Over several years, he showed his culture to Thomas Fischermann, a German journalist writing for the German newspaper Die Zeit. Now, the two men wrote a book about their journeys, called “The last Guardian of the Amazon”. Yes, both men. Madarejuwá Tenharim is listed as the first author in the book, Fischermann as the second. This is something that makes this book special in my eyes. It’s not the typical story of a foreigner visiting a foreign culture, collecting data and information to leave for good and write a book about this culture, not giving back anything to the people.

“The last Guardian of the Amazon” is different. The book is written from Madarejuwá Tenharim’s perspective: he takes the reader onto a journey through the Amazon, showing him his daily life and telling him which problems his community is facing. For example, deforestation which is destroying the rainforest. Or Brazilian loggers threatening him and his family because they want to exploit the Tenharim’s land. Or his own balancing act living between two completely different worlds – the Brazilian life with cities, buses and smartphones, and the Tenharim life with hunting animals, learning from the elders and listening to the birds.

The 184 pages of the book are a source of knowledge for the reader and a guide to understand the Tenharim culture. The reader also learns why the Amazon rainforest is so important for the indigenous communities living in and off it. Not only is it the provider of food, but it is also the main part of the people’s identity and spirituality. If the Amazon gets destroyed, the indigenous people inhabiting it are dying both physically and mentally. But it also gives an impression of how determined and resolute Madarejuwá Tenharim and other indigenous people are to protect the forest.

Unfortunately, so far, the book is only available in German but there is an English preview on the book’s website where still some important parts of Madarejuwá’s story are available. (Maybe, if enough English speaking persons insist on a translation, there will be an English version, who knows…)

A few days ago, Madarejuwá’s message became more important than ever: Paulo Paulino Guajajara, a 26-year old member of the Guajajara indigenous group was killed in the Araribóia reserve located in Brazil’s North-East. He was one of the most prominent indigenous activists fighting for the protection of the Amazon rainforest in the country. Under the far-right government of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil has become one of the most dangerous countries for environmental and indigenous activists. Bolsonaro wants to open indigenous territories to exploitation. This is fatal in various ways: indigenous communities rely on the intactness of the surrounding nature since it provides their daily life; also, indigenous people are one of the most important players when it comes to environmental protection in the Amazon rainforest. Large parts of the Amazon forest were burning in August and September 2019 due to wildfires which were in parts caused by human activities, especially by land clearing for farming. After the burning was controlled in October, deforestation has increased extremely. This year, the deforestation rate of the first nine months has been 85% higher than the one of the respective time span of last year.

The Amazon forests seem to be far away. Many may say: Why should I care? The Amazon rainforest is also called the “lungs of the planet” because its innumerable trees and plants are providing oxygen and working as a CO2 sink – which in times of the global climate crisis is of incomparable importance. Therefore, we should all care about what is going on in Brazil.

Indigenous communities are fighting, risking their lives to protect the forest which is the center of their culture, traditions, and lives. There are various institutions and organizations supporting the indigenous groups’ resistance against the exploitation of the Amazon forest, here are some: Amazonwatch, Amazonfrontlines, The Amazon Conservation Team, Amazon Conservation, and others. 

The post Guardians of the Amazon appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

And then, I cannot stop myself from diving into the topic. Rifling the internet for more information about this very newest report on climate change. At one point, I stumble upon another article: “Eat less meat: UN climate-change report calls for change to human diet”. This puts my feelings a bit to ease. Finally, I think. Finally, the IPCC gives a suggestion on how we all should behave if we want to save the Earth’s climate as we know it.

This is new. Before, there was hardly such thing as a direct call for action in the IPCC reports. As mentioned in our article on the World Conference for Science Journalists, the chairman of the IPCC did not want to answer directly to a person in the audience asking if a change in diet would help to reduce emissions. That was the moment when my jaw dropped, I couldn’t believe it.

Now, the new report on land and climate suggests that a change in diet is necessary. That means, all of us – unless not already vegetarian or vegan – have to rethink their daily life. The cards are on the table (actually not just since this IPCC report but much longer), science provides evidence after evidence that tipping points are likely to be reached. Then, there will probably be no way back to our current climate. For example, if permafrost soils thaw, they will not freeze in the next moment (or the coming century) just because we cut emissions. Dairy products should also be mentioned since they as well generate high amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.

Around 80 percent of the world’s arable land is used for livestock production. Meanwhile, 820 million people around the world suffer from malnourishment. More and more land is used for agricultural production – a huge amount of food is thrown away in the end. It is absurd.

Of course, it is not possible that all people don’t eat meat at all – some people rely on it since they live in environments where the soil is not favourable for crop production or similar. Yet, a reduction in our westernized meat consumption is definitely inevitable.

That the IPCC is now at least suggesting to reduce the global meat consumption may not lead to a drastic change by tomorrow. But, to me personally, it gives hope. Hope, that science may, in the end, convince people to understand the urgency of changing our lifestyle. More suggestions and drastic words are needed, of course. Even though science is supposed to be independent or neutral – we cannot afford to waste time anymore. There are solutions for tackling the problem of climate change such as reducing our meat consumption; we just have to do our part now. “We” includes states, policymakers, the economy, and individuals.

It has had an impact already: In Germany, discussions about meat consumption have been wild the past few months. Various ideas are debated: increasing the tax on meat, a tax on CO2 generation and others. This may be a good sign, maybe it made “click” for some politicians. Who knows? To say it with well-known words: We are all sitting in the same boat. And this boat is likely to get caught by a storm. Literally. Therefore, action is needed. Spread the word, speak to people who may not be aware of the problems we will have to face due to climate change – and point out some solutions. 

The post How the last IPCC report may change our diet appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

As a master’s student of natural science, I know of what I am speaking: A vast number of scientific papers is extremely hard to read (and therefore understand). Additionally, the reach of the publishing journals is limited – often, you need to pay high amounts of money just to access a paper. People with a good understanding of the subject and with the ability to communicate these papers are truly needed. In order to get insights into this business, I went to the 11th World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) in Lausanne, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. It took place in the L’Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), a research institute and university in Lausanne.

The WCSJ is an event by the World Federation of Science journalists and is held every two years. In 2017, it was in San Francisco, USA. The next conference will take place in Medellín, Colombia, as was announced at the end of the event in Lausanne. This notice made for loud cheering from the side of the Colombian people at the conference.

In total, 1200 people took part in this conference: journalists, scientists, members of the EU, chairpersons of international scientific associations such as the IPCC or IPBES, members of communication boards of universities all around the globe – and some (very few) students like me. The aim of this biannual conference is to bring together professionals and students in science journalism to exchange skills, ideas and thoughts. But also, to build networks and form collaboration on a global scale. During the conference, many science journalists reported about their way into science writing and the possibilities and challenges of this job. 

The spectrum of talks, panel discussions, workshops and presentations was broad. There were three big auditoriums, hosting one major event after the other with a variety of topics. “The new goldrush: Prospects and controversies in deep seabed mining”, “Fake-news in science: How to recognize and fight it” or “Biodiversity: Reporting a silent crisis” – there was something for everyone. Researchers and science journalist from all over the world came together, discussed possible solutions for different challenges. Not all speakers could attend the conference physically, which is why some of them were called in via Skype. During a talk about marine protection, a number of researchers took part in a panel discussion, some of them sitting in chairs at the beach on a small island in the Indian Ocean, their feet in the white sand, the sound of the waves in the background echoing in the big hall in Lausanne. One of the highlights of the conference was the talk of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) chairman Hoesung Lee. The auditorium was jam-packed, everyone wanted to hear what he had to say. He spoke about the findings of the current report on 1.5°C warming. He especially pointed out the necessity of combining different fields of research: “We have a good understanding of the technological and economic feasibility, but the social dimensions leave room for more knowledge”, Hoesung says. “We need a change in behaviour. We need a different economy.” He also talks about the choices in private and daily life. Particularly, he emphasizes the need for better infrastructure in remote areas: “Public transportation in cities is often very good. But in the countryside, you often have no choice.” Yet, one aspect he is not talking about – even when asked from the audience – is a change in diet. Even though it is well known that the meat consumption is one of the main reasons for greenhouse gas emissions. “What food choices people make, is not our area.”

Another special feature of the conference were the field trips offered on various days. Every participant could sign up in advance for the field trip they were interested in. Those trips included, for example, a trip to the research station at Jungfraujoch at 3700 meters of altitude, where climatic research has been done for the last 100 years. As temperature measurements at the station suggest, that the annual mean temperature has risen by 1.8°C since 1933. “I remember, when I started my research here around 40 years ago, the glacier was so much bigger”, Bertrand Calpini says and lets his glance wander over the Eiger glacier, which spans under the research station. He is head of the Deputy Director of the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss) and Head of the Measurements and Data Department in MeteoSwiss.

The final speech of the conference was held by Bob Watson, chairmen of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) since 2017. With wild gestures and his loud voice, the 71-year-old scientist with the greying white beard calls the audience for action. In his speech – which was originally set for 40 minutes and shortly before Watson’s presentation was cut to 20 minutes – he urges everyone to do write about biodiversity loss and climate change, pointing out the absolute necessity to change humankind’s current lifestyle. “In 2060, we will be probably beyond 2°C of global warming, more likely are 3-3.5°C”, he says while walking on the stage. “That means that countries have to double and triple their efforts to maintain the climate below 2°C warming! This is necessary to secure biodiversity and the global climate!”

What I have taken home from this conference is that it is absolutely necessary to look at as many facets of science as possible. Only focussing on one topic, one direction, may give ideas for this very subject. Yet, in order to understand the bigger picture, and to be able to write about it in a comprehensible way, it is essential to illuminate it from every perspective possible. It’s not only political injustice – but it can also go in hand with environmental disasters caused by political decisions. It’s not only climate change – it’s as well the social impacts that go along with it.

The post A review on the World Conference for Science Journalists appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

“This is one of the avalanches returning most frequently at this site”, Walter Gebhard says. He is head of the Wildbach- und Lawinenverbauung Tirol, a section of the ministry for environment and tourism in Austria working on avalanche protection. “There are around 2600 avalanche sites in Tirol, we know that they occur frequently there.” They do not occur every year but in varying intervals of time, depending on the location. “Some have a higher release, others are rarer”, Gebhard says. This year alone, 400-450 avalanches have been documented in the county of Tirol. Avalanches are part of the mountains, the people living there are used to this disturbance. Yet, it is a natural hazard which has to be dealt with. Avalanches often are triggered when high temperatures occur in spring.

In a future not too far away, it is very likely that natural hazards such as avalanches will increase in mountainous areas like the Alps. The reason: global climate change. While the Paris Agreement aims to restrict global temperature rise to 1.5° (or as this is very unlikely to be reached below 2°C), the Alps already face this rise in temperature in some regions. Very likely, these temperature changes will bring some drastic challenges to the Alps. They will seriously impact the lives of people living in that region as well as biodiversity, wildlife and environment in general. Therefore, the Alpine Convention has been founded in 1989 by the neighbouring countries of the Alps (Germany, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia) as well as the EU. The Alpine Convention aims to generate sustainable development and protection of the Alps. The Permanent Secretary of the Alpine Convention is in Innsbruck, while the presidency of the Alpine Convention changes every two years.

Squeezing his eyes in the sunlight, Walter Gebhard looks into the clear sky. “Today, we have perfect weather conditions, nobody would expect avalanches when standing in the green areas where the snow has melted.” And yet – they crawl down the mountains like a howling monster, destroying everything that is in their way. In order to protect the people in the Innsbruck area from avalanches coming down the steep mountain chain, various measures are installed.

Firstly, there is a wall of cement which was built in the 1950-60s. Since then it has been renovated and improved several times. Another approach is to release avalanches artificially. Here, small avalanches are triggered helping to avoid big avalanches. “This approach has grown in the past 20 years. It is especially useful for protecting highways and skiing areas”, Gebhard says. This is done via targeted detonations – a huge knowledge base is necessary. “An early release is important. The detonation takes place 1-10 meters above the snow, it is not located directly in the snow”, says Gebhard, looking up the mountain. Over settled areas, the artificial release of avalanches is not allowed as this has caused accidents in the past when avalanches grew bigger than it was expected. Warning and monitoring systems that include the local population and their knowledge are as well a very helpful tool.

Ever since people started to live in the Alps, natural hazards have been part of their life. Due to a changing climate, these hazards are now even more threatening as they are increasing in frequency and becoming less predictable. With extreme events like storms or floods, climate change is putting a heavy weight onto the shoulders of the people living close or in the mountains. If they want to adapt to the new situations and problems, they have to come up with sustainable and adaptable solutions. And it is very likely that they want to adapt – because who would like to see their house buried under trees and snow?

The post Alpine Convention: Dealing with natural hazards appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

“In those three days, 245 people have helped us to plant 4719 saplings”, Kun says. The 28-year old GCE student from South Korea had the idea for Klimawald already last year. “I wanted to something on the ground together with my fellow students. To have a good time and plant trees somewhere in Bavaria.” As trees (and plants in general) work as carbon sinks, because they absorb CO2 through their leaves, this would contribute to reducing our carbon footprints. As GCE students travel quite a lot due to conferences, internships and science schools, Klimawald was intended as a compensation measure for this study programme.

He proposed his idea in a project management seminar. First, Nikunj Pathak from India and study colleague of him, wanted to help in the project. “He suggested Bayreuth as a suitable location for this project. Seminar leader Birgit Thies suggested us to have at least one German speaking student in the group as this would make communication with local authorities easier.” At this point, GCE student Theresa Landwehr joined the team for the Klimawald project. Gregor Aas, head of the Ecological-Botanical Garden in Bayreuth (ÖBG) also supported the students with his knowledge.

After various attempts to contact different city departments of Bayreuth, finally the Office for Food, Agriculture and Forestry Bayreuth (AELF Bayreuth) and the City Forestry Bayreuth (Stadtförsterei Bayreuth) showed interest in participating. “Before our first meeting with them, we were not sure how much land we would get. Normally, the landowners use it for timber production and other forestry activities”, Kun, who is originally coming from South Korea, says. The experts from AELF and Stadtförsterei proposed a forested area of one hectare and thousands of saplings. “This was very unexpected, and we were really happy about it. From this point on, there was no way back, we had to do it”, Kun says and laughs. The landowner of the forest area, Hospitalstiftung, agreed with the plans to plant species adapted to climate change.

As a next step, the team had to agree on a date when the Klimawald project should take place. “We had to make sure that students would be back from the semester break. Also, we had to take into account a suitable time for planting. Late April was not ideal, but students were back then”, Kun says. On the site, some older trees got cut down in order to lower competition for the new saplings. “Normally, the most common tree species to be found in this region are pine and spruce. Both species have suffered during the last years due to heat stress, bark beetle outbreaks, storms and droughts”, Kun says. Also, a fence was set up around the site to prevent wildlife from eating the saplings.

When it came to decide which species to plant, the opinions of experts from the city and the county were different from the students’ ones: “They wanted to stay at a scenario with 2°C warming and plant beeches and oaks, which are local native species. But we from the university thought a bit differently, as the average temperature in Bayreuth has already risen by 2°C. Gregor Aas therefore suggested some non-native species which we could merge with the ones proposed by AELF and Stadtförsterei. For example, Turkish hazel and Douglas fir, Turkish and Sicilian firs, and Lebanon cedar as they are more drought tolerant as well as adapted to extreme winters.”

A little smile hushes over Kun’s face as he remembers the workload of the project. “There was so much work involved I hadn’t even thought of. We had to design a website, a logo, organize drinks and food to give to the volunteers. Thankfully, my girlfriend Ahram Chae (Bauhaus-Universität Weimar) joined our team at some point as the designer for the website.” Such projects often bring unexpected turns: During Klimawald, various media teams arrived, interviewing the students – most of all focussing on Theresa as she is the only German speaking team member. “This was really hard for her and we hadn’t thought of this problem before”, Kun says.

In the end, it was worth the effort. People with very different backgrounds and from all age groups participated: high school students, students from various departments of the University of Bayreuth, parents with kids, some professors, parents without their kids. “Even high school students from Bamberg came to plant trees, I heard that the Fridays for Future movement is quite strong there.” Another interesting side fact: around two thirds of the volunteers were women. “This is something, I see often in this field. More women are involved in environmental issues”, Kun says.

What is preoccupying Kun now, one month after the event, is the impact of the planting. “One hectare is nothing.” The forest area in Germany is around 11.4 million hectares and stores 52 million tonnes of CO2 per year. Therefore, the one hectare used for Klimawald accounts for around 4.5 tonnes of stored CO2 annually. Just to compare: Germany emitted 905 million tonnes of CO2 in the year 2017.

“I would like to extend the project, maybe introducing it in other cities, other universities as well”, Kun says. For the next five years, the Klimawald project is going to be continued in Bayreuth. “There will be a planting phase next spring. If it is needed due to droughts, the new trees will be watered once in summer. This is something new in forestry, normally, the plants are let alone.” Probably a “gap filling” is needed in October this year, as the beech saplings were of bad quality and some are likely going to die. This means, that new trees will be planted to replace the dead ones.

Is the result of Klimawald satisfying? Kun thinks for some moments and answers: “My character does not allow me to feel too much self-esteem, but with Klimawald, I was really happy and satisfied. It was a big dream of mine to plant trees for a long time.” His decision to study ecology was inspired when he read a book with the title “The Man Who Planted Trees” by Jean Giono some years ago. “This was something so simple: To plant trees and see change”, he says. And yet, Kun was not satisfied with just leaning over science books, reading through scientific papers and similar aspects of academia. “I started to lose the simplicity of action. Obviously, studying and gaining knowledge is important but I didn’t actually do anything with it yet.” Therefore, Kun decided to plant trees.

The post Klimawald Bayreuth: About planting trees and seeing change appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

Lauthals singen die „Summer“ in der kleinen gefliesten Küche mit, als der bekannte Ärzte-Song aus den Lautsprechern schallt, die auf einem Schränkchen stehen. Einige tanzen mit nacktem Oberkörper, es ist warm und stickig. Deine Schuld ist quasi das perfekte Lied für diese Party: Die Studenten feiern das erfolgreiche Volksbegehren für die Artenvielfalt in Bayern. Sie wollten die Schuld, dass die Welt sich nicht verändert nicht länger auf sich nehmen. Wochenlang haben sie Flyer verteilt, in der Februarkälte als Rathauslotsen in der Fußgängerzone gestanden, in Bienenkostümen Passanten angesprochen, um diese auf das Volksbegehren aufmerksam zu machen. Immer noch in orangefarbenen Warnwesten mit dem Aufdruck „Rettet die Bienen“ auf dem Rücken tanzen sie ausgelassen durch die Wohnung, in der die Feier stattfindet.

„Glaub keinem, der dir sagt, dass du nichts verändern kannst.
Die, die das behaupten, haben nur vor Veränderung Angst.“

Am Mittwoch, 13. Februar 2019, ging die Abstimmung zu Ende und es stand fest: Es geht in die nächste Runde, die benötigten eine Million Unterschriften wurde bayernweit erreicht. Besser gesagt wurde sie sogar deutlich überschritten. Insgesamt haben mehr als 1,7 Millionen Menschen in Bayern in den Rathäusern dafür unterschrieben, dass sie einen Volksentscheid für die Artenvielfalt wollen. “Das Volksbegehren in Bayern setzt ein klares Zeichen, auch bei den jetzigen Verhandlungen in der EU-Agrarpolitik“, sagt Stefanie Propp, zweite Vorsitzende der Summer und Sprecherin des Aktionsbündnisses in Bayreuth für das Volksbegehren. „Ich war mir sicher, dass wir die 1 Mio. Unterschriften erreichen. Dass es jetzt über 18 % geworden sind, freut und bestätigt mich in unserem Engagement umso mehr!”

Die „Summer“ haben in Bayreuth definitiv zum Erfolg des Begehrens beigetragen. Wer steckt hinter diesem Namen? 2018 haben einige Bayreuther Studierende den Verein Summer in der City gegründet, mit dem sie das Thema Artenvielfalt mehr in den Fokus der Öffentlichkeit rücken wollen. „Wir waren zu neunt und wollten etwas verändern“, sagt Thomas Pickel. Der 27-Jährige studiert Geoökologie an der Universität Bayreuth und ist einer der Gründer von Summer in der City. „Momentan haben wir 15 Mitglieder, die sich ganz aktiv beteiligen und mehrmals in der Woche etwas beitragen. Und sonst noch 30 bis 40, die auch oft mitmachen.“ Bisher finanziert sich der Verein komplett über Spenden und die Mitgliedsbeiträge. Zehn Euro im Jahr kostet es, wenn man ein Summer werden möchte. “Es ist super schön zu sehen, dass so viele Menschen aktiv den Naturschutz voran bringen wollen“, sagt Summerin Leonie Gass. „Es gibt mir neuen Schwung und neues Vertrauen, dass sich wirklich etwas verändern kann und die Bereitwilligkeit da ist!”

Anfangs waren es eher kleinere Projekte, bei denen die Summer ihr Fachwissen mit anderen Menschen teilen konnten. Sie sorgten unter anderem in Kooperation mit Green Campus und Christian Laforsch, Professor für Tierökologie an der Universität Bayreuth, dafür, dass auf dem Campus der Uni Bayreuth nur noch zweimal pro Jahr der Rasen gemäht wird. Dadurch gelangen viel mehr Pflanzen bis zum Blühstadium und bieten Insekten Nahrung und Lebensraum.

Zusätzlich zu den Blühflächen, die die Uni im vergangenen Jahr geschaffen hat, bauten die Studierenden Insektenhotels, die bald aufgestellt werden sollen. In der Wilhelminenaue, wo 2016 die Landesgartenschau in Bayreuth stattgefunden hat, haben die Summer auf der Fläche der Essbaren Stadt  einen Magerstandort geschaffen. Der soll den Insekten das Leben ebenfalls erleichtern. „Das war unser Steckenpferd im vergangenen Jahr“, sagt Stefanie Propp.

„Uns geht’s ums Aktivsein. Wir kennen das Problem, aber wir wollen uns nicht nur darüber aufregen, sondern wir packen es aktiv an“, sagt Thomas Pickel.

„Weil jeder, der die Welt nicht ändern will, ihr Todesurteil unterschreibt!“

Die Tatsache, dass der Großteil der Mitglieder der Summer bisher aus Studierenden bestehe ist Fluch und Segen zugleich. Segen, weil viele sich aufgrund ihrer Studiengänge gut mit dem Thema Artenvielfalt auskennen. Fluch, weil dadurch ein fliegender Wechsel entsteht. Deshalb wünschen sich die Summer, auch Menschen außerhalb der Universität mit einbinden zu können.

Damit das gelingt, wollen sie noch mehr in öffentlichen Räumen arbeiten. „Wir haben für dieses Jahr zwei große Leuchtturmprojekte geplant“, sagt Thomas Pickel. Erstens ein Naturgartenprojekt, bei dem die Summer auf 10.000 m2 in der Wilhelminenaue einen Naturgarten anlegen dürfen. Eine Crowdfunding-Kampagne soll den Garten finanzieren. „In dem Naturgarten soll es unter anderem einen Wildrosengarten und eine Streuobstwiese geben, die ebenfalls Insekten anziehen und anderen Tieren wie Igeln oder Eidechsen ein neues Zuhause bieten.“

Zweitens ist mit „Flanken Flowers“ das zweite Projekt für 2019 geplant. Dabei kooperieren die Summer mit regionalen Gärtnereien, um heimische Blühpflanzen und Sträucher zum Verkauf anzubieten. Das ist insofern von Bedeutung, dass einige Insekten auf spezielle Pflanzen angewiesen sind. „Wir hoffen, dass unser Naturgarten die Leute anregt, selbst so einen Garten bei sich zuhause anzulegen.“

Schlaflose Nächte, schmerzende Arme und Beine vom Bodenbeackern, die Menschen aufrütteln – das ist für die Summer oftmals Alltag. Doch es scheint sich zu lohnen: Die Tatsache, dass beinahe doppelt so viele Menschen das Volksbegehren unterschrieben haben wie benötigt, macht Mut. Es tut sich etwas. Es braucht nur jemanden, der den ersten Schritt geht. Wie die Summer.

„Es ist nicht deine Schuld, dass die Welt ist, wie sie ist.
Es wär nur deine Schuld, wenn sie so bleibt!“

The post Summendes Bayreuth: Studenten im Einsatz für die Biodiversität appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

At the top of their voices, the “Summers” are singing the lyrics of the famous song of the German band “Die Ärzte”in the small, tiled kitchen. Some of them have taken off their shirts and dance around, it is warm and stuffy. “Your fault” is probably the perfect song for this party: the students are celebrating the success of the referendum for biodiversity protection in Bavaria. They not longer wanted to be responsible for no changes in the world. For weeks, they have distributed leaflets, stood in the freezing weather of February to speak with pedestrians, dressed in bee costumes, to raise awareness for the referendum on biodiversity. Still wearing their orange safety vests with the imprint “Save the bees” on the back, they dance through the apartment, where the party takes place.

“Don’t believe anyone who tells you, you can’t change a thing.

Those who say that are just scared of changes.”

On Wednesday, 13 February 2019, the referendum ended and it was clear: The topic enters the next round, the needed 1 million signatures, equivalent to 10% of the population,  have been collected in Bavaria. To be more precise, the needed limit has been exceeded. In total, more than 1.7 million people have signed the petition in the city halls across Bavaria, indicating that they want more biodiversity protection and conservation. “The referendum in Bavaria is a clear sign, also for the current negotiations in the EU agricultural policy”, Stefanie Propp says, second chairwoman of the “Summers”. In Bayreuth, she was as well speaker for the referendum on biodiversity. “I was sure, we would reach one million signatures. But more than 18 percent were achieved, that makes me even more happy and shows our dedication is worth it!”

In Bayreuth, the “Summers” have definitely helped the referendum to succeed. But who is behind that name? In 2018, various students of the University of Bayreuth founded the club “Summer in der City” to put a spotlight on biodiversity. “We were nine students and wanted to change something”, Thomas Pickel says. The 27-year-old student of geoecology is one of the founders of Summer in der City. Their name is not a hidden sign for a club of Joe Cocker fans but refers to the word “summen” which means “buzz” in German – very accurate for a club trying to save insects. “Currently, we have 15 members who are very active, meaning they are contributing more than once a week. Furthermore, there are 30 to 40 more people who are also helping often.” So far, the club is completely funded by donations and the membership fees. It costs 10 Euro per year  to become a “Summer”. “It is wonderful to see that so many people want to contribute to nature conservation”, Leonie Gass, member of the Summers, says. “It gives me new power and new confidence that something is going to change!”

Initially, they could share their expertise with others in smaller projects. So, they made sure that the meadows at the campus of University of Bayreuth are only mowed twice a year. This happened in cooperation with Green Campus and Christian Laforsch, professor for animal ecology at the University of Bayreuth. This way, more plants are blooming and thus offering food and habitat for insects.

While the University of Bayreuth mixed seeds into the ploughed soil and created space for insects that way, the students built insect hotels. Soon, they will install them on campus. At “Wilhelminenaue”, the Summers have created grassland and low-nutrient habitats on the area of the initiative “Essbare Stadt Bayreuth” (German for eatable city). Insects will also find new space to live on there. “This was our main project last year”, Stefanie Propp says.

“We wanted to get active. We know the problem, but we don’t just want to complain about it but actually change something”, Thomas Pickel says.

“Because everyone who doesn’t want to change the world, is signing her death sentence!”

The fact that most members of the Summers are students is both, a curse and a saviour at the same time. A saviour, because they have a lot of expertise in that topic due to their study programmes. A curse, because students often move away, causing frequent changes.

Therefore, the Summers wish to engage more people from outside the university. To make this happen, they want to work more in public areas.

“For this year, we have planned two big projects”, Thomas Pickel says. First, there is a nature garden project which provides the Summers the chance to create a natural garden on an area of 10.000 m2 in Wilhelminenaue. A crowdfunding campaign is supposed to help to construct the garden. “In the nature garden, amongst others, there will be a wild rose garden and a meadow orchard. They will as well attract insects and create new habitats for other animals such as hedgehogs and lizards.”

Second, there is the project “Franken Flowers”. It is planned for 2019: The Summers cooperate with regional market gardens to sell domestic indigenous flowers and shrubs. This is important as some insects rely on special plants. “We hope, the natural garden will encourage people to create such a garden at their homes as well.”

Sleepless nights, sore arms and legs from digging in soil, working hard to awaken other people – all that is often the daily life of the Summers. But is seems to be rewarded: The fact that nearly twice as much people as needed signed the referendum, bolsters them. Some movement is happening. It just needs someone to take the first step. Just like the Summers.

„It is not your fault, the world is at it is. It would just be your fault if she stayed like this!”

The post How students take the first step for biodiversity appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

Der Grund dafür: Deutschlands Insekten. Oder besser gesagt, deren Rettung. Im Oktober 2017 ging eine Studie wie ein Lauffeuer um die Welt, die besagte, dass in geschützten Gebieten ein Rückgang von 75% aller Insekten zu verzeichnen ist. „Das war für uns der Punkt, an dem wir gesagt haben, wir müssen handeln“, sagt Thomas Pickel und nippt an seiner Kaffeetasse. Gemeinsam mit acht weiteren Studienfreunden gründete der Geoökologie-Student „Summer in the City“, einen Verein für den Artenschutz. „Jahrelang haben Naturschützer versucht, auf die Problematik des Artenschwunds aufmerksam zu machen. Sie haben symbolträchtige Tiere gewählt wie den Weißstorch oder den Wolf. Es ist beinahe ironisch, dass es dann mit den kleinen Insekten geklappt hat, die Menschen aufzurütteln.“

Der Artenschwund der Insekten war immer wieder Thema in den Medien. Vor allem ein bestimmter Vertreter dieser Lebewesen ist dadurch in den Fokus gerückt: die Biene. „Insekten mögen klein sein, aber sie machen eine unglaublich große Masse aus und sind ungeheuer wichtig. In Deutschland gibt es 48.000 Arten von Tieren – 33.000 davon sind allein Insekten“, sagt Pickel. Inzwischen ist der Artenschwund in Bayern in der Debattenliste so weit nach oben gewandert, dass sich etwas grundsätzlich ändern könnte: Durch das Volksbegehren “Artenvielfalt Rettet die Bienen!“ können wahlberechtigte Bürger in Bayern ab dem 31. Januar bis zum 13. Februar darüber abstimmen, ob sie Gesetze für mehr Artenschutz in ihrem Bundesland wollen.

Diese Gesetze würden unter anderem Pestizideinsatz in Biotopen verbieten, die ökologische Landwirtschaft stärken (bis 2030 sollen 30% der Landwirtschaft in Bayern ökologisch sein) und die Randstreifen von natürlichen Gewässern schützen. „In allen anderen 15 Bundesländern in Deutschland gibt es bereits einen Schutz von 5 Metern links und rechts von natürlichen Gewässern. Dort darf kein Ackerbau stattfinden, durch den Düngemittel und Pestizide in das Wasser fließen und die dort laichenden Arten stören,“ sagt Pickel.

Er ist überzeugt, dass das Volksbegehren Erfolg haben wird. „Zwei Wochen sind keine lange Zeit“, räumt er ein. In dieser Zeit müssen bayernweit eine Million Unterschriften gesammelt werden. „Aber es hat schon zweimal bei anderen Themen geklappt, bei denen keiner dran geglaubt hat.“ Damit meint Pickel die Volksbegehren in Bayern zum Nichtraucherschutz und den Studiengebühren. Ersteres war 2010 erfolgreich und hatte zur Folge, dass Rauchen an öffentlichen Orten verboten wurde. Zweiteres schaffte im Jahr 2013 die Studiengebühren von etwa 500 Euro pro Student pro Semester in Bayern ab.

Deswegen ist Thomas Pickel auch zuversichtlich, dass sich eine Million Menschen mit ihrer Unterschrift für die Insekten in Bayern einsetzen werden. „Ein Freund von mir hat neulich im Zug aus Spaß 45 Personen befragt. Mehr als 50 Prozent wussten von dem Volksbegehren und wollen es auch unterschreiben“, sagt er mit leuchtenden Augen. Wichtig sei vor allem, möglichst viele Menschen in den größeren Städten wie München und Nürnberg zu motivieren. Die Wähler können ihre Stimme in den Rathäusern der Städte abgeben, mehr Informationen dazu hier. Hier in Bayreuth wollen die Summer es schaffen, rund 10.000 Stimmen für die Insekten zu sammeln.

Dafür mobilisieren sie an allen Ecken: Sie verteilen Flyer, hängen Plakate auf, sprechen mit den Menschen. „Zurzeit fahre ich mit dem Rad wahrscheinlich 40 Stundenkilometer und hetze von hier nach dort“, sagt Thomas Pickel lachend. Vor einigen Tagen hat er für eine Radioshow mit dem Pressesprecher des Bayerischen Bauernverbandes, Markus Peters, gesprochen. Die Bauern sind derzeit der wohl schärfste Gegner des Volksbegehrens. 30 Prozent Ökolandbau bis im Jahr 2030 sei nicht machbar, so die Begründung. „Das soll sich auf keinen Fall gegen die Bauern wenden. Im Gegenteil, es soll den Staat zum Umdenken und Umlenken in der Landwirtschaft bringen“, sagt Pickel.

Dass 30 Prozent ökologische Landwirtschaft sehr wohl möglich seien, sei am Beispiel Österreich abzulesen: Dort seien es mittlerweile etwa 25 Prozent. Durchgesetzt wurde das dadurch, dass etwa Kantinen von Schulen, Behörden und Firmen rechtlich dazu verpflichtet wurden, ökologisch angebaute Lebensmittel zu verwenden. „Wir zerstören die wertvollen, artenreichen Kulturflächen momentan, weil wir alles totspritzen und intensivieren“, sagt Pickel. „Das Volksbegehren ist ein verzweifelter Versuch, etwas zu ändern. Die Politik macht ja nichts, die schauen immer noch nur zu.“

Rund 44% der Landfläche Bayerns werden landwirtschaftlich genutzt, bisher sei die Agrarwirtschaft auch noch recht kleinteilig in dem süddeutschen Bundesland. Dennoch – das Artensterben ist in landwirtschaftlichen Bereichen besonders groß. Im Grunde ist aber auch den bayerischen Bauern auch klar, dass sich etwas ändern muss in Sachen Artenschutz.

Immer wieder winken Studierende am Campus Thomas Pickel zu, rufen etwas herüber oder fragen ihn etwas wegen des Volksentscheids. Er grinst unter seiner Schirmmütze hervor und freut sich, dass so viele andere sich auch für das Wohl der Natur interessieren und einsetzen. „Wir müssen unseren Kindern doch eine schöne Welt hinterlassen und nicht wie die Generationen vor uns denken „Nach uns die Sintflut“ und sich um nichts kümmern. Uns geht es darum, zukunftsfähig und nachhaltig zu sein. Wir wollen unsere Erde nicht kaputt machen!“

The post Eine Unterschrift für den Erhalt der Artenvielfalt appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

The reason for his insomnia: Germany’s insects. Or, to be more precise, their rescue. In October 2017, a study caused a huge uproar, stating that there was a decline of about 75% in all insects in protected areas. “This was when we said we have to do something”, Thomas Pickel says, sipping his coffee. Together with eight other students, he founded “Summer in the City”, a club for biodiversity protection based in Bayreuth. “Over years, conservationists have tried to get the public’s attention to the species decline. They chose symbolic animals to spread the message, like the White Stork or the wolf. It’s kind of ironic that the smallest animals, the insects, are getting the attention now.”

The species decline of insects has been discussed in the media over and over ever since. Especially one kind of insects moved to the spotlight: bees. “Insects might be small, but they make up a huge part of biomass and are incredibly important. In Germany alone, there are 48.000 different animal species – 33.000 of them are insects”, Pickel says.

Meanwhile, the topic moved to the top of the discussion list. This could lead to fundamental changes: The referendum “Artenvielfalt Rettet die Bienen!” (English: “Biodiversity Save the bees!”) enables elective citizen of the federal state of Bavaria to vote for new legislations on biodiversity protection. From January 31 to February 13, they have the chance to sign the referendum in city halls all across Bavaria.

The new legislation would for example include the prohibition of pesticides in biotopes, it would strengthen organic agriculture (until 2030, 30 percent of the Bavarian agriculture should be organic) and the protection of natural water bodies. “In all other 15 federal states of Germany, there is already a protection buffer of five meters around natural water bodies. It is prohibited to farm there as fertilizer and pesticides could flow into the water and disturb spawning species”, Pickel says.

He is confident that one million people will sign the petition. “A friend recently asked 45 persons in the train if they knew about the referendum and if they would vote for it. More than 50 percent said yes”, he says, eyes shining. He thinks it is crucial to motivate especially people in big cities, like in Munich or Nuremberg. In Bayreuth, the “Summerer” how Pickel and his friends from “Summer in the city” are sometimes called, hope to collect about 10,000 votes for the insects. Find more information here.

To reach this goal, they are mobilizing all across the city, distributing leaflets, fixing posters, talking to people. “These days, I guess I am racing around on my bike with about 40 kilometers per hour”, Thomas Pickel says, laughing. A few days ago, he talked with the spokesman of the Bavarian farmers’ association in a radio show. The farmers are currently the strongest opponents of the referendum. Their main argument: 30 percent of organic agriculture are not possible to achieve until 2030. “The referendum is definitely not against the famers and their needs. On the contrary, it shall bring the state to rethink and redirect agriculture”, Pickel says.

A good example for organic agriculture is Austria: in 2017, about 24 percent of the country’s agriculture are already organic, trend rising. This has been achieved by engaging cafeterias of schools, offices and companies to use organically produced groceries. “Right now, we are destroying our biodiverse nature because we are spraying pesticides, killing everything, and intensifying the agricultural sector. The referendum is a desperate attempt to change this. Politicians are not doing anything, they are still just looking.”

In Bavaria, about 44% of the land surface are used for agriculture, with still relatively small-patched fields. Still, the species decline is especially high in agricultural areas. In general, Bavaria’s farmers know as well that something has to change in relation to biodiversity protection.

Again and again, students are waving at Thomas Pickel, calling across the campus, asking him about details on the referendum. Under his cap, he is grinning, obviously happy about the fact that so many are interested in protecting nature. “We have to leave a beautiful world for our children and stop thinking “After me, the deluge” like generations before us did, not caring about anything. It is important for us to be sustainable. We don’t want to destroy our planet!”

The post Referendum could save Bavaria’s biodiversity appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

First, this strike was intended to endure until the election of a new parliament. This election was in August ­­- now, in December, Greta who has Asperger’s Syndrome is still missing her classes on Friday. Still protesting inaction on climate change. Her parents wanted her to go back to school, some teachers as well. Some teachers support her rebellion – risking their own jobs by joining her protest every Friday. Today, Greta is no longer sitting alone in her protest for the climate: All over the world, students have joined her. They don’t go to school on Fridays but use the time for protesting against the way climate politics are working (or not working) these days. The hasthag #FridayForFuture is used by countless young people on Twitter who want climate action to happen.

In Australia for example, the coal industry is booming – and the Great Barrier Reef is dying. Thousands of students didn’t go to school on a Friday in November, angry about the conservative politics of prime minister Scott Morrison. The students went to the streets, striking because of the failure of the Australian government to lower carbon emissions. “The dinosaurs thought they had time, too”, “Mother Nature does not need us – we need Mother Nature”, “We grow and we vote” are some of the inscriptions on the signs the students carry with them. Morrison raged because of these protests, stating that students should not be activists and stay in school. Greta Thunberg had an adequate answer to that via Twitter: “Sorry, Mr Scott Morrison. We are unable to comply.” Brave words from a young climate activist talking to an adult man who seems not to (want to) understand the severity of climate change.

Greta Thunberg now is a hero at the COP24, the UN conference on climate change that currently is taking place in Kattowice, Poland where the world is negotiating solutions for climate change. After the Paris Agreement in 2015, the last years of the COP didn’t have a very groundbreaking outcome. In Kattowice, Greta gives the adults a telling: The absence of some country leaders, for example US President Donald Trump or German Chancellor Angela Merkel, “shows what they prioritize”. About the same politicians she said that “In the future, we will look back, and we will either laugh at them or we will hate them.”

Between all the officially looking, black wearing politicians and decision makers, Greta in her pink sweatshirt seems like a bright spot of hope. “I will ask the people around the world to realize that our political leaders have failed us. […] There is no time to continue down this road of madness.” She asks how poorer countries like India, Colombia or Nigeria could care about the climate crisis if the more developed countries (“who already have everything”) don’t try to fulfil the Paris Agreement.  

“The climate crisis has already been solved. We already have all the facts and solutions.” Did it have to come that far that a young girl needs to stand up and give the politicians of this world a symbolic slap in the face? The fact that the climate conferences don’t have legally binding agreements is a shame. Because who would stick to them if there are no consequences for not doing so? If one country decides to step out of a contract, there is no way to enforce this country to stay. Economic sanctions might be a solution but concrete legal action would be more fruitful probably.

Regarding the future that lies ahead of us if we don’t stand up and do something, the situation looks quite hopeless. But seeing what a young girl with a goal, a wish to change the world, can start, gives back hope. It gives hope that our generation and the generation after us cares about the climate. That we and they are thinking further than our lives. We just have to do it. Now. We have to be stubborn, we have to be defiant. We all have to be like Greta: “We are here to let them know that change is coming – whether they like it or not.”

Side information: Some GCE students had the chance to take part in the COP24 and will talk about their experiences in some following blog entries.

The post A young girl with the wish to save our planet appeared first on Global Change Ecology.