"Without water and heating, people will flee"

"Without water and heating, people will flee". This headline on the bus this morning, my two children in tow, triggered the urge in me to open the pressure relief valve once again. We are always and everywhere brought up to date on war and all the inhuman conditions in the world. Most of the time we take note of the news somewhat helplessly or casually. Myself included. The headline mentioned at the beginning triggered anger in me. It mercilessly reminded me of the selfish wickedness we humans are capable of or would be capable of. No, it is only indirectly about the looming energy shortage in Europe. It is about the plan to destroy a dam in Ukraine and to wantonly destroy energy infrastructure. Once again, I realise that people who, due to the loss of control on the stage of political self-promoters, are capable of kamikaze-like actions. They cold-bloodedly accept the deprivation of any basis of life. If they are still capable of classifying their actions at all. All just to keep up the penetrating self-dramatisation. It irritates me that the loss of livelihoods has led to an outburst of uncontrolled rage and (inwardly) loud and clear old and newly created curse words. Why not the daily number of dead? I explain it to myself by the fact that it is a threat that will very probably be carried out. It has not happened yet, but it will not be prevented. Need for action high, possibilities for action close to zero. 

Further east, in a country emerging in the fields of economy, research and technology, people are locked up for weeks and informed by robot dogs about the COVID measures. At the same time, the current head of government is getting himself elected to a third term. This has never happened since Mao. South of our country, an officially right-wing extremist is elected as the first female head of government. Is it the desperation or the indifference of the people that allows this to happen? And a little off the (very) big stage, a dictatorial lover leader lets his people starve while he celebrates one rocket firework after another. It is frankly a mystery to me how it could have come to this.

In Paris, we agreed on goals to get the climate back under control to some extent. But it will take a few years and a war in Europe before we realise that our dependence on fossil fuels is also a dependence on people who are not so interested in the climate. With the guns on our doorstep and winter in sight, it is suddenly possible to speed up urgently needed climate protection measures and shorten the approval procedure (alpine solar energy). In Holland and northern Germany, all possibilities are being explored to import hydrogen. Germany is securing a supplier in Canada, and the existing infrastructure of the oil industry is to be used for the market. Billions are being invested in this beacon of hope called H2. The oil companies see the chance to improve their image and dutifully support the development. The term "greenwashing" is born in the midst of blue, black, grey and green H2. Most ignore the fact that it takes much more than mere infrastructure and contracts. Social, economic, humanitarian and technical change are the keys to real and above all honest transformation.

The train has practically left the station. Unless, of course, humanity manages the "giant leap" so aptly described in the book "Earth for all". Action is urgently needed in so many areas. We can only hope that it won't take a war every time...