Tesla allowed to cut down trees

Nothing proves your green credentials like cutting down trees

While many people drive Teslas thinking they are saving the polar bear, the firm has been told by a court that it can make up for its lower-carbon fuel footprint by cutting down trees.

Tesla got approval from a German court on Thursday to continue to cut down forest near the capital Berlin to build its first European car and battery factory, in a defeat for local environmental activists.

The court said in a statement it had rejected urgent applications to stop the land being cleared of trees from several environmental groups, adding its ruling was final. It had temporarily halted the tree felling earlier this month.

The US electric carmaker announced plans last November to build a gigafactory in Gruenheide in the eastern state of Brandenburg that surrounds Berlin, a decision that was initially lauded as a vote of confidence in Germany.

However, local and national lawmakers were caught out by the strength of opposition to the Gigafactory, with hundreds of demonstrators protesting over what they say is the threat it poses to local wildlife and water supplies.

Lawmakers from Germany’s pro-business Christian Democrat and Free Democrat parties had warned that the legal battle waged against the Gigafactory would inflict serious damage on Germany’s image as a place to do business. This is apparently better than worrying about the future of the planet.

TOPICS:

deforestation · Tesla