The question in the ZDF talk was what role is played by rich people in the climate crisis. A millionaire made a statement that left many viewers speechless.
Munich – Hardly any other topic has occupied the media as much as climate change for months. Above all, the protests of the climate activists of the “last generation” attracted a lot of attention, which stuck and blocked roads. At the moment there are protests by the climate stickers in Berlin. The actions of the activists aroused much criticism.
One group that is obviously a particular target of the “last generation” are rich people – they are precisely those who are demanding more climate protection. In the “ZDF Today” talk, two people who represented their respective groups met. On social media, one statement in particular caused a lack of understanding.
CO2 emissions per person and distribution worldwide
According to the expert Michael Bilharz from the Federal Environment Agency in a podcast, CO₂ emissions per person in Germany are around 11.6 tons. The data of Climate Inequality Reports make it clear that the richest ten percent of the world’s population are responsible for almost half of emissions – for example from private jets. Also a data analysis of the newspaper taz came to the conclusion that wealthy people lead significantly more climate-damaging lives than the rest of the population.
In conversation with “Last Generation”: Millionaire makes rigorous climate statement
The subject of the ZDF program was “Kill the rich the climate”. Was on the Last Generation side Activist Theo Schnarr, who previously spoke in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA expressed. The other side was represented by entrepreneur, publisher and millionaire Julien Backaus.
“In the end, this crisis hits us as a whole – and then we have to find a solution for society as a whole,” Scharr appealed. Backaus had previously said, referring to other millionaires who would invest in climate protection: “Yes, that’s also good that they do it because they understand something about it and are interested in it. I don’t like that.”
Only a little later, the millionaire answered a question from the audience – and thus made his absolute indifference to the issue of climate protection clear. The question: “Mr. Backhaus, where and how do you fulfill your responsibility for future generations and our environment?”
The answer: “After me the deluge. I have no kids.”
“Disgusting character”: Twitter user indignant about millionaire’s climate statement
The millionaire’s statement caused excitement and incomprehension on social media. “I’m just speechless and shocked right now. And he says it so naturally,” commented one user on Twitter. Other comments included: “How you can discredit yourself with eight words like that”, “At least he doesn’t hide his disgusting ‘character'” or, in short, “What an ar***”.
Other users wrote that the statement falls under freedom of expression and that this attitude as a society must be able to endure. But then the user went on to say: “As a society, we don’t have to stand by, we can regulate behavior through taxes and bans.”
Other users credited the millionaire with being honest in his answer: “But at least he’s more honest than other rich people who wouldn’t admit it in order to maintain their social status.”
ZDF Talk: Millionaire encounters incomprehension with climate statement – expert classifies
After the conversation ended, climate expert Felix Creutzig classified the conversation and said, “The rich will not be able to solve the climate problem alone.” He also said: “Climate policy must also be impartial – that means treating everyone equally. This is the only way to ensure that society has confidence in climate policy. It is of course true that the rich have more financial opportunities to invest in climate protection. So here, of course, the rich also have more responsibility in their actions.” (kiba/mbr)
#deluge #kids