Sustainability

They pick up, sort through and gather together recyclables. Without its 300,000 waste pickers, the city of Mumbai would probably drown in its own rubbish.

Most people would like to lead a life that is in harmony with their environment - but it should be as comfortable as possible and without major restrictions. There are actually a few ideas on how to do this – small everyday aids that have a major impact on the environment.

One year into the coronavirus pandemic, most people are tired of all the restrictions. How can they be inspired to embrace less consumerism for an ecological transformation? Sociologist Harald Welzer is confident that changing the narrative and positive visions will do the trick.

Germany’s most sustainable towns and cities rely on the participation of their residents. Quite a lot can be achieved even with comparatively few financial resources.

Piesteritz Garden City was revolutionary when it was built 100 years ago. As Germany’s largest car-free housing estate, it could still serve as a model settlement today – if its continued existence were not under threat. 

‘Namami’ – ‘I bow before you’. The Sanskrit word is the namesake of the Namami Gange programme devised by the government in 2014 to help restore the Ganges to health. Progress has been patchy.

Plastic bans, disposable dinnerware made of bioplastics, and streets made of plastic waste: countries, companies and private citizens are all pursuing initiatives that show what the world would be like without plastic.

Working towards sustainable energy for the future: Germany wants to completely abandon coal mining by 2038, an ambitious goal with quite a few obstacles still blocking the way.

Wasteful use of the earth’s resources is a leading cause of environmental disasters, and the wealthy industrialized countries are benefiting from the exploitation of developing countries, says author Petra Schönhöfer.

India’s Lifeline Express is the World's first hospital train. Kitted with state of the art medical facilities, it travels to rural and remote parts of the country providing free medical health care to the poor.

Almost 13 million tons of food goes to waste in Germany every year. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has ambitious plans halve domestic food waste by 2030, a problem private initiatives have already begun addressing. 

Carbon offset schemes promise to compensate for the emissions caused by private individuals – as air travellers, for instance – with donations to climate projects. But are they not just a way of salving guilty consciences?  

Anyone in search of a deep, refreshing lungful of fresh air should probably head to the mountains or the seaside. A big city is unlikely to offer prime quality air. More and more German cities are taking measures to clean up the air.

The climate protectors of Fridays for Future have brought the environment issue back to the streets – just like their predecessors in the 1970s. The older generation does not seem radical enough to the young activists. Both movements, however, have a lot in common.

Would it not be great if we could study how to make the world a better place? Sadly, it is not quite as easy as that. But there are now a number of study programmes in Germany covering sustainability subjects that come fairly close. Here is a selection.
 

We analyse the students' funniest, most unusual and best-known protest posters.
 

Sustainability and climate protection start in daily life, and they are something children can learn. Educational establishments all over Germany are involved in UNESCO’s Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development – and schools are foremost among them.

Ulrike Reinhard has disrupted life in the village of Janwaar and proven a force for positive change. The skatepark she and skateboarders from around the world have built has given the whole village, and especially the kids and young people there, a new lease of life.