Hermann Scheer
Encyclopedia
Hermann Scheer was a Social Democrat
member of the German Bundestag (Parliament), President of Eurosolar
(The European Association for Renewable Energy) and General Chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy
. In 1999, Scheer was awarded the Right Livelihood Award
for his "indefatigable work for the promotion of solar energy worldwide".
Scheer believed that the continuation of current patterns of energy supply and use will be environmentally damaging, with renewable energy
being the only realistic alternative. Scheer had concluded that it is technically and environmentally feasible to harness enough solar radiation to achieve a total replacement of the foclear (fossil/nuclear) energy system by a global renewable energy economy. The main obstacle to such a change is seen to be political, not technical or economic. In 1999 he was one of the initiators of the German feed-in tariffs
that were the major source of the rise of renewable energies in Germany during the following years.
, and became a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
in 1965. As a student, while majoring in economics
and law
, he was active in student politics at the University of Heidelberg, and participated in the German student movement
of the 1960s. In 1979, he graduated from the Free University of Berlin
as a doctor of political science
.
He became a member of the Bundestag
in 1980, representing Baden-Württemberg
; in 1993, he also became a member of the federal steering committee (Bundesvorstand) of the Social Democratic Party. Scheer had a solid track record as an anti-establishment figure within his own party.
He called the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
a war crime
.
In his election districts, he always had to rely on a suitable placement on the party list to receive his mandates. He never had an executive post in government. In the preelection shadow cabinet of Andrea Ypsilanti
, candidate for prime minister of Hesse
in 2008, Scheer was pegged unsuccessfully as minister for development, environment and economics. The final list long after the election mentioned him as secretary of a downsized ministry of economics Scheer announced ambitious energy policy plans. The announcement of Scheer boosted the Ypsilanti campaign in the beginning but enhanced innerparty doubts about a non realistic approach in Hesses political and economic surroundings which made him fail finally. Scheer assumed Ypsilantis policies would result in a big big triumph of his party at the federal elections 2009.
His book Energy Autonomy
was instrumental in the making of the film Die 4. Revolution – Energy Autonomy
in which he stresses the revolution in capitalist ownership of our energy supply.
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
member of the German Bundestag (Parliament), President of Eurosolar
Eurosolar
Eurosolar is the non-profit European Association for Renewable Energy that conducts its work independently of political parties, institutions, commercial enterprises and interest groups...
(The European Association for Renewable Energy) and General Chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy
World Council for Renewable Energy
The World Council for Renewable Energy defends, develops, and promotes policies on the multinational, governmental, regional and individual levels in favour of the use of natural and renewable forms of energy to replace fossil and nuclear energy....
. In 1999, Scheer was awarded the Right Livelihood Award
Right Livelihood Award
The Right Livelihood Award, also referred to as the "Alternative Nobel Prize", is a prestigious international award to honour those "working on practical and exemplary solutions to the most urgent challenges facing the world today". The prize was established in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull, and is...
for his "indefatigable work for the promotion of solar energy worldwide".
Scheer believed that the continuation of current patterns of energy supply and use will be environmentally damaging, with renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
being the only realistic alternative. Scheer had concluded that it is technically and environmentally feasible to harness enough solar radiation to achieve a total replacement of the foclear (fossil/nuclear) energy system by a global renewable energy economy. The main obstacle to such a change is seen to be political, not technical or economic. In 1999 he was one of the initiators of the German feed-in tariffs
Feed-in tariffs in Germany
Feed-in electricity tariffs have been introduced in Germany to encourage the use of new energy technologies such as wind power, biomass, hydropower, geothermal power and solar photovoltaics. Each technology is eligible for a different feed-in rate...
that were the major source of the rise of renewable energies in Germany during the following years.
Life
Scheer was born in WehrheimWehrheim
Wehrheim is a municipality in Hesse, Germany some 30 km north of Frankfurt am Main.The town Wehrheim carries the nickname "Apfeldorf Wehrheim" .- Location :...
, and became a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
in 1965. As a student, while majoring in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, he was active in student politics at the University of Heidelberg, and participated in the German student movement
German student movement
The German student movement was a protest movement that took place during the late 1960s in West Germany. It was largely a reaction against the perceived authoritarianism and hypocrisy of the German government and other Western governments, and the poor living conditions of students...
of the 1960s. In 1979, he graduated from the Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
as a doctor of political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
.
He became a member of the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
in 1980, representing Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
; in 1993, he also became a member of the federal steering committee (Bundesvorstand) of the Social Democratic Party. Scheer had a solid track record as an anti-establishment figure within his own party.
He called the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
a war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
.
In his election districts, he always had to rely on a suitable placement on the party list to receive his mandates. He never had an executive post in government. In the preelection shadow cabinet of Andrea Ypsilanti
Andrea Ypsilanti
Andrea Ypsilanti is a German politician.-Political career:Ypsilanti is a member of the Hessian Landtag and was chairperson of the Social Democratic Party of Hesse from March 2003 to January 2009.In the Hesse state elections of 2008, held on 27 January 2008, she was the SPD's candidate for the...
, candidate for prime minister of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
in 2008, Scheer was pegged unsuccessfully as minister for development, environment and economics. The final list long after the election mentioned him as secretary of a downsized ministry of economics Scheer announced ambitious energy policy plans. The announcement of Scheer boosted the Ypsilanti campaign in the beginning but enhanced innerparty doubts about a non realistic approach in Hesses political and economic surroundings which made him fail finally. Scheer assumed Ypsilantis policies would result in a big big triumph of his party at the federal elections 2009.
His book Energy Autonomy
Energy Autonomy
Energy Autonomy: The Economic, Social & Technological Case for Renewable Energy is a 2007 book written by Hermann Scheer.For 200 years industrial civilization has relied on the combustion of abundant and cheap fossil fuels. But continued reliance has had some adverse social and environmental...
was instrumental in the making of the film Die 4. Revolution – Energy Autonomy
Die 4. Revolution – Energy Autonomy
The Fourth Revolution: Energy, also known as Die 4. Revolution – Energy Autonomy, is a German documentary film by Carl-A. Fechner, released in 2010...
in which he stresses the revolution in capitalist ownership of our energy supply.
Death
Fourteen days before his death he was seen live on German television making a statement in the Bundestag about a highly explosive ("hochbrisant") 60 billion euro breach of contract ("Vertragsbruch") by Germany's privately owned nuclear power corporations. He suddenly died in a hospital in Berlin from heart failure after an unspecified short and severe illness.Books
- Energy AutonomyEnergy AutonomyEnergy Autonomy: The Economic, Social & Technological Case for Renewable Energy is a 2007 book written by Hermann Scheer.For 200 years industrial civilization has relied on the combustion of abundant and cheap fossil fuels. But continued reliance has had some adverse social and environmental...
, The Economic, Social and Technological Case for Renewable Energy, 2006, EarthscanEarthscanEarthscan is an English language publisher of books and journals on climate change, sustainable development and environmental technology for academic, professional and general readers....
, ISBN 184473556 - A Solar Manifesto, 2005, Earthscan, ISBN 1902916514
- The Solar Economy, Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future , 2004, Earthscan, ISBN 1844070751
See also
- EurosolarEurosolarEurosolar is the non-profit European Association for Renewable Energy that conducts its work independently of political parties, institutions, commercial enterprises and interest groups...
- Renewable energy commercializationRenewable energy commercializationRenewable energy commercialization involves the deployment of three generations of renewable energy technologies dating back more than 100 years. First-generation technologies, which are already mature and economically competitive, include biomass, hydroelectricity, geothermal power and heat...
- International Renewable Energy AgencyInternational Renewable Energy AgencyThe International Renewable Energy Agency was founded in 2009 to promote widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy. IRENA facilitates access to all relevant renewable energy information, including technical data...
(IRENA) - Rolf DischRolf DischRolf Disch is a German architect, solar energy pioneer and environmental activist who has contributed greatly to the advancement and efficiency of solar architecture internationally...
- Anti-nuclear movement in GermanyAnti-nuclear movement in GermanyThe anti-nuclear movement in Germany has a long history dating back to the early 1970s, when large demonstrations prevented the construction of a nuclear plant at Wyhl. The Whyl protests were an example of a local community challenging the nuclear industry through a strategy of direct action and...
- Michael SladekMichael SladekMichael Sladek is a German doctor and bearer of the Bundesverdienstkreuz.He became famous by realising a grid-independent system for producing electricity, by distributed little power plants....
- World Future CouncilWorld Future CouncilThe World Future Council is an independent body formally founded in Hamburg, Germany on 10 May 2007. "Formed to speak on behalf of policy solutions that serve the interests of future generations", it includes members active in governmental bodies, civil society, business, science and the arts...
- Hans-Josef FellHans-Josef FellHans-Josef Fell is a member of the Green Party in the German Parliament. Fell framed the German Renewable Energy legislation, together with Hermann Scheer...
- Die 4. Revolution – Energy AutonomyDie 4. Revolution – Energy AutonomyThe Fourth Revolution: Energy, also known as Die 4. Revolution – Energy Autonomy, is a German documentary film by Carl-A. Fechner, released in 2010...
External links
- Official website
- Hermann Scheer in One of His Final Interviews - video by Democracy Now!Democracy Now!Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...