WWF warns: Platzertal memory threatens Tirol's nature and security!

WWF warns: Platzertal memory threatens Tirol's nature and security!

Platzertal, Österreich - The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) rated the environmental impact assessment (RRP) for the controversial expansion project of the Platzertal storage as "dangerous and natural destructive". This emerges from an analysis that the WWF has published today. The organization warns that the project could not only permanently destroy an important nature in Tyrol, but also harbors considerable security risks, in particular due to the unclear dangers from the climate crisis. This includes, among other things, permitors that can be triggered by thawing permafrost floors. These concerns have already been expressed by Maximilian Frey from the WWF, who describes the project as expensive and with high security risks.

The demand of the WWF is clear: the expansion of the Platzertal storage must be stopped, and instead, safe, natural alternatives for the energy transition should be considered. A promising option would be to expand the existing power plant group Sellrain-Silz, which would cause less nature destruction, since no new memory pool would be necessary. This type of performance increase in existing pumped storage power plants is common practice in Austria and would at the same time take ecological concerns into account.

critical biomass and loss of rare biotopes

Another critical point is the special habitat of the Platzertal, which is based on a unique moor moisture area, which has become rare in Austria. The WWF emphasizes that no compensation measure can really replace the destruction of this area. This would not only have serious consequences for biodiversity, but also a loss for future generations.

The destruction of natural habitats is in line with the many challenges that humanity currently has to manage in the context of the climate crisis and nature and climate protection. Human activities have changed and shaped nature significantly, whereby overuse of habitats through agriculture, water management and industrial activities leads to an imbalance in the ecosystems. This imbalance could endanger the survival of numerous species that have to adapt due to climatic changes.

The global challenge of the climate crisis

The climate crisis itself is an additional threat to nature, the consequences of which are obvious in many regions in the form of extreme weather events such as flooding, storming and heat waves. These phenomena are not only a danger to the environment, but also affect human life directly by causing crop failures and health risks. The responsibility, which results from these challenges, lies in the hands of everyone, and a stable climate is crucial for the livelihoods and biodiversity on the planet.