In the series "Die Klima-Verkleber" ("The Climate Gluers"), Lukas Bayer debunks the most popular excuses used to delay climate protection. Almost every country downplays its own responsibility and points the finger at others who are supposedly worse. But no single country could save the global climate on its own. And many measures would make sense even without the climate crisis.
It's a Monday evening in January. On ZIB2, ÖVP junior state secretary Claudia Plakolm is debating a climate activist. Austria is only responsible for 0.2 per cent of global CO2 emissions, says Plakolm, while China accounts for 30 per cent. She repeats the same thing in several interviews and in a press release that several media outlets quote when Plakolm handed out croissants to motorists during the morning rush hour.
Plakolm is far from alone in making this argument. ÖVP climate spokesperson Johannes Schmuckenschlager, Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, FPÖ secretary general Christian Hafenecker, Chamber of Commerce president Harald Mahrer – they and many others have been saying much the same thing in recent months: Austria is too small. As long as China and India aren't doing anything, why should we?
Climate protection opponents around the world keep playing this same old record. "If only we change, it won't make any difference." Even the Republican Party in the USA – the country with historically the highest CO2 emissions – is fond of pointing the finger at others. If you follow this logic, nobody will ever do enough about the climate crisis and our world as a largely habitable space for humans will be destroyed.
moment.at has gathered facts for three compelling arguments against this climate excuse...
