Press statement 230/05
Berlin, 02.09.2005
German Environment Minister Trittin rejects intentional misinterpretation of his comments
A guest commentary from Federal Environment Minister Juergen Trittin in the Frankfurter Rundschau (FR) last Tuesday (30 August 2005) is still causing heated discussion and raising accusations against the Minister several days later. Today, the Ministry spokesman, Michael Schroeren, has made the following statement:
1. The Federal Environment Minister has been following the news on hurricane Katrina, which has caused devastation along the southern coast of the USA, with deep concern. He is shocked by the impacts of the hurricane, which over the past three days have grown into a devastating catastrophe on an inconceivable scale, the full dimensions of which are still unforeseeable. There have already been hundreds if not thousands of deaths and immense damage. Minister Trittin extends his heartfelt sympathy to all those affected by this disaster, to relatives of the victims and to all the American people. In view of the only slowly unfolding extent of this disaster, priority must now be given to providing assistance and support wherever possible and as quickly as possible.
2. Against this background it is more than regrettable that not only was Minister Trittin's article misunderstood by some, it was also intentionally misinterpreted in a targeted way by others. The article in the Frankfurter Rundschau was written last Monday and was published the following day in the Tuesday edition - in other words, before there was any indication of the true scale of the disaster and before New Orleans was flooded. On the contrary: reports from the USA gave the impression that the consequences of the hurricane would not be as grave as at first feared. Most other articles in the German newspapers addressing this issue on Tuesday were also written on this assumption. Minister Trittin regrets any misunderstanding of his article that may have been caused by the fact that people could not know its complete wording or because they took knowledge of it only after the extent of destruction had become clear. However, the Minister categorically rejects the malicious allegation that he is indifferent to the fate of the flood victims or that he has exploited their fate to his own ends.
3. It is and remains a fact that climate change increases the likelihood of storms and floods in North America and Europe. It is a fact that man is playing a significant role in climate change with the emission of greenhouse gases. There is therefore a need to drastically reduce greenhouse gases on a worldwide scale. This statement is the key message of Mr. Trittin's article, which incidentally also advocates reaching out to America with a detailed proposal on the future of international climate protection.
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