Berlin – These are days and weeks that change the world. Putin’s attack on his neighbor Ukraine is a return to the 20th century, to the era of devastating imperial wars. This war also raises the question of whether the world should remain stuck in the energy policy of the 20th century. Does she want to remain dependent on fossil fuels, on Russian gas, Arabian oil or Brandenburg lignite?
Brandenburg’s Green Minister for the Environment, Axel Vogel, is calling for the fastest possible phase-out of lignite, especially in view of the war. The Greens and environmentalists want to pave the way for promoting new, sustainable forms of energy production. This is intended to minimize dependence on energy sources from dictatorships. In this way, the climate goals should still be achieved. The argument: otherwise climate change will cause catastrophes that will lead to even more wars.
Putin can turn off the gas tap
It must now be a primary goal for Germany to supply itself with energy as far as possible. But the way there is open. Because the head of Minister Vogel, Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke from the SPD, says the opposite. Precisely because we are so dependent on Putin for gas, we need our own coal all the more urgently.
Regardless of how the debate ends, politicians must decide quickly if they want to be able to act. Otherwise Putin just turns off the tap and decides.
And politicians should be careful not to fall back into a party dispute. Both are possible: on the one hand, investing more money in intelligent solutions so that the renewable electricity can also be stored. For example through hydroelectric power plants, as in Austria, or as hydrogen. On the other hand, the coal-fired power plants provide the necessary time for this. You have eight more years to go.