Our Green Futures
Our Green Futures
Creating a climate foundation
Lea Eder talks about balancing her studies with starting a climate group in her local community.
Lea is a 23 year old agricultural science student from Germany with a passion for environmental sciences. To raise awareness and promote sustainable measures in her local community she became involved in municipal politics and consequently founded her own climate foundation.
Today. I'm really excited to be joined by Lea. Lea is a 23 year old agricultural science student from Germany with a passion for environmental sciences. To raise awareness and promote sustainable measures and her local community she became involved in municipal politics and consequently founded her own climate foundation.
Emma:Thanks Lea for joining us today. Would you like to start by telling us a little bit about yourself, a bit about you.
Lea:Yeah, thank you for having me. So I'm Lea, I'm 23 years old. I studied agricultural sciences in Germany and what I really love to do outside of university is volunteer. That's a huge passion for me. I feel like I have this huge privilege that I'm able to study, that my parents can support me. So I really love to help out in education tutor students I love to work with the red cross or organize a climate activism foundation. And also what I really like to have some more relaxation outside of university and volunteering work, I love to go on walks in nature it really grounds me could also be because I'm from a small village. And I love to dance. That's a huge passion of mine. So the ballroom and Latin dance. I think more typical in Britain I guess than in Germany, it helps to get outside in nature. And then also to have some sort of activity you can do with your friends and move your body and don't feel as awkward in a party when you have some more structure to the ballroom dancing.
Emma:Yeah. That's amazing. Oh, I would love to meet up and you can give me some lessons sometime. That'd be great. So would you like to tell us a little bit more about your studies and, and what sector you are looking to go into and, and what sort of research you're doing just now?
Lea:Sure. So as I already said, I'm studying agricultural sciences, which is a very broad field. That is something I really like about it. So you learn about biology and chemistry about economics, but also programming. And where I've found my passion is really the environmental sciences part. So I'm currently at the end of my bachelor writing a thesis on greenhouse gas emissions of different fertilizers. So there has been a lot of research on how to lower the greenhouse gas emissions. And now we are doing research on which fertilizers and chemicals work best, which maybe influence the organisms who are currently living in the soil. And what impact that this has, and so this is where I'm currently doing my thesis. And for my master's degree, I would love to study environmental sciences as a degree on its own. And then for the future, maybe work with the FAO or the food and agricultural organization. I really love this interdisciplinary and intercultural part.
Emma:what do you see in the agricultural sciences sector in general? Do you think there's going to be change in the future and maybe more of a look to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, for example, what do you see as sort of the next step in that sector?
Lea:Yes. So. Agricultural science sector, very important. I think the FAO also said that 14.5% of the Global of greenhouse gas emissions are emitted by the livestock sector and to feed everyone in 2050, we have to increase our food production by 70%. So these two facts alone provide a huge challenge for everyone. And so agricultural science is really the center. It's a very interdisciplinary sector as I already said that the studies is as well. So I see, what I'm currently also observing is that all the professors at my university, other people at the research Institute I'm currently working in are focused on increasing the food production and making it more sustainable because there are different parts we can work on. We can work on increasing the yield. We can work on managing the diseases. We can work on reducing food loss and food waste. So there are many different sciences and parts which are interconnected. And have to work in the
Emma:future together. Yeah. Touching so many of the UN SDGs as well, the sustainable development goals. So not just climate, but also about reducing poverty, making sure food is available. So very interdisciplinary.
Lea:Yeah. It's an awesome degree.
Emma:Yeah. Yeah. I'm glad you're enjoying it as well. It sounds really fascinating. And the other thing that you work on in your spare time is your communities project. So would you like to share a little bit about what that is and how you started that.
Lea:Sure. So it's a community-based climate activism foundation. We founded it about a year ago and the story was that me, my friends and people in our village and area were already active in municipal politics, but then realized that because we are from a very conservative part of Germany, you can't change that much by just talking to your politicians. And so we wanted to come together. And one of our key values in our foundation is that we are not representing a political party. So we are people from all different parties and different political interests. But the one common goal we have is climate protection and climate activism. So that is kind of the story where we all came together. And what I really learned through my climate activism group is that, one, you and your projects don't have to be perfect. When I started out, I thought I had to have this amazing idea and master plan and plan everything before we start. But it's really about learning by doing, doing smaller projects, getting to know your community and what works and what doesn't. And the second thing that really surprised me is that there are more people out there who are interested in the same topic than you think. Especially if you focus only on one thing, like climate activism. So in our group, everyone has a different background, has a different age and I'm working with people I never thought I would work with. We have all very different views on, for example, how to make housing more affordable, but that's not the topic we want to work on. We want to work on climate activism. And so we really come together and put all those other things aside. And that is something that, that really surprised me, but it's also very inspiring that there are people out there who want to work together and it's going quite well.
Emma:Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah. Getting people together from different political parties or with different views to really work together on a topic and, and what sort of events or things do you do, how do you bring people together? Are there specific events that you put on or do you meet regularly?
Lea:Yeah. So our plan, because we are only working since one year, we want to start, because we are working in a very conservative part of Germany, with fun projects, with raising awareness about the climate crisis, with engaging our community. So, what we've been doing, one of our first events was a pub quiz, a pub quiz about climate related topics. What is a more sustainable thing and show by card or different packaging materials. And we did that during COVID. So we made it online. And we had, I think about 50 people joining, which was quite a lot. We just founded this group and did this event and yes and that really helped organizing a small project like that to bring the group together, to start out, to have something that you've already achieved. And after that we organized a climate path. Which is a route, a way you can walk through our village and through the nature with different signs for different topics. So we have a sign on nutrition and agriculture. We have a sign on mobility and taking trains and using car sharing. And there's different signs along across the path. We inform the people on how to live more sustainably in our village with concrete and specific examples. So it's, there are some information on the climate crisis in general and how that affects our planet, but we really wanted to focus on specific solutions so that our citizens can go home and think, Hey, do I really need to buy a new car? Or could I, could I join this car sharing initiative and just rent the car two days a week when I need it, or maybe once a month because I don't drive as much. So those are the things we have been doing. And currently we are organizing an escape room, also themed around the topic climate crisis. Everyone is very interested
Emma:in.
Lea:Yeah I can imagine! It's more interesting, more fun topics to just get the community engaged. And we've been getting a lot of great feedback also that we are such a diverse group with young people, moderating the events. And we realized that there's also a lot of funding out there for the escape game. We got a lot of funding from the European Union. But also our municipal counselors, very, very fond of young people being active. So it's easier than I thought to organize events and to get people interested in the climate crisis. Yeah.
Emma:And have you had any pushback from people in the community at all? And, and if so, how have you been able to surpass that?
Lea:Yeah, so one feedback we got was that we don't really change something or that the events we've been organizing are not building solar panels on a roof, but more doing a pub quiz, doing an escape room, which is something we planned. We didn't want to start out organizing like really climate protection measures because we knew that a lot of people are more conservative and don't even really understand why they should care about being more sustainable. So that is a feedback we've been getting and sometimes it's difficult to hear that like your work is not changing anything, but what we've been trying and what helped was talking to the people who are coming to our events and understanding that they are thankful for having a platform to share their ideas, to share their opinions. And we are now working on a small booklet where everyone in the village who built solar panels on their roof, who renovated their house and used specific sustainable materials. We wrote down their stories and their experiences, so to share. So it's becoming more of a platform to share how you live more sustainable in our area. So we try to focus on that we've been changing something and talking to the people and also getting the feedback that it helps to talk about the climate crisis.
Emma:Yeah. Yeah. It's so good as well that you're so engaged in the feedback and sort of working along with people to sort of take that on. And I think it's, it's one of those things as well, that it's so difficult sometimes to really measure impact, because especially if you're event based and you can be sharing knowledge and raising awareness and maybe just planting a seed in someone's mind, that actually goes on to create great change, but actually measuring that and trying to evaluate that can be really tricky. But yeah, it sounds like you're doing such an interesting job. It would be great to come over and join your escape game. I would love a go at that. Do you have any tips or advice for someone who's maybe studying and interested in climate change and maybe wanting to either set up their own community organizations such as the one you've set up or maybe join an organization? Do you have any advice on that and maybe how to sort of juggle the time between studying and the volunteering that you do?
Lea:Yeah. So if I would give advice on starting a community-based project, I guess for me, it was a, like a three-step process. So the first step was just to find people who have the same interest. So at a community-based level, you can write an article in a newsletter. You can post something on Instagram or go into a forum and find people. But the second step then for us was to start a brainstorming session and just write down every idea you have, which is an awesome, an awesome feeling. And it was an awesome observation to understand that older people have their experience and can share the ideas, but also young people have such new ideas, maybe. Maybe they are not financially feasible, but you just write them down. And the third step would be to start with a small project. You don't have to change the World like with your first idea, you can also just build your group together, work together, and then you get motivated and have more confidence by having a small project. For us, that was the pub quiz, which just engaged the community and made everyone aware of, okay, we now have a climate activism foundation in our area where we can engage in and contribute to. So those would be the three steps I would recommend just find a group, get some brainstorming done, and then start with a small project. And if you want to join the group, I guess sometimes it can be scary if it's a very established group. If you feel like you don't know anyone, it's just send an email, send an Instagram message and ask when they meet, when they meet and then you can join. And what I would love to tell everyone is that their ideas and perspective is super valuable. As I, as I said, I love young people for their radical ideas and and crazy plans, but those are super valuable to then work on as a group. And maybe tweak a little bit here and there and then implement. So really everyone can bring something new to the table. And, um, yeah, the second part of your question. Finding a balance between studying and volunteering. I guess you have to have to set boundaries, which is something easier said than done. Yeah, for me, it helped too, we have smaller task forces in our team, so we have five people working on the escape game. We have five people working on like an informational event where we walk along the climate path and have some keynote speakers. So, just saying, okay. I will work on this one event, but nothing else. I would focus my time there and then it's not as much work. So setting boundaries saying, okay. I would do that, but nothing more.
Emma:Yeah. I think that's great advice. I'm completely agree with the boundaries. It's sometimes definitely easier to say that than to implement them. So thinking about work in general, and you're looking to do your master's and then maybe find a job within agricultural sciences, and do you think that work in general, would you like to work and be able to continue with your organization. And do you think that's maybe important that work in the future involves volunteering or it gives us time to do that? Or what are sort of your views on what roles you think would be available to you and the work that you're doing just now?
Lea:Yeah. So with the first part, I would love to continue my volunteering especially in the climate activism sector and especially on such a community based level. It's nice to organize big events, but getting in touch with your community and talking to people. It's easier to implement projects. It's easier to talk to the counselor and have a charging station for electric cars. That's something that can be implemented quite easy. And I hope that I will find a job where that is possible. I think through the COVID pandemic, a lot of employees, what I've learned in my 23 years of age, have started to implement more of those remote working ideas and digital work, which can help, which makes work easier. My climate activism foundation, sometimes we only meet online because it's just quick and easy to organize stuff. You just have to have a quick chat. Um, so that probably helps. And yeah. The jobs I would love to do as an agricultural science student with then focusing more on environmental sciences. I would love either to go into research, so similar to what I'm doing with my thesis right now, finding this connection between agriculture's of fertilizers and then environmental sciences like greenhouse gas emissions, and working together with the European Union or the food and agricultural organization on standards or different projects. That would be something I would be very much interested in.
Emma:Great. Yeah, that sounds amazing. And, if you could give yourself some advice, maybe when you were just starting your degree and maybe thinking about setting up the organization. So maybe when you were 19 or 20 and deciding what you were going to do, what piece of advice would you give yourself or tell your younger self back then?
Lea:Yeah, I guess it would be that starting is the most difficult part. As soon as you have a group as soon as you organized an event it's not as difficult anymore. It's just this initial phase of reaching out of writing your first, I don't know, newspaper article or holding the first speeches at your first event, that's really the most difficult step. And you just have to take it. You just have to be confident also kind of fake it till you make it. The second advice would be. Like your ideas are valuable, even though you're only 19 years old, you know who you are and how you want to change the world. And if you want to contribute then that's valuable and your ideas are maybe not perfect, but it's great that you want to be engaged. And so. Just start. Just be brave.
Emma:Yeah. Oh, that's such great advice. I think I could do with that now, a little bit past, 19 or 20. Thank you. And the final question for you today is around work and separating that from who you are and how easy or difficult you find that. And I think a lot of us working in sustainability, it's such a big part of who we are and what we believe in it can sometimes be difficult to disconnect. So do you feel that it's important to sometimes disconnect from the work and, and sort of work on other things and, and we touched on that a little bit with your dancing and things, but what are your views and thoughts on that.
Lea:Yeah. So I definitely struggle with separating myself from my work, from my volunteering work, but also from my degree and studying. I sometimes struggle with defining my self worth by my academic success. But then also, because I'm so passionate about climate protection and about what I'm studying, it sometimes gets overwhelming. If you learn about the ways you can do it right. But then you, you see how politicians are choosing another direction, how companies are doing it another way. And you get frustrated because you see a logical path, but not everyone is following that. So I think it's very important to disconnect, to do something else, to understand. Hey, I like dancing and that is also part of Lea. Yes. Lea studies, agricultural sciences, does the climate activism group, but she also dances, she likes to garden and build furniture. So to have multiple things in your life, that really helps. If you get to introduce yourself to another person you, you're not based on, oh, I'm Lea, I'm studying agriculture sciences, but no, I also don't like, that's also part of me. But also on the other side and I'm very grateful that I can work in this agricultural environmental science sector, because I'm so passionate about it and I really enjoy having a degree and having work where I'm passionate about. So it's, it's motivating also in a
Emma:sense. Yeah. Yeah. That's great. Thank you so much. I wish we had more time to talk about the furniture making, we will chat about that another time, but thank you so much for joining me today Lea and having a chat. It's been lovely to talk to you.
Lea:Yeah. Thank you so much for having me.
Emma:Thank you.
