Munich (dpa/lby) - The BUND Naturschutz has significantly more members in Bavaria than the CSU, SPD and Greens combined. In 2022, the association recorded an increase of 2,500 people and now 265,000 members and sponsors, said state chairman Richard Mergner on Friday in Munich. For comparison: the CSU has around 130,000 and the SPD around 54,000 members, the Greens have almost 20,000.
"Despite inflation, war and the Covid pandemic, the willingness of the population to work to preserve our homeland and our planet is still great - you can see that in the membership numbers of our association, which have increased again," emphasized Mergner. 2022 was a successful year for the association. As examples he named the successful Radentscheid, the lawsuit against the shooting license of the Traunsteiner wolf and the disclosure of the destruction of the Rappenalpbach near Oberstdorf.
With a view to extending the nuclear lifetime until April, Mergner warned politicians against further turning away from the nuclear phase-out. "We will continue the fight against this highly dangerous and overpriced technology in the coming year and will not rest until the last nuclear power plant is switched off forever." He called for a large-scale demonstration on April 15 in Munich "to finally celebrate the end of nuclear power plants in Germany." Should there be further efforts for the continued operation or even the construction of nuclear power plants in Germany, the rally will be the prelude to a new anti-nuclear movement in Germany.
For 2023, Mergner named the upcoming state elections in Bavaria as a focus of BUND work. "As a grassroots democratic and non-partisan member association, BUND Naturschutz will take a very close look at the parties' election programs and put the candidates to the environmental test."
