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Though many had anticipated a cakewalk for old-style environmentalists in imposing the costs for their expensive energy policies on everyone, instead the Greens are caught in a quagmire of bad news about themselves. Predictions that the Green party would have an easy time embarrassing opponents of wind power stations and eco-taxes on fuel have met unexpected resistance. It is obvious that this quagmire results from severely reduced media support. Many journalists have begun not only to question targets such as 25 percent "renewable" energy by 2020 but the idea of "renewable" energy as such. On the other hand, large-scale studies show, that the individual separation of household waste, compulsory in Germany and another holy cow of old-style environmentalists, is the most energy-intensive way to recycle. New recycling technologies could separate the content of garbage bins much cheaper, hygienic and more precise. Thus individual waste separation will soon disappear.
So far, 2005 has been a tough year for the eco-crowd. Many people don't believe any longer, that a world made of speed limits, individual waste separation, high energy costs and without regular low cost flights to the Mediterranean is a better place to live. Having the choice between a cheap vacation on the beach and the credo of man-made climate change, the majority prefers to go to the beach. Michael Crichton's book "State of Fear" was not only published but also widely accepted. Even local newspapers advertised it and Hollywood will make it a movie. And even worse for the Greens: resistance against their policies is significantly growing.
At least Jurgen Trittin, the German minister for the environment knows that. That's why this month he and his friends, the highly subsidized alternative energy producers, started an "image campaign" to challenge growing criticism against subsidizing alternative energy production. An internal memo was quoted in the press saying that the campaign was caused by the "heavy attacks" on "particular" types of energy production. Therefore the "density of information" should be increased. For a whole set of free films and articles, databases and events 3 million Euro (3,9 million USD) will be spent by the government. The other half of the budget will come from organizations such as national association of alternative energy producers and other lobbyists. The fear of Mr. Trittin is so strong, that he appointed Klaus Toepfer, director of the Environmental Program of the United Nations (UNEP), and - of course ! - a former Christian-Democrat politician, as patron of the campaign.
Benefits of the campaign the Minister is always mentioning is the growing awareness of the great market potential of the heavily subsidized "renewable" energy technologies - but only in the "markets of tomorrow" - and the alleged 130.000 jobs that were already created by its producers, a figure without any statistical evidence. What he is not mentioning are the beneficiaries. Among them is the Heinrich Boll Foundation, which is the political foundation of the Minister's political party, which receives public funding for organizing a conference "to analyze the origins of local resistance" against wind power stations and bio gas factories. It shall "encourage to promote the use of these eco-friendly energies in the future as well". An open debate with new environmentalists such as CFACT is not foreseen.
However: When a federal Minister is telling you that there is great market potential and a great acceptance of certain technologies but announces a 6 million Euro campaign in the same press release to promote these technologies, you know he is in a state of total fear and disarray. He shouldn't feel so bad. He is probably not living in a wind park.
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