The current global warming – you would have to stop. However, even after the end of the climate conference in Katowice is again not clear whether this is possible. Everyone knows that the previous measures for climate sufficient protection. The CO2 emissions continue to rise worldwide. Only if the States stop this Trend, could be the future of the climate still in shape. Sounds like the or the Individual could align with as little. Not entirely true. Because to leave the car at home and bike to work, to buy the potatoes from the Region instead of the La rat from France, or the search engine to use Ecosia instead of Google contributes to environmental and climate protection. What is possible? Here are a few tips:
Summary: Change to Live a genuine green electricity
climate-conscious
eat less meat you throw away less, you Can the latest Smartphone from
Go you, less clothes shopping
you Put your money green ensure sustainable
you can travel eco-friendly
you can Share transport with other
celebrate green
power-conscious sports
Go Hiking more often grill rare
Buy less
view More, Switch to genuine green energy
Still, electricity is produced in Germany, mostly from fossil fuels (see graphic). The climate-damaging lignite and coal are the largest sources are deposits with distance. But: The share of renewable energies has grown. In addition, more and more customers and clients aware of green electricity contracts. An exchange is a good way to make a change: A European Commission study has shown that 42 percent of Germans are willing, for four euros more per month to spend in order to promote renewable energies.
Not all offers are as green as they seem. Not every green electricity provider is actually investing in the Expansion. Some company buys quotas – in the worst case without the current sources transparent to be shown. Other to provide their new customers with no AC bonus, but plug this directly into selected environmental projects. You should see your provider so questions: How eco, the offered power is actually? Where does he come from? To what proportions and what kind of power plant? And as the price of Electricity is, exactly?
This is true for large, traditional providers, as well as for small companies. As a legal independent green energy providers such as Greenpeace Energy, Lichtblick, EWS Schönau, or natural electricity. Also a provider with the Ok-Power label, or the Label of Green electricity is recommended:. The RECS certificate is no good distinction, say experts.
to check The seal and the power sources, the question is too complicated? Meanwhile, there are Apps to help you transition to a suitable electricity provider. Also good to Orient yourself: price comparison sites that offer a green power filter, or the list of EcoTopTen, a campaign of the Ökoinstituts.
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you’ll be in the climate-conscious
Added: Many apartment seekers will pay attention to the thoughts, when choosing an affordable place to Stay also on the climate, can only smile. Finally, apartments in cities such as Münster, Hamburg or Munich are so rare and expensive, you take what you can get. Who has the leisure, but however, the energy certificate of the desired flat, apartment or house, at least, and not say, if the value is satisfactory. For landlords and sellers, the following applies: If the home Equity best achieved grades, you should advertise. A modern heating and insulation will help, well in the energy-balance cut. For many of the modernization measures, there is funding.
bonus info: For buyers or builders, there are low-interest loans, if the home meets certain energy efficiency criteria.
All those who still hesitate whether you move into a WG or your own apartment, can facilitate a view on the climate balance of the decision: the kitchen, bathroom and heating to share with others in almost all cases, a significantly smaller CO2 footprint.
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they are eating less meat, you throw less away
no, this is not new, but still: food should be seasonal, from the Region, and in the best case, not individually in plastic to be wrapped. But there is more. Firstly: it is Not too much to buy and so are planning, that nothing is thrown away. Secondly: as little as possible of animal products to eat. In October, researchers have demonstrated in a study of how important it is to eat less beef, pork, and eggs – and to grab more about beans and nuts (Nature: spring man et al., 2018).
More than a third of all food ends up in the garbage, although they were still edible. In Germany, the annual 18 million tons. It would have to have the date of minimum durability not be tempted to throw something away. And it is usually sustainable to share food.
There are vendors, manufacturers, Restaurants, and supermarkets network, in order to avoid food waste. Too-Good-To-Go* and ResQ, earlier Meal Saver, are two companies that offer this at the Moment, especially in big cities.
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the latest Smartphone
Many of the German horten cell phones and Smartphones. 100 million waste are hold according to the Federal Ministry for the environment, and the digital Association, Bitkom, in German house. Less than half of that is recycled or otherwise disposed of. This means not only the unnecessary harmful to the environment extraction of raw materials under ethically questionable conditions, but also a lot of plastic waste and e-scrap worthy.
The essential question is here: really Need a new Smartphone? The Features of the Google Pixel 3, Apple iPhone XS or Samsung Galaxy Note 9 in fact so stunning that the previous device needs to have today out of? And if there is no way around this, could you imagine a used phone or even a fair phone require?
Fair phone, to manufacture products under fair working conditions, starting with the raw materials. And it wants to improve the sustainability of the industry by working for a longer period of use. That is why it is different than most Smartphones nowadays, possible, parts should be replaced. Admittedly, The equipment can not keep up with the big companies, technically. You need to, but maybe not for everyone.
Who acquires a new electrical appliance such as washing machine, refrigerator or television, should pay attention to power consumption. It is also good to avoid devices with a standby function. Anyone who owns such devices, you should take completely from the mains when not in use. Little tip for the fridge: Eight degrees is a good temperature at seven degrees, the device consumes six percent more energy in six degrees again.
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you can Go less clothing
a Convenient and much – under the German seems to be the clothing continue to be the dominant shopping motto for shopping. Every fifth piece of clothing is so well-worn as ever, as a representative online survey by the environmental organisation Greenpeace has revealed. The power of a billion clothes that are unused in the closet. And mountains of discarded clothes, the best will be donated, but often simply end up in the garbage.
it Needs, so really the new Jeans? The third winter coat, because dark blue, not Black? A dress for the festival days and another for the new year? If Yes, Then you are considering but, in the case of second hand goods to be added to that. He who preserves one kilogram of clothes in front of the dump instead of buying new, saves 3.5 pounds of carbon dioxide missions (IKEM: The Infographic Energy Transition Coloring Book, 2018). Converted into energy which is enough to operate a flat screen television for a day. Regularly found in towns and cities also exchanges instead of Dress. Online the classifieds on platforms such as ebay, dress centrifugal or Rebelle, if it should be design mode.
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you Put your money green
What banks do with the money you Deposit in savings accounts, savings bonds, or funds? And for what projects your house Bank grants loans? If you look here carefully, you can create money-conscious climate-friendly. A first step would be to invest directly in fossil fuels. Better look for funds that invest in sustainable projects, from wind farms to energy-saving house.
Currently, a frequently recommended Ökobanken: the GLS Bank, Triodos Bank, the environmental Bank and the ethics Bank. To find out how well your current Bank is performing, help the any questions in the Fair Finance Guide Germany.
Sustainable investments are quite profitable. You can count for Investors similar to that of the conventional products. This is also evident from a recent study by the rating Agency Scope (PDF). They compared a group of standard products with sustainable counterparts – thus, the ethically safer layers of funds more with a Plus of 0.5 percent over three years nearly at the front.
Important to know: a funds provider to define sustainability according to their own criteria. So far, there is no standardized Directive. The first orientation is offered by the consumer advice centre Bremen and the Stiftung Warentest. For example, you have created 2014 a market overview of the most climate-friendly equity funds. In addition, there are a variety of seals, featuring sustainable investments. The Internet portal, utopia has worn them together.
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ensure sustainable
insurance support or block sustainability through the capital that they manage – and in the form of shares or bonds. Some invest in nuclear power companies, and others in the Oil industry or coal-fired power plants. Some of the consciously support of renewable energies or ecological agriculture – with your money.
First example: There is a pension insurer, and follow ethical and ecological Standards, which means that you have created and the money is flowing in controversial areas such as arms, nuclear power or child labor. Last year, the consumer advice centre Bremen has investigated 46 provider of private pension insurance in terms of their sustainability standards. Only four of the examined insurance restricted investment in climate-damaging coal, nine avoided food speculation (PDF).
Second example: the household insurance. She reaches, for example, when a household device after a case of damage, be replaced. Thus, not simply the cheapest, dirtiest new stove or refrigerator is creating, numbers, some insurers are aware of the extra cost for a device of the highest available efficiency class (currently up to A+++). It should be noted: anyone Who purchases a new, energy-saving refrigerator, you should leave the old one properly disposed of and not, for example, in the cellar or in the garden house in addition to drinks cold.
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you can travel eco-friendly
It’s pretty obvious and should not be missing still: Who can, should avoid not only air travel but also car trips and instead, on the train, public transport or the Bicycle.
a flight Is not to be avoided, you can at least check which providers will have modern aircraft, many passengers, and at the same time, are often busy. In addition, there is since some years the possibility of the self-inflicted amount of carbon dioxide financially compensate by travellers CO2 buy certificates. “The compensation of greenhouse gas emissions via carbon credits, which have the same amount of Emissions in climate protection projects will be compensated,” says the German Federal environment Agency (UBA). So about Moore in Germany to protect or in other countries of the world, forests afforestation. In the meantime, numerous in – flight, and bus companies and travel portals offer CO2-compensation. You can often book added optionally, with one click. A UBA-brochure informed of what is a trusted provider for the certificate in handel.
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you do not Share abandon transport with other
on the basis of place of residence and Job, thousands of people on a car. But it has to be one of your own? If Yes: please Consider using Apps or networks, car-sharing to offer or avail of. Well BlaBlaCar, Flinc, or bessermitfahren.de are already used, for example, for long distances around karzoo.de and fahrfahraway.com are known.
In large cities there are now many car sharing offers, which can replace the private car. But beware: car-sharing is fraught with the danger to be too comfortable – and what follows from it, is not necessarily environmentally conscious: studies have shown that people leave for a rental car, also like the bike, even for short distances.
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celebrate green
concerts and Festivals – such events can be more or less climate-friendly organized. It is only logical that for live shows, a lot of Equipment is necessary to transport the organizer, sometimes over long distances. Not only that, the visitors can take hundreds of miles for the journey. Wage value, therefore, is to choose a Festival, as well as a journey by public transport or by Bicycle is possible. A Karlsruhe-based Start-up has developed for this purpose, the platform for Green Mobility, all the possibilities to arrive to the festival including car-sharing are listed and a CO2 calculator to compare. As a pioneer in the sustainable festival, the Tollwood in Munich is, by the way. What are the Festivals still perform well? The Green Festival Guide 2018 of the Viennese magazine Biorama, for example, provides information.
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Goings-conscious sports
“gyms are real power hogs,” says the Economist Likki-Lee Pitzen of the investment Bank Lion’s Head Global Partners*. You want to become a member, you can ask what Devices it is for energy efficiency– whether it is about heat recovery or modern LEDs for the lighting. So you can also make grievances. There are even Studios where, thanks to specially equipped devices, with the own energy to generate electricity. Instead of calories will display the wattage and the power produced in the own plant supplies.
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you Go frequently Hiking, grilling, you rare
What the average German makes in his free time very often? Working in the garden. This is apparent at least since the years of surveys. It is a great Hobby, as well as Hiking and Cycling: because of the extremely low emission and healthy. Motocross, motor boating, or throughout the summer with a charcoal grill. So far, So obvious.
Less well-known: the visit to a Museum, festival or a gallery effect on the personal carbon footprint. Even national museums are increasingly dependent on private sponsors. Banks and consulting firms, but also food, fashion, energy and automotive corporations to support exhibitions and programs. If you want to support no one Oil company paid for the exhibition, you can stay away from her. Or at least time-asking, whether the sponsorship promotes really art, or, ultimately, the art is not only purchased advertising for the company. If you dig deeper, is not enough, you would Protest a next step: The Divestment movement Fossil Free about has not ensured that Shell sponsors the longer the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The Mauritshuis in The Hague has set the cooperation. And in Paris there was 2018 a large protest oerformance in the Louvre against the sponsorship by the group Total.
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Buy less
Basically, the environment – and climate friendly, who buy less and more conscious. When you spend money, whether for electricity, the old-age insurance, or into a Fund invests, is not allowed to refer to question, what happens then with the money and the provider, if the response is like.
the bigger the gesture the better, Yes. But even the smallest change contributes to the change, if only enough to join in. Sounds cheesy, but it is so.
*transparency note for climate protection tips * * * * transparency note:
held On the Z2X-Festival 2018 in Berlin, the Economist, Likki-Lee Pitzen a Workshop on the topic “Your sports club, Your College, Your account: How can You fight with everyday decisions against climate change”. Tips and Tricks that have worn the Workshop participants, are included in this article. The author was in charge of the event organization. The Start-up Too-Good-To-Go is also Know for the TIME-the price of courage for sustainability to be nominated.
