Article published in The Guardian, January 5th, 2008

The Guardian has nominated Hermann Scheer as one of the "50 people who could save the planet".

Hermann Scheer, 43, is the MP who persuaded the German government to get rid of nuclear power and invest heavily in renewables such as wind and solar power. As a result, in less than 10 years, Germany is heading towards selfsufficiency in energy.

His greatest success has been a "feed in tariff law". This forces power companies to buy electricity generated by the public at more than triple market prices; 300,000 homeowners, farmers and small businesses have leapt in and started selling. Nearly 3% of Germany's electricity now comes from the sun. Spain, Portugal, Greece, France and Italy are all now introducing their version of Scheer's law and pressure is building in Britain and other countries. 

by John Vidal

www.guardian.co.uk