Sustainable Greenery: In Freiburg and Beyond
Reflecting on our time in Freiburg and surrounding areas, I once again realized differences in my personal experience living in the United States versus in Germany. First, the amount of greenery that we have been exposed to is astonishing given how seldom I notice such large swaths of foliage in Los Angeles. In a couple of examples including our two visits to the Black Forest region, our visit to the Green Industry Park, and an Energy Tour in Freiamt with the Innovation Academy, I saw how plants, vegetation, and collective greenery can be utilized in different contexts under sustainability.
The Black Forest visits were insightful for several reasons. In these visits, our class got exposure to different living conditions that extended back many decades. For example, just to generate hot water in the houses we observed was an extensive process that involved a lot of energy use which required sacrifices such as infrequent showers and dish cleaning. The surrounding foliage in the Black Forest mainly consisted of trees and farmland that were prevalent in the old days when people lived in such houses.
The Green Industry Park with its greenery on the exterior and roofs of buildings yielded several ideas in my mind regarding sustainability. If this can be done in Germany while also being aesthetically pleasing, why not in America? One significant barrier to many sustainable and innovative ideas, in America and elsewhere, is the aesthetic nature of such ideas which may not always look the nicest. However, the plants I saw looked well maintained. Reflecting on this innovation, I remind myself that there are costs associated with changing existing structures to accommodate roof plants — especially with varying climates across the year.
Finally, I would like to highlight the sustainable agricultural practices that I witnessed on our Energy Tour in the town of Freiamt. From producing organic milk from grass-fed cows, to generating power in innovative ways, I was impressed by how these seemingly novel ideas get adopted in such rural parts of the country. Yet, a host mentioned during the tour that there still exist barriers with government regulations and red tape. This left me wondering how the German government (and others around the world) can work more collaboratively and efficiently with farmers and farms to implement sustainable developments.
