The University launched a series of eco-friendly events this week in honor of the Transatlantic Climate Bridge, an initiative of the German Embassy to foster sustainable living solutions.
The initiative is “designed to foster transatlantic cooperation and partnerships between Germany, the U.S. and Canada on climate and energy policies — at the local, the state and the federal level,” according to the program’s website.
The program takes place at 20 different universities across America every year. This is the first year it will take place at LSU, said Harald Leder, director of Academic Programs Abroad and the person responsible for bringing the program to Baton Rouge.
“Our topic here at LSU is sustainability,” Leder said. “The main goal is to raise awareness. We have issues around the globe that are connected to climate, and different countries are offering different solutions.”
Leder, who grew up in Germany and has been leading the LSU in Germany program for 10 years, said the German Consulate in Houston asked him if he’d be interested in hosting the event at the University.
“It certainly shows that LSU is a respected institution and they took notice of us overseas,” he said.
As part of the program, engineering students who studied abroad in Germany this summer made a YouTube video comparing German sustainability efforts to those in Baton Rouge, specifically comparing the increased amount of public transportation and recycling in Germany.
The International Cultural Center housed the Green Gala on Wednesday, which featured representatives from various student organizations and included home-grown food from students in the University’s urban gardening classes.
“These are students who are growing their own food,” said Jennie Armstrong, mass communication senior and student volunteer. “The food was literally picked off the vine in Baton Rouge, and we’re teaching other students how they can do it, too.”
Armstrong said the event is designed to teach people how they can help make a difference.
“We are hoping students walk away knowing a little bit more about how they can make an impact, no matter how small it is,” she said. “You don’t have to give up your life to be sustainable. It’s just about making smarter, logical decisions.”
Armstrong said students can make more efforts to recycle, opt for a canteen instead of a plastic water bottle and limit excessive water use.
“The idea is that we may be on opposite ends of the world, but we are all facing the same problems,” she said.
Jenny Lentz, president of the Coast and Environment Graduate Organization, said recycling efforts in Germany are more extensive than ones in America.
“Here, recycling is done exclusively by environmentally aware people,” she said. “In Germany, it’s a way of life. Anywhere you see a trash can, you’ll also see four recycling bins.”
Events for the remainder of the week include a bike path presentation on Friday. Landscape architecture students will introduce their project of constructing a bike path from the Governor’s Mansion to City Park and discuss the way city planners in Germany incorporate cyclists in their traffic planning.
 
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Contact Sarah Eddington at [email protected]