Warnings for Our Future life ?

2021 has been marked with deadly natural disasters around the world. The talk about the fight for climate change and environmental reforms have never been this present in our life as it is today.

A new horizon

A certain wind of change is rising around the world. Heatwaves and floods are causing large-scale damages across the North Hemisphere and affecting the population. Despite all these recent events, politicians are not doing enough to prevent future calamities.

Changes in mentality but not in politics

In Germany, the upcoming chancellor election in September of this year saw the rise of the Green German party, and Annalena Baerbock, their candidate. Moreover recent polls show the party to be the second voting force at 18%, a 10% increase compare to the 2017 election. However, they are still behind the main force the CDU (Christian Democrat Union) .The recent floods in the country that cost the life of more than 200 people and billions of dollars in structural damages are rising concerns for the region.

However frontrunner to succeed Angela Merkel as next chancellor, Armin Laschet, of the CDU has sparked outrage. He was caught on camera laughing while the president was delivering a solemn speech next to fallouts of the floods. In addition, the goal to lower the emission of 70 percent by 2030 seems beyond impossible with strong support for the fossil fuel industry by the CDU. This raised the question regarding politicians taking the fight for climate change seriously.

“lacking in decency and appalling in which the candidates show their true colours […] Today is such a moment.” Lars Klingbeil (SDP general secretary) said.

The Green Shamrock

In Ireland the fight for the environment saw a gleam of hope with their recent win at the Dáil Éireann (Lower House), and took twelve seats in the 2020 general election. This was the best result for the party in its history. Moreover, this gave them a voice to form a coalition since no party has won enough seats to call a majority. Furthermore, this gives great hopes for future environmental reforms in Ireland. However, the politicians did not follow through their promises.

A year later, in 2021 the party still hasn’t made any concrete steps for environmental policies, and has even hindered their own prepared bill. Additionally, members within the party were not happy with the changes in the bill as it was seen as less effective.

The fight for climate change in Ireland is also taking a difficult path with a weak and unstable coalition. Furthermore the recent position by Catherine Martin (one of the deputy leaders of the Green Party) going against the party leader Eamon Ryan, is threatening the stability of the Greens.

Despite recent surge of Green parties around Europe, it seems the effort to fight for climate change is slow, as no party looks to have enough power to make any concrete changes. The election in Germany in 2021, and in France in 2022 will be good indications for change and fight climate change.