Climate Catastrophe
摘要
Regardless of political orientation, the majority of Germans—despite the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and persistently high inflation rates—consider climate change to be one of the most pressing societal problems of our time as of July 2023. It is not up to observers to decide whether the climate crisis exhibits the characteristics of a crisis or not. The only standard that matters is the people who suffer from human-induced climate change. Vulnerable groups threatened by climate change include people over 65, those with chronic illnesses, and children, at least in Europe. For millions of people in other regions of the world, human-induced climate change is a catastrophe. AfD members and likely their supporters do not see this, or they do not want to see it. Whether the population accepts human-induced climate change or not, whether people support or reject climate-friendly measures, whether they do so for political or financial reasons, what stands out are the often escalating debates between opponents and proponents. These disputes are carried out in popular science books, magazines, on television, in sessions of the Bundestag and state parliaments, and primarily on online platforms. Opponents and deniers of human-induced climate change include pseudoscientists, journalists, politicians, YouTube celebrities, conservative think tanks, and right-wing populist and right-wing extremist organizations and parties. However, current governmental and political guidelines are not always particularly motivating for climate-friendly actions by individuals or groups. As is well known, communication about climate change between stakeholders leaves much to be desired.