Friday, May 22, 2009

Saving the Planet One Cup of Coffee at a Time

We could learn a lot from German culture. Don’t get me wrong, I love America. I love cheeseburgers, free still water and being loud in public. But there is something to be said for Germany’s ways with saving energy. They may think that being serious is cool, but at least they are serious about minimizing their carbon foot print.

So far in Berlin, I have noticed that restaurants don’t use any plastic. Dishes and silverware are washed and reused, not just thrown away to build up the garbage heaps. If you purchase water bottles, you can take them back and get a refund. Air conditioning is a rare sight, most places open up the windows during the night and let the air cool circulate for the next day. Cafes have the option of “to stay orders” or “to go orders”, plastic to take and reusable glass to stay. Toilets use a significantly less amount of water than the toilet’s in the states. Even in our hotel the hallway lights are always turned off and when you do turn it on, it shuts off on it’s own.

These small changes in day to day life could really help make a difference in America since we contribute the most in polluting the atmosphere. But then again, they do just smash glass bottles everywhere at night, so maybe just some differences are good.  

5 comments:

Lauren said...

I completely agree with you Rosemary. I think that Berlin is very knowledgeable when it comes to saving energy. I also noticed the restaurants, lights and toilets, but other things that were different too. One thing in particular that I noticed right off the airplane was the different trash. The cans on the street have specific sections for paper, plastic and just regular trash. I found this so interesting that they take the time to make these instead of recycling centers. Another thing that really surprised was how well people used them. Everyone takes time to put their garbage in the right section. They also take time to pick up trash. I have rarely seen trash on the streets. However, even though the streets are clean, the graffiti is getting out of control.
Berlin has a terrible problem with graffiti. The buildings are beautiful; however many have graffiti on them, taking away from the overall view of the place. I personally find graffiti to be trashy and can’t believe people would just do that on other’s property. I know some graffiti is considered artistic, but seriously, Berlin has way too much. I asked Frauke if there were any laws against it and she said it’s hard to catch the people doing it. Hopefully in the future something can be done to help preserve the beauty of this city.

Lauren said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michaela Ann said...

I totally agree too! You have compiled a good list of the ways Berliners conserve energy. When we first arrived I was confused by why the lighs in our hotel halls were always off and why the toilet flushers are different from the U.S., but now it makes complete sense. Why not try to do everything you can to help the Earth? Turning lights off is easy and using less voltage in plug-ins is another way they conserve. America would do well to adopt some of these tactics.

Michael said...

I think they were breaking those bottles because they were mad at you... But in all serious-osity, the recycling machine in the grocery store is a great idea that should be imported to America. I know a lot more people would recycle if they had a monetary incentive to do so, which is sad but true.

The graffiti is kind of weird because this is such a "serious" city. I would think stuff like that would get removed instantly, but its pretty much everywhere. Its a weird thing to tolerate when they have so many laws and rules against other things that make the city ugly.

Jess said...

This would make a great article if anyone still needs an idea ;)

I have been very impressed as well with Berlin's efforts to go green. These simple acts are so easy and should have been enacted in America years ago. The subway system also helps to eliminate pollutions from cars. The subway system in Berlin is great!! I feel that we can get anywhere from the station just a block from our hotel. I really wish Omaha had a subway system. It makes traveling so much easier. Although driving on a full tank of gas is a great feeling, I am enjoying the subway a lot!

The people here also use bikes a lot. The bikers are much like those in Lincoln and do not stop for pedestrians. The people who do drive cars are quite feisty as well. They swerve in out and of the lanes and aren't afraid to honk at people.