After a nearly year-long hiatus in Germany, I find myself back in my endearingly offbeat hometown of Portland, OR. It’s startling how such a momentous experience can suddenly seem like a fleeting distant memory in only a month. I’m grateful that my other half and fellow adventurer, Jon, and I were such diligent photographers!
Nevertheless, there is one European tradition that didn’t get impounded at the customs counter (unlike Jon’s ill-fated German sausage). If one attitude stuck with me, it’s surely the European’s relentless respect for the natural world. I immediately admired their “green” lifestyles and the effortless and unconscious ways this mentality materialized in their daily routines.
The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) annually ranks 163 countries worldwide based on “environmental public health and ecosystem vitality.” In 2010, Iceland, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Sweden take the top four places with scores of (out of 100 points total) 93.5, 89.1, 86.4 and 86.0 respectively. To name just a few of the countries I visited, Norway placed fifth, France placed seventh, Austria was eighth, Slovakia was 13th, the UK was 14th, and Germany placed 17th with 73.2 points. Scan down the list a ways – keep going a little farther– and you’ll find our beloved United States at number 61 with 63.5 points. I won’t investigate the particulars of this list right now, but I should note that we, Americans, are far behind most European countries, as well as Japan, Canada, Mexico and Australia.
For a continent as small and densely populated as Europe, it’s astonishing to see such salient greenery and wildlife. I witnessed first-hand how a city functions with rigorous land use laws. I was impressed – and that’s coming from a lifelong resident of Portland, where some of the most effective urban planning in the country is found. My residence in Tübingen, Germany, sat on a hilltop precisely at the brink of the urbanized city. Glancing out my seventh-floor window to the left I could spot the quaint city center surrounded by densely compacted neighborhoods. To the right I could pin point the line that separated city life from the countryside, which bordered a 60 sq m deciduous forest, the Schönbuch Nature Preserve.
Conurbation remains an American phenomenon that is seldom present across the pond. In large European metropolises, such as Berlin or Paris, a degree of urban sprawl exists, but nothing measures up to America’s – and even Portland’s – endless strip malls, enormous shopping complexes and uninspiring cookie-cutter neighborhoods that blend one city seamlessly into another in a sea of concrete. In an aerial view of southern Germany, for example, one can observe nothing but fields and forests across the landscape that surround the scattered, tightly contained cities and towns. I don’t want to fathom how a similar perspective of Los Angeles would compare.
This was no accident. Deliberate planning and legislation resulted in densely populated cities supported by infrastructure designed to promote public transportation, bikes for commuting and less dependence on cars, resulting in smaller vehicles, less traffic congestion, less gas consumption and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Other factors include soaring gas prices and the high cost of cars, as well as the difficulty and steep cost of acquiring a driver’s license. For the first time in my life, I got used to relying on the city bus for all transportation, which was feasible (though at times frustrating) in Germany but simply not a realistic option in Portland.
It doesn’t end with urban planning. I learned quickly to bring my own shopping bags to the grocery store, a habit I used to struggle with. It wasn’t the nuisance of paying $.20 for each paper bag that encouraged me to bring my own; it’s just an unspoken expectation. (It could have been my imagination, but I felt suspicious of judging eyes when lugging around paper Edeka sacks.)
On another note, I noticed that Europeans waste much less food than Americans, which I imagine is true for much of the world. It’s typical to see run-of-the-mill grocery store meat counters selling practically every part of the pig or cow (not to mention sausages that are made purely of all the leftover parts), which I’ve only seen in specialty meat shops in the US. Europeans also don’t waste a morsel of food during mealtimes. I often find myself being too satiated to polish off every last bite, but Europeans hardly leave a crumb behind, a skill I still don’t comprehend.
Sorting the recycling and waste is a task that isn’t taken lightly in Germany. I lived on a dorm floor with 14 other students who always felt comfortable scolding someone who’s made a mistake with the Mülltrennung. Disregarding the cans and bottles that are returned for deposit money, recycling is sorted into three compartments: glass, paper/cardboard and all packaging materials, such as tuna cans and milk cartons. A similar system exists in the city center; one can dispose of trash and recyclable materials in a myriad of receptacles around town that are sorted into paper, packaging materials, glass, and miscellaneous waste. Everyone is expected to compost all organic waste in their homes. Everything else, such as old batteries and broken household items, goes in a separate garbage can. There are also stations around town for old shoes and clothes.
Germans, and naturally other Europeans, are dedicated to lowering their carbon footprints and conserving energy and resources. I’m positive there are many Americans and others around the world who have similar goals, but I got the strong impression that Germans as a whole act out of genuine compassion because of habits and values learned at a young age. Wind turbines and solar panels are common sights across Europe; I’ve even seen dozens of solar panels covering dilapidated old barns.
In 2009 Tübingen set a goal of reducing per capita greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2010 and by 70% by 2020. After speaking with German and other European students, I’ve ascertained that they’re generally satisfied with their recycling, land use and alternative energy programs – however, they feel less pleased with their current energy and natural resource conservation practices.
Peculiar sky-blue posters displaying the slogan, “Tübingen macht blau,” or “Tübingen goes blue,” covered buses, store windows, and any other surface around town. As it turns out, “Tübingen goes blue” is Mayor Boris Palmer’s pet project, a climate protection campaign that aims to encourage energy conservation. Boris is a member of the Green Party and is known for cruising around town in his Smart car. The campaign offers a multitude of easy energy-saving ideas and lists other earth-friendly opportunities in town, such as carpooling and energy-efficient businesses. This incredibly successful marketing campaign, “Tübingen macht blau,” which won a national environmental award in 2010, is a play on words: a combination of the common expression “going green” and the German saying “going blue,” which translates to skipping work or school, according to an article from Deutsche Welle. Perhaps this suggests that each Tübinger can “go green” by “going blue” – that is, by making an environmental impact akin to someone working in an office-free milieu with simple lifestyle changes, but that’s just my interpretation.
Germans are adament opponents of nuclear energy, and protest it regularly. Copious posters, buttons and signs that read, “Atomkraft? Nein Danke,” or “Nuclear energy? No, thank you,” decorate cities across the country. Making Germany nuclear-free appeared to be an unchallenged objective; little debate about the viability of nuclear power exists in public discourse, as far as I’m concerned.
We, Americans, should look to Europe as an archetype for building a stronger affinity with the natural world. This will hardly be an easy breezy accomplishment. It all starts with changing attitudes, which all ultimately comes down to education and awareness. We need to develop a straightforward, attainable goal promoted by a simple message – take “Tübingen macht blau” as an example – that outlines proactive steps to realize said goal. We need to galvanize the American people and inspire them to establish better habits by making it seem painless and, more importantly, like an obvious priority.
