[IP] Der Speigel: Katrina's Trans-Atlantic Waves
Begin forwarded message:
From: Paul Saffo <psaffo@xxxxxxxx>
Date: August 31, 2005 8:16:17 PM EDT
To: Dave Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Der Speigel: Katrina's Trans-Atlantic Waves
SPIEGEL ONLINE - August 31, 2005, 05:30 PM
URL: http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,372405,00.html
Katrina's Trans-Atlantic Waves
German Minister Stands Behind Criticism of Bush
German Environmental Minister Jürgen Trittin remains stolid in his
assertion that Hurricane Katrina is linked to global warming and
America's refusal to reduce emissions. He may be right, but the
timing of his tirade is way off.
In an article in the Frankfurter Rundschau, Jürgen Trittin, wrote,
"Greenhouse gases have to be radically reduced worldwide. The US has,
up until this point, had its eyes closed to this emergency."
Germany's Minister of the Environment, Jürgen Trittin of the Green
Party, on Tuesday unleashed a firestorm of criticism in the United
States over comments he made in a newspaper column directly linking
the natural catastrophe in the American South to global warming.
After Hurricane Katrina bashed America's Gulf States and left New
Orleans a sunken wasteland, Trittin wrote an editorial lashing out at
US President George W. Bush for "closing his eyes" to the dangers of
global warming. The polemic began with the line, "Recently in the
theaters, now in real life," and went on to compare the scenes of
Hurricane Katrina to Roland Emmerich's Hollywood blockbuster "The Day
after Tomorrow."
He also said that if something is not done soon -- in other words if
Bush maintains his current stance on global warming and continues to
reject the Kyoto Protocol to reduce emissions -- America and Europe
can expect even more storms like Katrina in the future. American
readers reacted with a vengeance and their angry words filled our in-
box Wednesday here at SPIEGEL ONLINE. Essentially, they were outraged
that in the middle of a crisis, a German minister would turn to
America and -- instead of reaching out a helping hand -- virtually
point a finger and say, "You asked for this."
Yet, despite the uproar he has caused, Trittin remains unrepentant.
On Wednesday, his spokesman Michael Schroeren even said that he
"can't understand ... at all" why Americans are upset. Trittin's
comments "are true and he wrote what he meant."
Carsten Voigt, who coordinates German-American relations for the
German Foreign Ministry, attempted to smooth over any hard feelings
on Wednesday, by stressing Germany's concern for America's Gulf Coast
states and suggesting that Trittin's comments -- albeit accurate --
were badly timed and somewhat misplaced, given the scale of the
catastrophe.
"I agree with what he said, but of course, the way it was said is
another matter," said Voigt. "The main point though is that climate
change is an issue that needs to be put on the table. ... I think
that at this point, given the circumstances, one should be a bit more
diplomatic than Mr. Trittin was, but there is general consensus in
Germany that climate change is a major issue. It has nothing to do
with who is in power (German Chancellor Gerhard) Schröder or Bush. It
is not about Kyoto. The most important thing is that we do something."
He also said that though he does not see Bush or American policy as
to blame for Katrina, he does believe that the hurricane "was
stronger because of climate change." Global warming, he said, is a
"long-term question" but it is "certainly true that when a land is so
highly developed as the US, it has a responsibility to work against
climate change. When the US has a better plan (than Kyoto or anything
else currently being suggested), then please," we'd like to hear it,
he said.
Voigt also took pains to stress Germany's willingness to help America
and American victims in any way possible. Indeed, Interior Minister
Otto Schily offered up as much aid as America needs. An upper-level
government spokesperson told SPIEGEL ONLINE that, "the Foreign
Ministry is in constant contact with its American partner agencies"
and is following the aftermath of Katrina "with concern." The bottom
line though is that America -- which has one of the most
sophisticated rescue operations in the world -- almost certainly
won't be asking for assistance.
"We only send things when our help helps," Voigt said. "Right now,
this is not about money. It is about solidarity with our American
partners. And we certainly feel that."
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