Greetings everyone!
Welcome back to another blog post. Today, I will be discussing a very brief summary of our class trip to Germany, along with my experiences with surveying throughout the country.
In terms of the results of my surveys, I was surprised to see the responses that many of my participants provided on natural gas and nuclear energy. Most of my participants indicated that they equally disliked natural gas alongside nuclear energy. This is quite interesting considering in the United States, most people would define nuclear energy as a more ‘clean’ energy source compared to natural gas due to its immediate difference in pollution compared to others. I also found it interesting to notice that many individuals indicated that they were unaware of the German use of Russian natural gas before the war in Ukraine. This was particularly interesting considering the sheer amount of gas imports that were coming from Russia before the Ukraine war began. Even more, natural gas dependency in Germany was not a completely new conversation before the war in Ukraine began, although it was not as loud as it is now. Interestingly enough, I was shocked when I was actually able to meet an individual who was a victim of Putin’s war crimes in Ukraine. Although she did not feel comfortable partaking in my survey, her experiences fleeing the war-torn country with her 1-year-old son while leaving her husband behind to fight was an incredibly humbling exchange for me.
One of the three remaining operational nuclear power plants in Germany. (Source)
As a summary of the entire trip, Germany clearly is approaching sustainability in a much faster and more efficient way than the United States has been in the past years. During our trip, we met with examples from both the public and private sectors of methods in which they are using sustainability methods to enhance profitability and initiatives set by the German government. For example, we visited a wind energy company in Breman, Germany. The company highlighted how it is not only leading both wind and PV capabilities within Germany but has recently begun expanding its capabilities throughout 4 other continents. Getting to see a company that is focused heavily on renewables and actually turned the profitability of them into an effective product on the marketplace has demonstrated to me how government subsidies towards renewables can not only be environmentally friendly but also useful for companies to make a profit on something that is hard to predict its productivity of. In the United States, we provide tax breaks to many individuals who construct renewables. The reason why this is not as effective is that it is hard to economically predict the production of wind and solar since the weather changes on a daily basis. In Germany, the government resolved this issue by setting a price for wind or solar energy produced in order to make the marketplace for these renewables more predictable, and in turn invested in more by the private sector.
We also visited the Berlin Senate’s committee on Environment and Energy (Note: the Senate of Berlin is what they call the local city governing body). Through this visit, we were able to see how local organizations within Germany are approaching solutions to the climate crisis. Berlin, for example has set a goal to where it plans on making 25% of its energy from Photovoltaic (solar) energy by the year 2050. After the Ukrainian war began, Berlin came to realize that the rapidly increasing transformation away from natural gas energy has caused the city to be able to make this 25% goal by 2035 instead of 2050. I think that this interesting observation shows how issues within a region of the world that you are apart of can vastly change the policy that your own country is pursuing. This is something that the Untied States is very fortunate to have security from thanks to its geography. Both of its neighbors (both Mexico and Canada) are relatively neutral countries or allies.
The bridge over Saxon Switzerland National Park, which we accessed by public transportation! (Source)
Lastly, its important to note the numerous greenspaces that exist within the cities in Germany. Not only this, but there are even greenspaces that are integrated with the transportation sector throughout the country. It boggles my mind how one can access almost anywhere within the country via transportation, even if the area seems remote. In America, there are entire states that do not have any passenger rail lines inside their borders. This is vastly different to Germany, let alone their almost completely electrified rail infrastructure. In the United States, we see many of our major greenspaces as only accessible by car. Nearly every United States National Park requires a car to access all parts of it for example. In Germany, this was quite different. In fact, we were able to visit one of the popular national parks in the country by bus (Saxon Switzerland)!
Fariyal April 9, 2023
Hello Jacob! That was a very insightful blog on your class trip to Germany and I appreciate how you broke down the details with simplicity making it easy to follow the information. Quite certainly, the government of a country can have a huge impact in the way its people look at different forms of energy. Germany’s government not only promotes renewable sources of energy but ensures that the vision can be pursued by private corporations through guidance in the form of subsidies and creating a profitable market. I found myself thinking that perhaps, it is not impossible to lead a sustainable life by looking at the example of Germany. If Germany can create an environment that is sustainable by the use of effective public transportation and setting goals for solar energy, it should not be tough for countries like USA to start implementing initiatives, given that it is surrounded with stability. It is worthwhile to note that Germany ranks sixth in terms of sustainability with many companies committing to their social responsibility. However, acknowledging that America is 28 times bigger than Germany with more population, don’t you think that will be tougher for America to implement the same goals?
Tala Shihada April 9, 2023
Hello Jacob! Regarding your class trip to Germany, I appreciate you sharing your observations and experiences. The findings of your polls on natural gas and nuclear energy, as well as the views that people in Germany and the United States have regarding these energy sources, were intriguing to read about. It’s encouraging to hear that you were able to engage in a sobering conversation with a victim of Putin’s atrocities in the Ukraine, and I hope that their stories will serve as a reminder of how crucial it is to advance security and peace in the globe. You made some really interesting points on how Germany is pursuing sustainability in a more effective manner than the US. I was delighted to learn about the Bremen-based wind energy firm, which is leading Germany’s wind and PV capabilities and spreading to other continents. It is obvious that the German government’s subsidies for renewable energy have been successful in improving market predictability, which has increased the appeal of private sector investment. I wonder what the United States may learn from Germany’s strategy for promoting renewable energy, as well as how we can encourage private sector involvement in a manner akin to that of Germany.
I appreciate the information you shared about Berlin’s goal of getting 25% of its energy from solar power by 2035 and how the conflict in Ukraine sped up the process. It’s a great example of how global events can impact local policies. I’m curious if there are other cases where world events affected national policy in Germany and what we can learn from them. Your remarks on the accessibility of green areas in Germany and how they are incorporated with the transportation industry, to sum up, really struck a chord with me. I wonder how we might emphasize sustainable transportation alternatives in the United States the way Germany has evidently made a determined effort to do. Do you know of any particular legislative efforts or projects in Germany that might serve as a guide for environmentally friendly transportation in the US?
Judy Afana April 9, 2023
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences from your class trip to Germany. It’s always fascinating to read about diverse approaches to sustainability and energy use from around the world. I found it particularly striking that many of your survey participants in Germany equally disliked both natural gas and nuclear energy. It’s particularly troubling that many people were uninformed of Germany’s usage of Russian natural gas before to the Ukraine war, especially given the considerable volume of gas imports coming from Russia at the time. This emphasises the significance of educated public debate and education regarding energy sources and their effects on the environment and geopolitical circumstances. It’s encouraging to learn that Germany is making great strides towards sustainability, with both the public and commercial sectors using strategies to boost profits while lowering carbon footprints. The wind energy company you visited in Bremen is a great example of this, and it’s impressive to see its expansion across multiple continents. The German government’s approach to setting a price for wind or solar energy produced in order to make the marketplace for these renewables more predictable is also noteworthy, and something that other countries could learn from. It’s also interesting to learn about Berlin’s objective of using photovoltaic energy for 25% of its energy by 2035, and how the Ukrainian war has expedited their move away from natural gas. This highlights the significance of adaptability and responsiveness to changing conditions, particularly in the face of global problems such as climate change. Lastly, the integration of greenspaces with transportation in Germany is inspiring. It’s impressive that almost anywhere within the country can be accessed via transportation, even remote areas, and it’s heartening to see the integration of greenspaces with public transportation. This is something that could be implemented in other countries to encourage sustainable travel and reduce reliance on cars. Your blog post is highly thought-provoking and brings me to seek answers to numerous questions- How can countries like the United States learn from Germany’s approach to energy usage and sustainability, particularly in terms of the public’s perception of different energy sources and the need for informed public discourse and education? Additionally, how can other countries implement the German government’s approach to setting a price for renewables in order to make the marketplace for these sources more predictable? Finally, what steps can be taken to integrate greenspaces with public transportation in other countries, in order to encourage sustainable travel and reduce reliance on cars?
Mohammad Yousef April 9, 2023
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and observations about your class trip to Germany. It is always fascinating to read about different strategies for promoting sustainability and reducing energy use from around the world. I found it very intriguing that many of the German responders to your survey shared my sentiments regarding natural gas and nuclear power. Given the large volume of gas imported from Russia at the time, it is especially troubling that so many people were unaware of Germany’s reliance on Russian natural gas prior to the Ukraine War. This emphasizes how important it is for the general public to be knowledgeable about energy sources and their impacts on the environment and geopolitical circumstances. There is little doubt that the German government’s encouragement of renewable energy has been successful in boosting market certainty, which has increased the appeal of private sector investment. I’m curious about the lessons that the United States can learn from Germany’s strategy for promoting renewable energy and how we might encourage private sector participation in a manner that is similar to Germany. I appreciate the information you gave me on Berlin’s goal of using 25% solar energy by 2035 and how the conflict in Ukraine hastened that goal. It serves as a great example of how world events can affect domestic legislation. It would be interesting to know what we may take away from historical situations in which global events affected national policy in Germany. It is crucial to emphasize that Germany ranks sixth in terms of sustainability, despite many corporations committed to their social responsibility. Don’t you think it will be harder for America to achieve the same goals because it is bigger and has more people than Germany?.
Penni December 27, 2023
Nice blog
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