“It gives the impression that only nature comes to kiss your hand”

Failures in nature conservation, blockage of the energy transition, partially ineffective spatial planning – the ecological “sin register” of state politics is well filled, according to the Environmental Alliance, consisting of the environmental umbrella organization, environmental advocacy, nature lovers and the Alpine Association. An “action plan” presented on Thursday called on those responsible to finally give “Upper Austrian nature conservation more bite,” said environmental lawyer Martin Donat.

“Accumulation of questionable projects”

In the past few months in particular, there has been an increase in “projects that are questionable from a nature conservation perspective.” According to Donat, you just have to look at the gas drillings not far from the Kalkalpen National Park, which has been approved by the responsible authorities.

According to Franz Maier, President of the environmental umbrella organization, the “test drillings by the ADX soldiers of fortune in Molln” evidenced a “backward-looking policy that continues to promote fossil fuels and ignores the energy transition.”

• You might also be interested in: Mollner drilling opponents temporarily buried nature conservation

In the same breath, Maier criticized the feed-in stop for private PV electricity. The corresponding infrastructure in the form of network and storage would have to be created as quickly as possible. “The question of the energy transition is also a question of location,” says Maier, who sees an opportunity primarily in existing hydroelectric power plants. If these were modernized, i.e. equipped with new turbines, they could produce 50 percent more electricity – without sealing new areas or having to allow additional interventions in nature.

• Article on the topic: Photovoltaics: Expansion stopped in seven regions in the country

Maier also sees untapped potential in the expansion of PV systems. These would already be widely accepted by the population. They could be installed “on practically any surface that has already been built on – from private house roofs to public buildings and business areas to parking lots.” “Not a square meter of free meadow or forest would be used”.

Frauenkar “questionable”

The Environmental Alliance doesn’t say anything good about the approved expansion of the Frauenkar lifts in the Wurzeralm ski area. According to Christian Dornauer, managing director of Naturfreunde Oberösterreich, this is “questionable” not only because of the funding promised by the state of Upper Austria of up to 14.9 million euros (66 percent of the construction costs), but also from a nature conservation perspective. The valley station is located in an ecologically valuable wetland, the planned restaurant next to the mountain station borders on a nature reserve. There are also plans to cut 10,000 square meters of forest for the new lift route.

• Also read: Chairlift becomes gondola lift: Court approves expansion of Wurzeralm

For Harald Jungwirth, nature conservation officer at the Alpine Association, the project shows “that people in Upper Austria are willing to do anything when it comes to nature conservation if the investor only wants it.” According to environmental lawyer Donat, the impression is becoming more and more that “only nature comes to kiss the hand, and in the rarest of cases the donors.”

Public transport expansion required

Keyword winter tourism: According to the Environmental Alliance, this has “long since reached its technical expansion limit,” says Dornauer. Rather, tourism regions, especially in mountainous regions, must “strive to develop modern mobility concepts”. The expansion of public transport offerings is particularly crucial: “70 percent of emissions in winter tourism are caused by the arrival and departure of guests by car – this is where we need to start.”

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