Christoph Schmidt
Name: Christoph Schmidt
Country: Germany
What is your background?
My background is mathematics and theoretical physics. My work on automorphism of free groups was sufficient for a diploma. Most of my life I spent in the IT-industry (IBM, T-Systems and others). I have also been working in the real estate industry for 20 years.
Since when and why are you interested in climate change and how did your views on climate change evolve?
Since 2020. In my opinion, it has not yet been and will not be possible to scientifically prove the exact impact of manmade CO2 emissions on the global climate over the next 75 years. All we have are model calculations, which are constantly being revised and refined. Despite all this, I think it is sensible to reduce CO2 emissions overall, but not with the brutality that the European Union and the German government are currently practicing. I am a big fan of nuclear power. An industrialized country could certainly be supplied by 50% nuclear power and 50% renewable energies.
Is climate change a big issue in your country and how do you notice this?
In reality, the climate change has little impact on Germany. But the current climate policy is severely damaging prosperity in Germany.
What would climate policy ideally look like in your view?
Adaptation measures are plannable and feasible. For example, the dikes can be raised by 50 cm. There are precautionary measures against the claimed weather events (drought, heavy rain or storms). Electric cars and heat pumps are suffering from significant disadvantages.
What is your motivation to sign the CLINTEL World Climate Declaration?
To support the scientific dialogue and to take reasonable measures.