"Farewell to the Environment Ministry"
Has the environment experienced improvement during your tenure, Steffi Lemke?
Social Media E-Mail Print Copy Link Three and a half years in the Federal Ministry of Environment, and Steffi Lemke from Dessau was steering the Green agenda. On May 6, she had to leave her government seat in the Bundestag, but not without a bang - just hours before handing over to Carsten Schneider, she opened the first National Marine Protection Conference. The goal? Recover thousands of tons of toxic World War II munitions from the North and Baltic Seas.
ntv.de: Your very last act as Environment Minister - the National Marine Protection Conference. Why?
Steffi Lemke: Marine protection has been largely overlooked in federal politics. It's crucial for climate, food supply, and oxygen production. So, I set out to make it a federal priority. The marine protection conference was the perfect conclusion to my term.
Panorama: Any concrete plans to tackle this issue?
We've started the recovery of toxic munitions from the North and Baltic Seas. Thousands of tons are contaminating the water, releasing harmful substances. We've postponed this for years, but now the program is funded, and the first test removals have taken place.
On a lighter note, why now? They haven't harmed anyone so far...
It's not about individual unexploded ordnance; it's about the massive amount of munitions dumped into the sea after World War II without any thought for the future. Now they're rusting and disintegrating, causing toxic spillage - there are already signs in mussels.
So, what happens to the munitions once recovered?
A floating facility on a platform at sea will be built to destroy the munitions. If it works, it could serve as a model worldwide. There's great interest in it; we're pioneers.
The NATURAL Climate Protection Program - 3.5 billion euros! Is money the key to environmental progress?
Environmentalists used to have to beg for scraps. Now we have the equipment we need for major projects - restoring forests, floodplains, and moors to combat climate change, droughts, and floods. We started from zero, so the benefits will take a few years, but it's a necessary investment.
The newly formed government - will they continue your good work?
The coalition agreement worries me. Climate, environmental, and nature protection are virtually non-existent there. Instead, environmentally harmful subsidies are being increased.
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- Steffi Lemke
- Environment Ministry
- Environmental Protection
- Carsten Schneider
Did You Know?Marine pollution is a global concern, with an estimated 640,000 tons of plastic waste entering oceans every year. The majority of that comes from land-based sources[1]. However, less is known about the impact of old World War II munitions in the North and Baltic Seas.[1] (Source: United Nations Environment Programme)
Tip for Further ReadingTo delve deeper into the challenges and potential solutions for marine conservation, you can visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Ocean Service website at https://oceanservice.noaa.gov. From there, you can explore topics such as marine debris, ocean health, and climate change.
- Steffi Lemke stressed the importance of marine protection in her final act as Environment Minister, stating that it is crucial for climate, food supply, and oxygen production, and should be a federal priority.
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Ocean Service website provides further reading on marine conservation, including topics such as marine debris, ocean health, and climate change.
- The newly formed government's coalition agreement is a concern for Steffi Lemke, as environmental and nature protection appear to be virtually non-existent, while environmentally harmful subsidies are being increased.
