Wolfgang Metzeler-Kick | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Wolfgang Metzeler-Kick during the 48th day of his hunger strike in April 2024. At this point, Metzeler-Kick had lost almost 20kg of body weight. | |
| Born | Wolfgang Metzeler 21 April 1977 |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | Climate activist |
| Movement | Last generation |
Wolfgang Metzeler-Kick is a German environmental engineer and political activist. He is part of the Starving for honesty climate hunger strike campaign and is on hunger strike. Wolfgang has been without food for more than 85 days on the first days of June 2024.
Live
editWolfgang Metzeler-Kick studied technical environmental protection in Munich. He lives in Regensburg and is an active member of Letzte Generation political climate group.[1][2] Wolfgang Metzeler-Kick later completed nursing training. He dropped out to become a climate activist.[3]
He was involved in direct actions by the Letzte Generation climate movement. As of May 2024, around 80 criminal proceedings were open against him.[3]
Hunger strike 2024
editThe strike campaign set up camp at Robert Habeck's (Alliance 90/Greens) Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in Berlin.[4] On March 7, 2024 Metzeler Kick andd several other scientists began their hunger strike under the motto “Starve until you are honest.” They are demanding a government declaration from Chancellor Scholz in which he should say that no more CO2 should be emitted.[5][6]
On May 28, the “Starve Until You Are Honest” campaign announced that after 83 days on hunger strike, his life was in acute danger. Wolfgang Metzeler-Kick is still responsive and oriented, but physically very weak. His volunteer medical team handed over responsibility for medical support. Nevertheless, he is determined to continue the hunger strike.[7]
Demands
editThe group of the Letzte Generation published Wolfgang Metzeler-Kick demands:
- Our government must admit failure in the climate emergency and declare that limiting global warming to 1.5°C by 2100 is no longer possible. It must show that climate tipping points have already been triggered (e.g. Thwaites Glacier) and that triggering a cascade of self-warming with fatal consequences is the most likely result when the 1.5°C mark is exceeded at the latest.
- Our government must make a very visible commitment to canceling the financial debt of the countries most affected by global warming. How should these countries be able to spare money for climate protection if they are constantly caught in the vicious cycle of paying off debt? The industrialized countries bear the historical blame for the climate catastrophe - canceling the debt would be a first step in reparations, which Mr. Scholz completely ignored in his speech at COP27!
- Our government must decarbonize the transport sector. A speed limit of 100 km/h and the reintroduction of the €9 ticket are necessary immediate measures.
Support
editThe former member of the Bundestag for the Greens, Hans-Josef Fell, supported the hunger strikers' demands, arguing that the words of a Federal Chancellor, alongside those of a Federal President, have a strong influence on society. It is important that a chancellor states the facts about the impending climate catastrophe. In this way, he creates the necessary support to align climate protection legislation with relevant court rulings.[1]
The former head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, Eicke Weber, supported the hunger strikers' actions and Metzeler-Kick, saying that if action was not taken quickly, there would not be one death, but millions of deaths. The problem has been recognized and there are technical possibilities to solve it. These are also economical.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Klimaaktivist aus Bayern will Hungerstreik in Berlin verschärfen". BR24 (in German). 2024-05-23. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ Frahm, Joscha (2024-06-02). "Bewegungsforscher zu Klima-Hungerstreik: „Das ist kein Spiel"". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ a b Ramm, Wiebke (2023-06-15). "(S+) Wolfgang Metzeler-Kick: Der Überzeugungstäter von der Letzten Generation". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ deutschlandfunk.de. "Hungerstreik fürs Klima". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ tagesschau.de. "Berlin: Nach wochenlangem Protest: Scholz ruft Klimaaktivisten zum Abbruch ihres Hungerstreiks auf". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1412966/allemagne-deux-mois-de-greve-de-la-faim-pour-un-militant-du-climat.html
- ^ Deutschland, RedaktionsNetzwerk (2024-05-28). "Klima-Hungerstreik in Berlin: Teilnehmer schwebt in Lebensgefahr". www.rnd.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-06-03.