Founding of the “Earth Ball Fans Foundation” on Earth Day

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Stiftung_Erdball_Fans_Logo

On Wednesday, April 22, 2020, Earth Day celebrates its 50th anniversary. The very first Earth Day in the early 1970s marked a period in which people increasingly reflected on the interactions between human civilization and the Earth’s ecosystem. This period also saw the publication of the Club of Rome’s report “The Limits to Growth.” (Here you can find a lecture by the report’s lead author, Dennis Meadows, who, 45 years later, reviewed its conclusions together with FAW/n at the University of Ulm – as we previously reported.)

This year’s Earth Day marks the founding of the “Earth Ball Fans Foundation”. Under the patronage of Prof. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, Honorary President of the Club of Rome, the foundation aims to support dedicated “Earth Ball fans” in their long-term efforts to develop sustainable visions for the 21st century, and more specifically, in the planning and implementation of lectures, projects, events, and initiatives related to the sustainability goals adopted at the UN Summit on September 25, 2015 – with particular emphasis on the ecological goals 13, 14, and 15, and the peace goal 16.

The foundation also supports the Alliance for Development and Climate in promoting the 2030 Agenda (SDGs) and advancing international climate protection.

Further information about the foundation, its activities, and its supporters can be found at www.stiftung-erdball-fans.de.

“A ‘world with a future’ should be shaped by those who will spend most of their lives in that future. The Earth Ball Fans focus on understanding long-term trends and thinking systemically. I therefore greatly appreciate their commitment to the ‘Alliance for Development and Climate,’ which is exactly the right initiative to help build a sustainable world over the long term. This is about development for billions of people, the protection of the environment and biodiversity, and the stabilization of the climate system. From another perspective, those who take part are internalizing external costs and thereby contributing to the establishment of a global eco-social market economy”.

Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. h. c. Franz Josef Radermacher

Image source: pixabay/PIRO4D

Aktiv CO2-senkende Testschalen im Format 16 x 16 cm aus Biokohlenstoff und Biopolymer. © Carbonaten GmbH

Biomaterials Against Climate Change

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As a supporter of the Alliance for Development and Climate, carbonauten GmbH is developing injection-molding granulate using CO₂

A plant pot made from biochar, biobinder, and bioadditives dissolves in the soil after about a month, providing nitrogen to plants while storing water-retaining biochar permanently and stably in the ground.
© Carbonaten GmbH

The use of biochar for the active reduction of greenhouse gases is at the heart of carbonauten GmbH’s work. Since its founding in 2017, this start-up has been developing innovative and sustainable products based on biochar, produced through the pyrolysis (carbonization) of biomass. According to carbonauten, in December 2019, under the brand name carbonauten OCM – Organic Carbon Materials, they introduced a conventionally injection-molded bowl made of biochar: “This patented material family could replace many petroleum-based plastics and building materials in the future. After use, products made from carbonauten OCM are either recycled or shredded and incorporated into the soil“. Incorporating biochar into soil acts as a CO₂-storing super fertilizer. Studies on Terra Preta – the fertile black soil created through human activity in South America – confirm this effect. Biochar therefore plays a key role in combating climate change by enabling negative emissions: plants absorb CO₂ during growth and convert it into biomass. Excess biomass (e.g., plant residues, cocoa or coconut shells) is converted into biochar through pyrolysis and added to the soil, effectively storing CO₂ underground.

Additionally, soil fertility improves because microorganisms can build humus more efficiently with the help of biochar. On degraded soils, biochar can help restore agricultural productivity – representing a major opportunity for promoting sustainable development, especially in non-industrialized countries.

Active CO₂-reducing test bowls (16 x 16 cm) made from biochar and biopolymer.
© Carbonaten GmbH

At present, carbonauten is conducting a test with a German automobile manufacturer in which 30% of the plastic polypropylene (PP) is replaced by the company’s biochar. The product’s impact on climate change, measured as its Greenhouse Warming Potential (GWP), is 2.67 kg CO₂ equivalent per kilogram of conventional PP. With 30% biochar, this value drops by over 3 kg CO₂ – to –0.47 kg CO₂!

Further positive side effects include the natural black coloration of the material, eliminating the need for conventional industrial carbon black, and the renewable thermal energy generated continuously (24/7) in significant quantities during biochar production.

About carbonauten GmbH

carbonauten GmbH was founded in August 2017 by Torsten Becker and Christoph Hiemer in Giengen an der Brenz, Germany. The company’s goal is the active reduction and permanent storage of greenhouse gases. Woody biomass residues are carbonized through pyrolysis into biochar, while the surplus renewable energy generated is used as electricity or heat. From these biochars, carbonauten produces materials for the forestry and agricultural sectors, as well as the food, packaging, technical, and construction industries, in addition to architecture and design. In the coming years, the company plans to establish dozens of decentralized, highly efficient production sites worldwide, capable of producing hundreds of thousands of tons of specified biochar annually.

Kühne + Nagel Becomes the First Logistics Company to Join the Alliance for Development and Climate

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Kühne + Nagel aims to intensify its environmental protection efforts and will become the first logistics service provider to join the Alliance for Development and Climate, thereby assuming a pioneering role in the sector.

The Alliance was launched in 2018 by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and FAW/n. Its goal is to link development cooperation and climate protection through the mechanism of voluntary greenhouse gas offsetting. In addition, the initiative helps finance high-quality, certified development and climate protection projects in developing and emerging countries. Details of the Alliance’s work over the past year can be found in the 2019 Annual Report.

The entry of a global logistics leader into the Alliance marks a milestone for climate-neutral logistics. Federal Minister Dr. Gerd Müller commented: “Climate change has long become a question of humanity’s survival. Industrialized nations, in particular, bear a special responsibility. It’s not only governments that must take action – the private sector must also play its part. With the Alliance for Development and Climate, we have created a platform for this purpose. I am very pleased that Kühne + Nagel, one of the world’s leading logistics companies, is joining the Alliance. This is a major step forward and shows that climate protection and business operations can go hand in hand”.

Kühne + Nagel not only intends to offset its own unavoidable CO₂ emissions from 2020 onward, but also plans to make all supplier transport operations within its network – including airlines, shipping lines, and road carriers – CO₂-neutral by 2030. It will be well worth following the progress of these ambitious efforts.

Further information:

Website of Kühne + Nagel

Image source: WSanda, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Globalization Expert Receives the Abt Jerusalem Prize

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On November 26, 2019, computer science professor Franz Josef Radermacher of the University of Ulm was awarded this year’s Abt Jerusalem Prize. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brunswick, the Technical University of Braunschweig, the Braunschweig Scientific Society, and the Braunschweig Cultural Heritage Foundation jointly presented the award for the fifth time.

Professor Franz Josef Radermacher is best known for his advocacy of a global eco-social market economy and fair globalization. He is an expert in technology assessment, environmentally friendly mobility, sustainable development, and overpopulation. At the University of Ulm, he served as Professor of Databases and Artificial Intelligence until 2018. He heads the Research Institute for Applied Knowledge Processing/n (FAW/n) in Ulm and has been a member of the Club of Rome since 2002.

Abt Jerusalem Prize

Since 2009, the organizers have awarded the Abt Jerusalem Prize to honor outstanding scientific contributions to the dialogue between the humanities, natural sciences, and engineering. The prize carries an endowment of 5,000 euros. It is named after Friedrich Wilhelm Jerusalem (1709–1789), Abbot of Riddagshausen and co-founder of the Collegium Carolinum, the precursor to today’s Technical University of Braunschweig. Abbot Jerusalem is regarded as a pioneer of an enlightened relationship between faith and reason.
Press release: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brunswick.

Lectures at the Award Ceremony

The laudatory speech for the presentation of the Abt Jerusalem Prize on November 26, 2019, in Braunschweig was delivered by Prof. Dr. Ulrich Menzel, TU Braunschweig and member of the Braunschweig Scientific Society (BWG)

Einen interessanten Vortrag hielt Dr. Peter Johnston. Peter Johnston ist Abteilungsleiter des New Methods of Work und Generaldirektor der Informationsgesellschaft der EU-Kommission sowie Mitglied des Club of Rome. Download des Vortrags mit dem Titel “Protecting the climate, biodiversity and sustainable diets – rethinking land-use for bio-sequestration”. An engaging lecture was also given by Dr. Peter Johnston, Head of the New Methods of Work Department and Director-General for the Information Society of the European Commission, as well as a member of the Club of Rome. Download of his lecture: “Protecting the Climate, Biodiversity and Sustainable Diets – Rethinking Land Use for Bio-Sequestration“.

Prof. Dr. Estelle Herlyn also contributed a presentation at the festive colloquium accompanying the award ceremony. You can download the slides of her presentation here: “The Alliance for Development and Climate – A Building Block for Implementing the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Climate Agreement“.

New Video Clip from the Alliance for Development and Climate

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A key focus of the FAW/n at present is the Alliance for Development and Climate initiated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), which the FAW/n accompanies scientifically. With the goal of promoting development and climate protection simultaneously, the Alliance recognizes, connects, and promotes non-governmental engagement, particularly from the private sector.

The Alliance builds on the potential of voluntary commitment and the leverage effect of high-quality CO₂ compensation projects in developing and emerging countries. All activities of its supporters are voluntary, go beyond existing legal CO₂ reduction obligations, and involve participation in high-quality development and climate protection projects in these countries. In the long term, the projects supported within the framework of the Alliance – along with avoidance and reduction measures – contribute to achieving climate neutrality or even climate positivity.

A new video clip by the BMZ presents this idea in a concise and engaging way.

Image source: © GIZ/Aschoffotografie

New Policy Paper from the Eco-Social Forum: A Guide for the Climate Change Generation

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On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Eco-Social Market Economy, the Eco-Social Forum, together with a scientific advisory board, initiated a further development of the concept and outlined the major challenges of our time. The result is the “Guide for the Climate Change Generation”. Building on this foundation, concrete solutions and measures are to be developed that integrate ecological, economic, and social imperatives.

This Guide for the Climate Change Generation describes what the core principles of an Eco-Social Market Economy mean for addressing today’s challenges. It explores fundamental issues and key decisions that are crucial for the quality of life and sustainability of our society. Specifically, it examines topics such as internationality, growth, demography, work, distribution, resources, energy, spatial planning, nutrition and agriculture, science, education, digitalization, and governance. In doing so, it discusses the economic, social, and environmental areas of action that will shape the opportunities of the climate change generation. The paper clearly demonstrates the high relevance and contemporary importance of the Eco-Social Market Economy as a guiding model for the societal transformation toward sustainability.

Download and view the policy paper – 30 Years of the Eco-Social Market Economy

Image source© Shutterstock/3D-creation

Interviews with Prof. Radermacher in SENATE Magazine and the Südwest Presse

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“Electromobility alone cannot be the solution – Reconciling climate neutrality and a prosperous society”

This is the headline of an interview conducted by Ernst Timur Diehn with Prof. Radermacher in SENATE magazine. The full interview (4 pages) can be found at the following link.

In another interview with David Nau for the Südwest Presse, Prof. Radermacher discusses the importance of new technologies and the role of individual restraint.

You can download the full interview here.

Greta Thunberg: “How dare you?”

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Commentary by Prof. Franz Josef Radermacher

Greta Thunberg’s phrase “How dare you?” resonated with many and particularly angered politicians who have long advocated for stronger climate action – from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, through the Kyoto Protocol, to the Paris Agreement, and Germany’s Renewable Energy Act. From my perspective, the statement was a deliberate and well-calculated provocation. Substantively, it missed the mark, but that was intentional. Taken literally, it reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the legal powers of the state representatives gathered in New York. Within their mandates, they have very limited authority to make decisions of real significance. Any bold action would still require ratification – for example, through parliamentary majorities – before it could become legally binding. If politicians were to step beyond these boundaries, they would be taking immense personal and political risks. They could be removed from office or even face legal consequences – including figures such as Chancellor Merkel. In that scenario, one could legitimately ask, “How dare you?” In practice, however, politicians take very few such risks. They operate within their legal powers and political mandates – and in this sense, they are acting responsibly.

Full comment (english)

Image source: Markus Spiske (Unsplash)

Second Meeting of the Supporters’ Circle of the Alliance for Development and Climate

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On September 17, the Supporters’ Circle of the Alliance for Development and Climate convened in Bonn. Around 200 supporters and interested participants discussed the potential of additional voluntary engagement by non-state actors in climate protection and development with Federal Minister Dr. Gerd Müller and other high-ranking guests. [Link to photo gallery and article].

At the sidelines of the meeting, Federal Minister Müller presented the Alliance’s initiatives and recommendations for international climate policy. The [YouTube video] shows the press conference, which also featured contributions from Prof. Radermacher.

Photos © GIZ/Aschoffotografie

Festive Colloquium for the Presentation of the Germany-Austria Prize

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On September 19, 2019, the Germany-Austria Prize was presented at the Austrian Consulate General in Munich. Together with the Universitäts.club / Science Association Carinthia of the Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt, FAW/n received the Recognition Award from the Austrian-German Society. We are very pleased with this honor, which recognizes longstanding, sustainable, cross-border, unconventional, widely impactful, and lively engagement with science, culture, and contemporary issues.

Image source: pixabay/Fachdozent