Germany’s Merkel wants green recovery from coronavirus crisis

BERLIN, April 28 (Reuters) - Governments should focus on climate protection when considering fiscal stimulus packages to support an economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday.

Angela Merkel.

Her comments are the clearest sign yet that Merkel wants to combine the task of helping companies recover from the pandemic with the challenge of setting more incentives for reducing carbon emissions.

Speaking at a virtual climate summit known as the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, Merkel said she expected difficult discussions about how to design post-crisis stimulus measures and about which business sectors need more help than others.

"It will be all the more important that if we set up economic stimulus programmes, we must always keep a close eye on climate protection," Merkel said, adding the focus should be laid on supporting modern technologies and renewable energies.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the conference there could be an opportunity for the world in the "dark times" of the coronavirus crisis.

Read the Reuters story - “Germany’s Merkel wants green recovery from coronavirus crisis."

All man-made': Merkel vows to keep fighting against climate change

Berlin: German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she is fighting climate change with all her strength to enable future generations to live in peace and prosperity.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel poses for media after
the recording of her annual New Year's speech at the Chancellery in Berlin.

"Global warming is real. It is threatening," Merkel said in the recorded New Year's speech due to be broadcasted on Tuesday evening. Rising world temperatures and the problems created by global warming are all man-made, Merkel added.

Read the story from The Age by Michael Nienaber - “‘All man-made': Merkel vows to keep fighting against climate change.”

The Smog Chancellor by George Monbiot

Which living person has done most to destroy the natural world and the future wellbeing of humanity? Donald Trump will soon be the correct answer, when the full force of his havoc has been felt. But for now I would place another name in the frame. Angela Merkel.

George Monbiot.

What? Have I lost my mind? Angela Merkel, the “climate chancellor”? The person who, as German environment minister, brokered the first UN climate agreement, through sheer force of will? The Chancellor who persuaded the G7 leaders to promise to phase out fossil fuels by the end of this century? The architect of Germany’s Energiewende – its famous energy transition? Yes, the very same.

Unlike Donald Trump, she has no malicious intent. She did not set out to destroy the agreements she helped to create. But the Earth’s systems do not respond to mission statements or speeches or targets. 

They respond to hard fact. What counts, and should be judged, as she seeks a fourth term as German Chancellor in the elections on Sunday, is what is done, not what is said. On this metric her performance has been a planetary disaster.

Read the story by Guardian columnist, George Monbiot -“The Smog Chancellor.”

Donald Trump isolated on climate change in 'intense' exchange at G7 summit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Donald Trump was isolated on climate change at the Group of Seven meeting on Friday, as the US president said he's in no rush to decide whether to scrap his country's involvement in the Paris Agreement.

G7 leaders, from left, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Donald Trump,
and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. 

A closed-door session on the first day of the G7 summit in Sicily found unity on stepping up efforts to combat terrorism, but entered stormier waters on trade and on climate, Mrs Merkel said. At that stage it was six against one as leaders pressed Trump to hold to US agreements made under the landmark Paris climate accord.

"We made it clear that we want the US to stick to its commitments," Mrs Merkel told reporters after the meeting on Friday. "There were very different arguments from us all urging the president to hold to the climate accord." She said the discussion was conducted in a very "honest" atmosphere, leading to a "very intense exchange.”

After deriding climate change as a hoax and pledging to pull out of the Paris deal during his election campaign, Mr Trump has sidestepped the issue and passed up an number of opportunities to outline his international stance toward global warming. Members of his administration are deadlocked about whether the US should uphold the pact.

Read the story by Arne Delfs in today’s Melbourne Age - “Donald Trump isolated on climate change in 'intense' exchange at G7 summit.”

Donald Trump isolated on climate change in 'intense' exchange at G7 summit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Donald Trump was isolated on climate change at the Group of Seven meeting on Friday, as the US president said he's in no rush to decide whether to scrap his country's involvement in the Group of Seven .

G7 leaders met in Sicily on Friday to discuss trade,
climate change, refugees and other issues. 

A closed-door session on the first day of the G7 summit in Sicily found unity on stepping up efforts to combat terrorism, but entered stormier waters on trade and on climate, Mrs Merkel said. At that stage it was six against one as leaders pressed Trump to hold to US agreements made under the landmark Paris climate accord.

Read the story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Donald Trump isolated on climate change in 'intense' exchange at G7 summit.”

Capitalism will experience the most exquisite of deaths: Jeremy Rifkin

At the very moment of its ultimate triumph, capitalism will experience the most exquisite of deaths.

This is the belief of political adviser and author Jeremy Rifkin, who argues the current economic system has become so successful at lowering the costs of production that it has created the very conditions for the destruction of the traditional vertically integrated corporation.

Rifkin, who has advised the European Commission, the European Parliament and heads of state, including German chancellor Angela Merkel, says:

“No one in their wildest imagination, including economists and business people, ever imagined the possibility of a technology revolution so extreme in its productivity that it could actually reduce marginal costs to near zero, making products nearly free, abundant and absolutely no longer subject to market forces.”

With many manufacturing companies surviving only on razor thin margins, they will buckle under competition from small operators with virtually no fixed costs.

Read The Guardian story - “Radical new economic system will emerge from collapse of capitalism.”