After Kickl's Remarks

“Blasphemy”: Criticism from the Scientific Community and the Church

With his statements on climate change, the leader of the Blue Party, Herbert Kickl, has sparked discontent among scientists and church representatives.(Bild: Krone-Collage/APA/HANS KLAUS TECHT, Handler Wolfgang)

Following the ORF “Summer Interview” with Herbert Kickl, criticism of the FPÖ party leader’s statements on climate change continues unabated. In addition to climate researchers, representatives of the Catholic and Protestant churches are now also speaking out: They are demanding a “clarification.”

The FPÖ leader had stated on ORF that attributing responsibility for current global warming to humans was “a form of blasphemy.” He also referred to the promotion of climate protection measures as a kind of “sale of indulgences.” This has now drawn opposition not only from the scientific community.

The environmental representatives of the Catholic and Protestant churches in Carinthia have criticized the statements in an open letter: “Those who take responsibility for creation are not engaging in the sale of indulgences. And those who acknowledge the limits of human action are not committing blasphemy.”

With his statements on climate change, the Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl has sparked discontent among scientists and church representatives.(Bild: Krone-Collage/APA/HANS KLAUS TECHT, Handler Wolfgang)

“Man-made climate change is not a worldview,” they emphasize in their joint letter, “it is not a religion and certainly not a matter of personal faith. It is first and foremost a matter of physics and climate science.”

According to Christian understanding, as part of creation, humans are also responsible for its preservation.(Bild: GiorgioMorara - stock.adobe.com)

It is undisputed that the climate has changed repeatedly throughout Earth’s history. However, it cannot be inferred from this that humans today have no influence on global warming.

“Climate science does not require faith”
According to Christian understanding, humans are not the owners of the world, but rather part of creation and therefore also responsible for its preservation. Anyone who takes scientific findings seriously and warns of the consequences of human action is therefore not acting contrary to the Christian faith. “Climate science does not require faith. It requires taking scientific findings seriously.” Precisely for this reason, a political debate needs a common foundation of facts—not the questioning of scientific findings.

Kromp-Kolb:“It’s beenclear for about 40 years”
Climate researcher Helga Kromp-Kolb also refutes Kickl’s argument:“There’s no denying that humans can influence the climate,” she says. “Just because natural climate change exists doesn’t mean there isn’t also human-induced climate change.”

“You’d have to ask Herbert Kickl what evidence he actually still needs,” says the climate researcher. From a scientific perspective, it has been clear for about 40 years that humans play a decisive role in current climate change; no other theory explains the observed changes nearly as well.

Just because natural climate change exists doesn’t mean there isn’t also human-induced climate change.

Klimaforscherin Helga Kromp-Kolb

Bild: Klemens Groh

Of course, humans have adapted in the past as well, often through migration: “But the changes we had to adapt to in the past were slow. What’s happening now, on the other hand, is happening quite quickly, and the climate changes have taken on quite dramatic proportions.”

Essl: “Climate policy is about protecting people”
Ecologist Franz Essl from the University of Vienna shares a similar view: “The massive burning of fossil fuels is the cause of global warming, which is now impossible to ignore even in Austria,” says the leading expert at the intersection of climate change and the biodiversity crisis, “there is no reasonable doubt about that.”

The massive burning of fossil fuels is the cause of global warming, which is now unmistakable even here. There is no reasonable doubt about that.

Ökologe Franz Essl

Bild: Thomas Lehmann

The fact that the chairperson of a party leading in the polls still questions this after a summer of heat and drought should be “a serious cause for concern,” he notes: “Such dinosaur-era policies recklessly jeopardize Austria’s future. And this, of all things, from the self-proclaimed ‘home party.’”

This must be clearly stated: “Climate policy is about protecting people.” Phasing out oil and gas is possible; electricity from wind, water, and the sun “unbeatably cheap. What’s needed is convincing political will,” says Essl. Climate protection must be “concretely shaped through appropriate laws and explained to the people; then a majority of voters will support such a policy.”

Fischer: “Let’s clean this up together now”
Renowned glaciologist Andrea Fischer shares a similar view: She can immediately list a whole series of indicators of human-caused climate change. Ultimately, however, she says: “It doesn’t matter who did it and who ‘just watched.’ Now we have to clean this up together.”

It doesn’t matter who did it and who ‘just watched.’ Now we have to clean this up together.

Gletscherforscherin Andrea Fischer

Bild: APA/EXPA

And she emphasizes the importance of this: While it is “unfortunate when glaciers are retreating or it’s hot—what really worries us is something else entirely: threats like floods, mudslides, landslides, droughts, wildfires, etc.”

Fischer: “Now we all have to work together to ensure that we and our children can continue to live well in our homeland in the future. Climate disasters have always happened from time to time; that’s true,” she says—and adds: “Many species have gone extinct in the process, from the dinosaurs to the present day. We mustn’t give up our home, our beautiful country, so easily.”

In its Sixth Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concludes that human influence has unequivocally warmed the atmosphere, the ocean, and land surfaces.

Meteorologe Marc Olefs

Bild: B.Wirl

Olfes: “Human influence beyond doubt”
Of course, climate research does not cite human-generated CO₂ as the “sole” cause of global warming, explains meteorologist Marc Olefs: “It takes into account all known natural and human factors.” These include, for example, changes in solar activity, volcanic eruptions, and natural climate fluctuations such as El Niño, as well as CO₂, methane, nitrous oxide, aerosols, and land-use changes.

“However, the result of this comprehensive analysis is clear: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change” (IPCC, or, simply put, the World Climate Council) concludes in its Sixth Assessment Report that human influence has unequivocally warmed the atmosphere, the ocean, and land surfaces,” emphasizes the head of the climate research department at GeoSphere Austria.

While natural factors may temporarily mask temperature trends, “they do not explain the long-term global warming trend since the 19th century.”

A recent study confirms this finding: “For the period 2016 to 2025, observed global warming of 1.26°C is offset by approximately 1.24°C of human-induced warming. This means that virtually all global warming to date is attributable to human influences.”