How citizens, municipalities and companies avoid greenhouse gases
In order not to let global warming turn out to be too dramatic, the world should emit almost no greenhouse gases by the middle of the century. This is how the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement can be interpreted. Industrialized and emerging countries have already lost a lot of time on this path.
In 2018, too, global emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases will ultimately have risen again instead of falling. There have long been ways and means for a major turnaround - and "lighthouse projects" that show how it can work. In a series of articles for the 24th World Climate Summit in Katowice, Poland, on December 3rd, “Research Current” portrays pioneers of climate protection in Germany. From individual researchers to small and large municipalities to industrial companies. Imitation is expressly encouraged!
“We're standing at the Wuppertal-Elberfeld train station. And now it's off to Leverkusen-Schlebusch. And from there it's on to Odenthal, the place is called. I'll give a lecture there, one of many. ”
“ Entrance RB48 to Cologne main station. ”
On the way with Michael Kopatz. The researcher from the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy is a much sought-after speaker. But Kopatz doesn't just talk about climate protection - he also practices it himself! For example on his travels.
Today the lecture will take place in a conference center in the country. That means: the first stage by train. And the second with a reserved car sharing car that is waiting at the train station.
Car sharing out of conviction
Kopatz could also be picked up by the organizer at the train station and brought back afterwards. Or take a taxi. But he doesn't!
“Basically, that's more efficient. I am now driving the car there and back. The taxi would come and pick me up again. And come twice. ”
Michael Kopatz lives extremely energy-efficiently. He is possibly the most climate-friendly climate researcher in Germany:
"I am at five tons on average."
By this, the social scientist means his personal CO2 emissions per year:
"A German citizen has an average of eleven tons."
That is more than twice as much! So how does Kopatz manage to live only half as climate-damaging as the average consumer? Or to put it another way: What could each individual learn from them? It starts with living:
“Our house uses extremely little energy. This is a house from the early 1960s, but it has been refurbished quite cleverly in terms of energy. If you now repaint the facade, the scaffolding is on, then the additional costs for installing insulation are very low. These are the so-called costs that are there anyway, the 'anyway costs'. And then you should touch the renovation. "
You can also save a lot of energy later in your own four walls.
“The biggest item is simply room heating. If someone lives at 23 degrees in the living room and he reduces that to 20 degrees, which is actually adequate - then you would save almost 20 percent of the energy. With electricity, people know the measures that can be implemented. And then in the transport sector: we don't have our own car. It is actually not flown. We eat relatively little meat, my children don't eat meat at all. On average, the German is 1,100 grams per week. If you reduce that to 600 grams, Germany can save 22 million tons of CO2. These are starting points in personal behavior. "
