alarmingly precise.
And so is the sum up of the parties.
You need another update on this.
@P Gosselin: Thanks for the Who is Who! It is an interesting sight from outside Germany.
Little correction please: part II Sceptics, #10 is Matthias Horx, journalist and futurologist
Thanks for the info re Germany’s political parties and AGW positions. I have always been skeptical of the AGW catastrophe claims because I knew enough history to know that our climate has changed throughout the history of human civilization aside from the huge changes the earth has undergone since its birth. However, being scientifically illiterate I was ignorant of the science underpinning the skeptic position. Thanks to your English translation of Die kalte Sonne I am better informed. The book also tipped me to Watts Up With That as well as your site so I’m keeping up. I have also read Landscapes and Cycles, an Environmentalist’s Journey to Climate Skepticism, by Jim Steele, a biologist retired from teaching at San Francisco State University (Calif.), who with others set up and ran the university’s science field campus in the Sierra Nevada. His book uncovers the true story behind various wildlife species that the alarmists have predicted are threatened with extinction or have become extinct due to AGW. His chapter, “Beating Dead Frogs with CO2,” is a revelation. The extinctions are due to a fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis “Bd,” identified in 1998, is lethal in locations with temperatures ranging between 53F and 81F and has been spread around the world by a carrier, the African clawed frog, used in labs and the pet trade. Yet the global warming fanatic Alan Pounds and “Nature” magazine did somersaults inventing theories, in the face of contradictory evidence, blaming climate change. After reading this chapter I felt sick. This is pure and simple corruption. It’s scientism not science and makes me wish Karl Popper was still alive to give the lie to these self-promoters. I highly recommend this book.
“and has been spread around the world by a carrier, the African clawed frog, used in labs and the pet trade.”
It has further been spread on the boots of scientists inspecting frog populations around the globe to see whether the fungus had already spread there…
I understand that Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis was originally transmitted to Xenopus the African clawed toad from humans.
Should be updated for AFD, they are good enough on this issue to openly say that man-made global warming is all bullshit. Also that no more government money should be spent on wind power and that nuclear power plants should be re-opened.