Hey everyone,
Here is another blog post!
This blog post will be about summarizing our class trip to Germany where we conducted surveys. Also, I will be reflecting on German and American views and ideas regarding the environment and sustainability.
For my research and surveys I focused on individuals and their motivations for using public transportation compared to alternative forms. When I first arrived in Germany I was completely amazed by the public transportation system. When I conducted my surveys, I asked individuals “Do you believe your city/town or neighborhood needs to improve their public transportation system?”. Everyone in the surveys responded “yes” except one person. Before conducting the surveys I believed majority of people were going to say no because the public transportation is Germany is very advanced compared to the public transportation I have experienced in America. One person during the surveys explained their mindset being that “there is always room for improvement”, which I agree with. Germany from my perspective was very advanced and I felt safe as a tourist and thought this system worked very well for Germany. But, after listening to people in my surveys and reading literature on recent strikes in Germany regarding public transportation, it is clear that there is room for improvement. For example, currently in Germany strikes are occurring on behalf of public transport workers who are demanding an increase in salary. According to the New York Times, “Deutschmark Bahn, Germany’s main rail operating system, has already offered a potential increase” but the union will discuss the salary increase in further meetings.
During our trip, we were able to visit places to gain insight on culture around sustainability in Germany. One of my favorite activities during our time traveling was looking outside the windows of our train. It was beautiful, I loved seeing the different landscapes and all of the wind turbines! Germany has so many green spaces, I was very impressed with the many small houses and gardens that were located everywhere. Our Professor explained to us, that people didn’t use these houses as “homes” but instead used them as a place to garden, raise chickens, etc. I found this very different than American culture. I am from the city and grew up with minimal green spaces. So, seeing these spaces strictly used for gardening in the city was an aspect of German culture I wish I grew up with.
Our time in Germany was very busy with a variety of different learning experiences. We had the opportunity to meet a lot of special people. We met Thomas Schulz, who is lawyer in Germany, and Head of Energy in Berlin. He told us his views and thoughts regarding renewable energy in Germany and I found it very interesting because I had never met anyone specialized in sustainability from a law perspective.
Another wonderful opportunity we had was visiting and receiving a tour of the Volkswagen electric vehicle manufacturing factory. The factory was super interesting because we got insight on the mechanics behind building an electric vehicle and specific statistics regarding Volkswagen and their vision of sustainability. I thought that the interactive experience was very insightful and gained a lot of knowledge regarding the electric vehicle industry. Another activity we participated in was a hike in Saxony Switzerland! It was such a fun day, luckily the weather was good that day and we went to the mountain and saw one of the greatest views I’ve ever seen. It was amazing to experience German forests/wilderness.
Overall, from my experience I can confirm that there is a difference between German and American culture regarding sustainability. Many people genuinely care about the environment and want to do there part. Based on my surveys, many people picked public transportation or other alternative forms of transportation such as walking or biking than driving. There isn’t a negative connotation surrounding public transportation like there is in America.
I enjoyed the trip so much! I learned and experienced the culture and definitely gained a deeper appreciation for German culture. I hope to use the knowledge and insights I gained from this experience regarding sustainability and use them in my own life here in the US!
Huda Al Bunnia March 28, 2023
Hello Kiara,
Thank you for sharing your blog post about your class trip to Germany where you conducted surveys on public transportation and reflected on the differences between German and American views on sustainability. It sounds like you had a fantastic experience and gained a lot of insights on the topic.
From what I understood, your surveys focused on individuals’ motivations for using public transportation compared to alternative forms. You were surprised to find that everyone you surveyed believed their city or neighborhood needed to improve its public transportation system except for one person. You also mentioned that Germany’s public transportation system is advanced, but there is still room for improvement, as evidenced by the recent strikes on behalf of public transport workers demanding a salary increase.
I appreciate your observations on German culture and its emphasis on sustainability, such as the use of green spaces for gardening and the popularity of alternative transportation methods. Your experiences, such as visiting the Volkswagen electric vehicle manufacturing factory and hiking in Saxony Switzerland, sound enriching and insightful.
Overall, your post made me feel impressed and inspired by the German approach to sustainability, and I appreciate the new information you provided about the strikes on public transport workers. I would be interested to know more about how the German government and the public are addressing the issue of public transportation improvements.
Thank you for sharing your experiences, and I look forward to reading more of your posts in the future.
Sheikha Alhashmi April 8, 2023
Thank you Kiara for sharing your trip to Germany and survey reflection! I think your findings are interesting but also expected; the difference between German and American cultures regarding sustainability is quite conspicuous.
In fact, your survey reflection raises an important point. The fact that the majority of Germans think their public transportation system still needs work demonstrates how firmly ingrained it is in their society. Germans are much more committed to sustainability than Americans are, as seen by the advanced public transit system and the extensive use of wind turbines and greenery in Germany. This also serves as proof of how real American car culture is.
I wonder how your research would be influenced if you surveyed Americans regarding their public transportation system. It’d be interesting to put both results side by side and draw a conclusion from the comparison. I bet that Americans won’t think it needs to be improved because they don’t even use it!
Finally, I’d like to know how the findings of your survey reflect Germany’s background. Do you believe that Germans’ interest in sustainability is more closely tied to their history or is it a result of the country’s administration and policymakers?
Hamda Al Shamsi April 9, 2023
Hello Kiara,
Thank you for sharing your class trip experience, where you conducted surveys about public transportation and showed the differences in how Germans and Americans view public transportation and how much they value it. This must have been very interesting to discover the contrast between how Germans and Americans perceive sustainability and public transportation.
I found it fascinating how advanced public transportation is in Germany and how they believe there is always room for improvement. In contrast, in the US, the growing need for cars caused public transit to be neglected and underfunded by the government.
Another fascinating thing I found is how Germany has many green spaces, which I did not expect, and how they perceive their homes as a place to garden or raise chickens. Compared with the US, which has limited green spaces where I thought it was the opposite and wondered why the US lacks green spaces. Based on what I have read in your blog post, why do you think the US lacks green spaces in certain cities, and what are their benefits?
Thank you again for sharing your experience; I found it very informative.
AbdulRahman Eslam Shoaib April 9, 2023
Hello Kiara, thank you so much for your insightful and detailed description of your trip to Germany. Much like yourself I was not aware Germany was so full of green spaces and it’s actually fascinating to know. As a person who has lived with the middle east my entire life and hasn’t really visited abroad, I have not really experienced being around such large areas dedicated purely towards gardening and greenery. It is definitely on my bucket list to visit places like that someday!
Germany is definitely a very advanced culture though and so I am not surprised the residents have such high standards for their public transportation, in the sense that even with how good they currently are, they believe there is still room for improvement. I personally highly respect this quality and having it is what resulted in them reaching the heights they have in terms of technology currently. A great example is actually the one you mentioned, Dr. Thomas Schulz who is the CEO of Bilfinger, their job is to make any and all processes for their customers sustainable, and they are trying to solidify their position as number one in the market for this purpose.
I am curious, what kind of sustainable transport methods are present in the US? Or at least those that you have tried or know of?
Once again thank you for your blog post on what seems to be a very insightful trip!
Alexoliver September 11, 2023
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