Lutzerath: Greta Thunberg Detained During Coal Protest

Greta Thunberg, who joined the protestors in Lutzerath a few days ago, was detained and carried away by the police.

Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist who gained international recognition for her activism on climate change. She began protesting outside the Swedish parliament in August 2018 at the age of 15, and her protest inspired students around the world to strike for climate action.

In the town of Lutzerath, she was protesting with the activists against the digging of the village of Lutzerath for the expansion of the coal mine. Police have clarified that she had not been arrested and has been released after an ID check.

According to the police, the Swedish activist was detained after a group tried to jump across a ledge of a mine, named Garzweiler 2. The police have also confirmed that those who were detained won’t be charged. There was a separate incident related to this where a man jumped into a mine some 9 kilometers from Lutzerath.

Lutzerath’s Deposit and Protestors’ Anger

Lignite is the poorest and dirtiest form of coal. It is also known as brown coal and has a carbon content of 25–35%. Lignite is the lowest rank of coal due to its low heat content, which releases less heat but more carbon dioxide. It is harmful to the environment as well as humans. This type of coal can be found in abundance.

Lignite is the coal buried below the town of Lutzerath. Being the dirtiest form of coal, the protestors argue that burning this coal will undermine Germany’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The area around Lutzerath yields nearly 25 million metric tons of it. Germany has decided to phase-out coal across the nation by 2038.

Germany’s Green Initiative

German coal plants emit the most carbon dioxide in Europe when compared to other countries. In order to reduce carbon emissions, Germany is committed to an energy transition that will replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources such as solar or wind energy.

There are other initiatives, such as introducing more than six million electric vehicles by 2030. They are also heavily investing in the research and development of new technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells and carbon capture and storage. Through these initiatives, they hope to reduce the use of coal.

Germany relies heavily on coal for its energy needs, as a third of its electricity is generated by burning coal. The government has decided to phase out coal in this region by 2030. The national target for phase-out is 2038.

Role of RWE

Rheinisch-Westfälisches Elektrizitätswerk (RWE) was founded in 1898 and was headquartered in Germany. It is the biggest German electricity and natural gas company. It is also the largest utility company in Europe.

RWE has been in the coal business for many years, but in recent years, they have been transitioning into renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. Lutzerath is now owned by RWE. All the residents have left the town. The company wanted to mine the coal here because they needed it for the country’s ongoing winter energy needs.

Current Situation in Lutzerath

Protesters had been camped out in Lutzerath for nearly a year, determined to prevent RWE from excavating the site for lignite extraction. They had even made ample preparations to handle the police. They reinforced the barricades, prepared piles of bricks, and some even prepared tree houses high in the trees.

According to the most recent reports, the police have cleared 300 activists from the town. They have even removed the protestors from the tree houses. Nearly 35 tree structures and 30 wooden constructions were also cleared away. According to the police, there are no more activists in the town of Lutzerath.