Germany’s Trains Going Carbon-Free

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(Reuters) Germany’s Deutsche Bahn announced today that it intends to have the German rail system carbon free by 2050.

“Deutsche Bahn says it wants to raise the percentage of wind, hydro and solar energy to power its trains from 20 percent now to 28 percent in 2014 and become carbon-free by 2050.

“Consumers in Germany have made it clear they want us all to get away from nuclear energy and to more renewable energy,” Hans-Juergen Witschke, chief executive of Deutsche Bahn Energie, said of the railway’s attention-grabbing revised targets that exceed the government’s already ambitious national aims.
“It’s what customers want and we’re making it happen,” Witschke said in an interview with Reuters. “The demand for green electricity keeps rising each year and that’ll continue.”
     Let me get this straight. Not only does Germany have a 200 mile an hour train, but they appear to be likely to have the entire thing running entirely on wind, solar and hydroelectric  power before the Republicans get around to deciding if they’ll accept the funding in their states. Oh and their rail industry is voluntarily exceeding the green requirements of the government because their customers want them to. 

“Germany is already a world leader in renewable energy. About 17 percent comes from renewables, up from 6 percent in 2000.

The German government aims to raise that share to 35 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. Witschke said Deutsche Bahn will have 35 or 40 percent by 2020 and 100 percent by mid-century.
“We’ve got a vision of being carbon free by 2050. That’s not just a declaration of intent. It’s a concrete business target.”
    And I’m supposed to be afraid of socialism?
     Auf widersehen.
The Town Scryer
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