o9.o9.2o19 • how to travel more eco friendly

climate change: probably the most discussed topic at the moment. but also the most important one. we are privileged to live on such a beautiful planet so the minimum we can do or better we have to do is to take care of it. this is a shout out to every single person out there to act now because our planet can’t wait any longer. there are many ways to help preserving our planet .. the most important thing to remember is to start with yourself & to start now. so here i a little overview of what we can do & change in our daily routine:

1. avoid plastic: about 38 kg plastic garbage are produced by each & every single citizen .. alone in germany. this not only sad but also very dangerous: for animals, for nature & not at least for the air we breathe. this is why avoiding plastic is a must do & it’s not even that difficult: there are already heaps of alternatives to plastic products !! first of all plastic packaging must be forbidden & as long as it’s not we need to stop supporting this. don’t buy plastic packaged food. bring your own bag. don’t go the easy way but make the difference. coffee: yes i am addicted too :)) but to go cups are pretty uncool. bring your reusable cup or even better: take your time & drink your coffee right there. 2. straws: honestly what’s a cocktail without a straw ?! but not in plastic. use straws made out of glass or aluminium or simply be cool & say no thanks :)) water bottle: drinking enough water is very important. it is healthy good for body & brain & so damn sexy .. especially if you use a fancy glass bottle. refill. reuse. rethink.

2. save water: one of our most valuable resources: water. it’s not only keeping us alive but functions as the beating heart of our planet. without water there would be nothing. no life. no earth. no nothing. lucky we have water. but unfortunately it’s limited. in most parts of europe it’s normal to get drinking water out of the tab but there are parts of this world where there is not even enough water to survive. not even talking about growing & watering foods. this is why we have to be careful with our water consumption. do i really need this bath or is a quick shower enough ?! close the tab while brushing your teeth. don’t waste water nor anything else !! just please make use of your brain & be cautious.

3. think first & then eat: furthermore a main part of the water consumption is used for food production. especially for meat. 5 n0 15 or wait 2o ooo liters of water are used for the production of one kg of meat in germany. quite a large number. but is this true ?! just take a moment & let me tell you something: don’t believe everything, don’t rely blindly on things people say, don’t trust everybody. go & inform yourself to form your own opinion. so here we go again: a lot of water is used for food production. i guess we all agree in this point. and also that we need a certain amount of food to stay alive right ?! but actually any kind of living organism needs water to grow. plants, animals & also us. so is eating plantbased really the way to go ?! i mean .. soy is one of the most popular vegan products. as well as avocados. both plants need a fortune of water !! all i want to say is that we shouldn’t think in black or white .. there are always positive as well as negative aspects when it comes to argumentation. my very own opinion: eating plantbased is not the solution. i think the best way to fight climate change is to choose carefully. eating regional as well as seasonal products is much more ecological than buying tofu from south america. furthermore we should be willing to think big & to spend some more money on an organic product from the farmer from next door instead of getting a burger from mc donalds for 2 euros. and last but not least: please don’t ever waste food. all in one: think before eating.

4. use public transport: take nothing but pictures. kill nothing but time. leave nothing but footprints. i kind of really like this quote. probably because it shows us once again that we are not here to take anything away but to appreciate what we are able to do give & share. transportation surely is a major problem of our earth. pollution is destroying our planet & this not even slowly but frighteningly fast !! we should ask ourselves if owning a car really is a must have or rather a no go. there are more & more ways to get from a to b without using a car. the best way of course is to go by feet or bike but sometimes this just doesn’t work. luckily there are busses, metros, trams .. any kind of public transport. honestly this is worth a lot more than a single car & in real it costs a lot less !! environment protection approved :))

5. plant trees: another thing we couldn’t live without: trees. unfortunately more & more of them are killed. millions of trees are getting lost every year .. either through fire or deforestation. but how can we stop that ?! there are petitions against forest clearing as well as organisations & projects to to protect our woods & to plant new trees. even brand labels are starting to plant one tree per order or to produce their clothes in a more ecological way in general. planting trees is not everything .. but i guess it’s a good way to start the fight !!

6. buy second hand: honestly everyone of us has got enough clothes. we don’t need more .. we just want more. but more is not better .. it’s the other way round. quality before quantity right ?! so instead of buying new things we should think first. there are so many ways to get a new outfit without the production of new clothes. did you ever try exchanging clothes or buying second hand stuff ?! it is way more fun to wear clothes with a history .. they are unique special but also cheaper & more ecological than new ones. thrift shops are getting trendy !! vintage is in. how about you ?!

7. stop flying: it is not easy for me to write about this but i know how important it is. i love flying .. i do !! but when looking at the co2 emissions of a flight from germany to new york & back i’m getting sick. 3,65 tons of co2. 9,65 tons of co2 is the total emission of the average person in germany per year. to stop global warming we need to stay under 1 ton of co2 per year. so flying actually is a no go !! we need to find other ways: going by bike, sailing, going by train or simply not having to go on vacation three times a year. we want to explore our planet ?! yes .. me too. but not in exchange with destroying it !! if you really love your planet you take care of it even if you have to put back. we all have to learn this .. including me .. especially me !! avoid flying try to find alternatives & if there really is no other way at least try to compensate your co2 emissions. there are loads of platforms on the internet !! the money is used for climate organisations.

8. donate to charities: another way to help. there are a lot of projects going on for a system change & against climate change so if you want to support these donate to climate organisations & charities. this might not be everything but it is definitely a good beginning :))

9. reuse & recycle: probably the most important aspect when it comes to climate protection. make sure to reduce your waste. recycle as much as you can. try to reuse bags, bottles .. anything !! think in long term .. try to do better every day .. think of your planet as your home. because no intelligent species would destroy their own environment.

1o. tell others about this: talk about this with others. go & collect trash. inspire others. work together & do anything to save our planet !!
we all have to change our point of view. we have to start thinking much more environment friendly. and not only thinking but doing something about it. doing anything to stop this severe crisis. because this is our planet .. our very only planet. and because there is always a way if you really want it.