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German vegans have mounted a boycott against wind power, incensed by the pointless and bloody slaughter of millions of birds and bats.

Irony comes in many sizes and shapes, but the idea of one group of moralising zealots taking on another group of moralising zealots, is simply delicious (so to speak).

The concept of carnivorous wind and sun worshippers going toe to toe with tofu and mung bean munching Germans throws up the opportunity for a new form of blood-sport, a bit like bear-baiting, in the Deutschland of old.

At least one electricity retailer has decided to deliver up the kind of electricity that might just satisfy the ethically fussy palates of German vegans. The cleverly named ‘Vegawatt’ promises to deliver electricity to satisfy all animal lovers, including hard-core vegos.

Although, STT is not quite sure how Vegawatt proposes separating its morally sound megawatts from the unethical stuff, enabling it to deliver only the former to its pious customers as its marketing pitch so nobly promises? Once excited electrons start tearing around an enormous electricity grid, both the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ behave in precisely the same manner, making the evil ones pretty hard to distinguish. [Note to Ed: that’s got more to do with physics than ethics, me thinks].

“Vegawatts” Now Getting Fed Into Energy Grid… German Power Utility Now Offering “Vegan” Electricity And Gas!

No Tricks Zone

Pierre Gosselin

2 September 2018

Many of us are familiar with the strict aspects of the vegan diet, which calls on humans to refrain from eating any type of animal-based products such as meat, eggs, dairy and so on.

Also vegans are careful not to buy or use any type of product made from animals, such as leather.

The protection and welfare of animals are the top priorities of veganism. Many claim health benefits as well, but this is hotly disputed, e.g. see here and here. According to German DLF public radio, a power provider in Ludwigshafen Germany now offers electricity and gas to vegans that do not cause harm to animals.

Free of “bird strikes”

Vegawatt offers the so-called “vegan energy” to consumers nationwide. The company is a subsidiary of the Technische Werke Ludwigshafen AG – a German energy utility. According to the Vegawatt’s website, the power is: “100% solar electricity: environmentally friendly, sustainable and free of bird strikes.”

Sorry, no wind power please

Not surprisingly vegan power from Vegawatt is not allowed to be generated by wind turbines because of bird and bat strikes. Moreover, the destruction of forests to allow the construction of wind parks destroy homes for animals.

According to the DLF, nuclear power, coal power and electricity from biogas plants are unacceptable to vegans as well. Also hydroelectric power is not okay because of fish-kill. The DLF broadcasting wonders: “Are there enough fish ladders?”

Only certain sources of solar power

The only energy that remains which can qualify as vegan power is solar generated electricity. But here not all solar generation systems are certifiable as “vegan”, writes the DLF. For example solar parks built on fields do not qualify because they adversely impact habitats of wild animals.

Solar energy from panels installed on barns are acceptable, but only if the housed animals are “free range” and not kept on an industrial scale of any kind. It’s probably safe to assume that these free-range pasture animals must also later never be slaughtered or milked for the purpose of satiating the appetites of the carnivorous humans.

Also the solar panels probably also need to be installed on buildings that are built to be sustainable, and are not connected to any non-sustainable activity.

Broad market acceptance

According to DLF broadcasting, Vegawatt power has found broad acceptance, especially among the vegan culture, which “can take on partially sectarian characteristics”, says a spokesperson for parent company TWL Energie Deutschland GmbH.

Vegan gas in short supply

Vegawatt also offers “vegan gas”, the DLF reports. But the gas also must be of strictly controlled origins. For example, biogas produced through the fermentation of corn grown as industrial monoculture is not permitted to be given the “vegan” label.

Real vegan gas is currently made from sugar beet residue from sugar beet presses. The sugar beet residue is waste which cannot be used as fertilizer or as feed for animals.

DLF reports: “Since the raw materials for biogas production must also be completely free of animal raw materials, Vegawatt can currently only offer small amounts of vegan gas.”

No Tricks Zone