Reinhold Messner at ideas competition Ruhr Natur, Zeche Zollverein, 23 Feb 23, intellectual impulse "renunciation

Düsseldorf, Environment, Feb. 26, 2023

Updated, 2 March 2023

Mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner and Minister President Hendrik Wüst discussed the topic of environmental protection and sustainability at Zeche Zollverein on February 23, 2023. "Renunciation: a small drop of stopping global warming.

An exclusive interview with Alethea Mag about his new book "Sinnbilder" and the plans for a new Messner Museum.

The interview was conducted in German. German version below

UNBOXING Valentino campaign shot by Steven Meisel, Courtesy of Valentino

Reinhold Messner at Zeche Zollverein on February 23, 2023 ©Brost Stiftung

Düsseldorf, February 26, 2023: North Rhine-Westphalia is about to embark on a special environmental project, and one that is aimed at the decision-makers of tomorrow. The Ruhr Natur ideas competition was presented, in which all school classes in the Ruhr region are invited to submit their ideas on environmental protection and sustainability. The prize is a student exchange with a school in South Tyrol with financial support from the Brost Foundation based in Essen.

The kick-off event was a panel discussion at Zeche Zollverein in the Brost Pavilion with Minister President Hendrik Wüst and mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner in front of more than 200 guests, including numerous schoolchildren. The event was preceded by a welcoming speech by Professor Bodo Hombach, Chairman of the Brost Foundation, who summed up: "It's not what's well-intentioned that counts, but what's done well," as well as a good-humored moderation by journalist and podcaster Dr. Hajo Schumacher.

Renunciation donates joy of life

Reinhold Messner understood it to pull the listeners into its spell. His important concern is the thought-provoking "renunciation" that is also the core element of his new book "Sinnbilder". He described himself as the initiator of renunciation alpinism, the 3rd phase of alpinism - he had started with 60 kg on Nanga Parpat, had renounced hooks and oxygen, among other things. He described his experiences as an arena of loneliness. In the face of death, life would become absurd. Renunciation, on the other hand, would give joy to life.

"My horizon-addicted existence is still not satisfied".

One of his goals today, he said, is for South Tyrol to become the pioneer in mountain tourism. On the subject of climate change in general, he also emphasized that we are living in a warm period, as we did 10,000 years ago, except that there are no records of it.

Renunciation and his new book "Sinnbilder"

In his speech, he emphasized how important it is for the young generation to listen to nature. Asked by the young people how he privately practiced environmental protection and sustainability, he said that he referred to the Inuit way of life, drinking only one coffee in the morning and eating only once a day. In addition, he drives a diesel, because an electric car would not be usable in his work.

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If you want to know more about the Ruhr Natur ideas competition:

If you would like to learn more about Reinhold Messner's museums click here:

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Alethea Magazine: I have already reported on your Messner Mountain museums. Now you are building another museum?

Reinhold Messner: I'm not building another museum, but rather adding another location to the existing museum structure: namely, an old cable car with a mountain station, which are in a perfect position for a museum facility. The operation of the cable car was discontinued because it was no longer up to date. I negotiated with the new owners and the district government for two years and managed to get it allowed to remain standing. Now it can be renovated and used for play. With an architect, I'm doing a restoration job that costs less than taking the steel and concrete to hazardous waste.

AM: You wrote the book "Sinnbilder" with your wife. Here at the Brost Foundation event, after all, the main focus is on young people. How can you motivate them on the subject of renunciation?

Reinhold Messner: That is precisely the subject of this book. Renunciation only works on a voluntary basis. Children have to realize in the voluntary process that it makes sense to do without. Even if individual renunciation is only a drop in the bucket when it comes to stopping global warming, if many join in, you can make a difference.

One big problem is overconsumption, and that's where each and every one of us can start. Of course, I can also do without my car, in which case I am a fossil fuel renouncer. But politicians must also act and intervene in a regulatory way, they must ensure that fossil fuels are pushed back more and more. Of course, this is also a global political issue. Who will then still have the opportunity to sell oil and gas? Rulers like Putin will have to change their ways if they no longer have the opportunity to make very big profits. Exactly, that is what is happening. Of course, people will still have to fly and drive cars, but there's no need for me to drive my car around on weekends or order 5 pieces of clothing a week from Amazon, which are then sent back and ordered again. That's a huge apparatus that produces a lot of waste, uses a lot of fossil fuels. Politicians will not do a damn thing to reduce consumption, because consumption is the guarantor for the growth of the national economy. That's the problem.

In the context of this discussion we made our book, in which we tell many such stories and show examples, and it even became an orderer.

The pictures from Zeche Zollverein, 23. February 2023

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Interview mit Reinhold Messner am 23. Februar 2023, Zeche Zollverein

Alethea Magazine: Ich habe bereits über Ihre Messner Mountain Museen berichtet. Jetzt bauen Sie ein weiteres Museum?

Reinhold Messner: Ich baue kein weiteres Museum, sondern ergänze die bestehende Museumsstruktur durch einen weiteren Standort: Und zwar durch eine alte Seilbahn mit Bergstation, die in perfekter Position für eine museale Anlage geeignet sind. Der Betrieb der Seilbahn wurde eingestellt, weil sie nicht mehr up to date war. Ich habe zwei Jahre lang mit den neuen Besitzern und der Bezirksregierung verhandelt und bewirkt, dass sie stehenbleiben darf. Nun kann die Anlage saniert und bespielt werden. Mit einem Architekten mache ich eine Wiederherstellungsarbeit, die weniger kostet, als den Stahl und Beton auf den Sondermüll zu bringen.

AM: Sie haben mit Ihrer Frau das Buch „Sinnbilder“ geschrieben. Hier bei der Veranstaltung der Brost-Stiftung geht es ja vor allem um junge Menschen. Wie kann man sie zu dem Thema des Verzichtens motivieren?

Reinhold Messner: Genau das ist das Thema dieses Buchs. Verzicht funktioniert nur auf freiwilliger Basis. Kinder müssen in der Freiwilligkeit merken, dass es sinnvoll ist, zu verzichten. Auch wenn individueller Verzicht nur ein Tropfen ist, wenn es darum geht, die globale Erwärmung aufzuhalten, wenn viele mitmachen, kann man einiges bewirken.

Ein großes Problem ist der übermäßige Konsum, und genau da kann jeder Einzelne von uns ansetzen. Natürlich kann ich auch auf das Auto verzichten, dann bin ich ein Verzichter auf fossile Brennstoffe. Aber auch die Politik muss handeln und regulierend eingreifen, sie muss dafür sorgen, dass die fossilen Brennstoffe mehr und mehr zurückgedrängt werden. Das ist natürlich auch ein weltpolitisches Thema. Wer hat dann noch die Möglichkeit, Öl und Gas zu verkaufen? Machthaber wie Putin werden sich umstellen müssen, wenn sie nicht mehr die Möglichkeit haben, ganz große Gewinne zu machen. Genau, das geschieht gerade. Natürlich werden die Menschen weiterhin fliegen und autofahren müssen, aber es ist nicht nötig, dass ich mit dem Auto am Wochenende durch die Gegend fahre oder 5 Kleidungstücke pro Woche bei Amazon bestelle, die dann zurückgeschickt und wieder neue bestellt werden. Das ist ein riesiger Apparat, der viel Müll produziert, viele fossile Brennstoffe braucht. Die Politik wird einen Teufel tun, den Konsum zu reduzieren, weil der Konsum der Garant ist für das Wachstum der Volkswirtschaft. Das ist das Problem.

Im Rahmen dieser Diskussion haben wir unser Buch gemacht, in dem wir vielen solcher Geschichten erzählen und Beispiele aufzeigen, und es ist sogar ein Besteller geworden.

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Das Interview wurde von C. Mauer geführt

Zeche Zollverein 23. February 2023: Bodo Hombach, Hendrik Wüst, Reinhold Messner, Dr. Boris Berger ©Brost Stiftung

Zeche Zollverein 23. February 2023: Moderator Dr. Hajo Schuhmacher, Bodo Hombach, Reinhold Messner and Hendrik Wüst ©Brost Stiftung

Zeche Zollverein 23. February 2023: Reinhold Messner, Diane Messner and students taking part in the competition ©Brost Stiftung

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