In September 2010, the German government announced a new aggressive energy policy including the target of reducing CO2 emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 <ref>[[wikipedia:Energy in Germany#Sustainable energy]]</ref>
[[wikipedia:Chiemgauer]], regional local currency started in 2003 in Prien am Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany. It is named after the Chiemgau, a region around the Chiemsee. The Chiemgauer program is intended to promote local commerce and non-profits.
In 1997, people of Wildpoldsried, in some cases acting as individuals, began a series of projects that produce renewable energy. The first efforts were wind turbines and biomass digesters for cogeneration of heat and power. In the time since, new work has included a number of energy conservation projects, more wind and biomass use, small hydro plants, photovoltaic panels on private houses, and district heating. Tied to this are ecological flood control and wastewater systems.
== Community resources ==
Today, the effects of this are an unforeseen level of prosperity resulting in construction of nine new community buildings, including a school, gymnasium, and community hall, complete with solar panels. There are three companies operating four biogas digesters with a fifth under construction. There are seven windmills with two more on the way. One hundred and ninety private households are equipped with solar, which pays them dividends. The district heating network has 42 connections. There are three small hydro power plants. Wildpoldsried now produces 321 percent more energy than it needs and is generating 4.0 million Euro in annual revenue. At the same time, there has been a 65% reduction in the town’s carbon footprint. {{W|Sustainable community energy system#Germany}}
=== Gängeviertel: Repurposed Historical Building for Public Art and Culture ===
[[wikipedia:Renewable energy in Germany]]
The city of Hamburg decided to tear down a deteriorating historical building complex in a neighborhood once known as "das Gängeviertel." In August 2009, artists formed a collective to oppose the destruction of the 12 buildings, and advocated that they instead be repurposed as a public space for creativity. The collective succeeded in saving the Gängeviertel, and held a launch celebration. The event brought 3,000 residents of Hamburg into the space for exhibitions, film screenings, concerts, and other cultural events. The collective then transformed into a co-operative in 2010, and presented a concept plan for the complex to the local urban development authority in Hamburg. The city approved the plan and granted the co-op's use and management of the buildings. In the six years since, several of the buildings have been renovated by the city and tens of thousands of people have visited the cultural complex. In 2012, the German UNESCO Commission celebrated the Gängeviertel initiative as a successful example of urban development that promotes cultural and social participation through the preservation of public spaces and democratic city policies. ''Adrien Labaeye''<ref>[https://www.shareable.net/blog/how-these-3-citizen-led-initiatives-saved-and-restored-public-land Shareable], May 21, 2018</ref>
=== Community involvement ===
''See also'' [[Open spaces#Open spaces and Sharing Cities|Open spaces]], [[South Africa#Bottom Road Sanctuary: A Post-Apartheid Community Managed Nature Sanctuary|South Africa]]
[https://freifunk.net/en/ Freifunk], non-commercial initiative for free wireless networks
=== Cycling activism ===
== Community energy ==
[http://www.adfc.de/ ADFC] - [[wikia:criticalmass:List of rides#Germany|Critical Mass bicycle rides in Germany]] - [[wikipedia:Main-Radweg]]
According to Renewables First, the proportion of energy generated through community-owned production amounts to 15 percent in Germany. When communities take energy generation into their own hands, it connects the user to the source.<ref>[https://www.shareable.net/a-people-powered-legacy-community-hydro-on-the-river-thames/ @shareable], Oct 26, 2021</ref>
Münster in North Rhine-Westphalia claims to be the bicycle capital of Germany. It states that in 2007, vehicle traffic (36.4%) fell below traffic by bicycle (37.6%), even though it is unclear how such a figure is defined. The city maintains an extensive network for bicycles including the popular "Promenade" which encircles Münster's city centre. While motorised vehicles are banned, there are paths for pedestrians. Additional bicycle paths link all city districts with the inner city and special traffic lights provide signals for bicyclists. Bicycle stations in Münster offer bicycle rentals. <ref>[[wikipedia:Münster#Bicycling]]</ref>
=== Sustainable community energy system ===
=== Food activism ===
In 1997, people of Wildpoldsried, in some cases acting as individuals, began a series of projects that produce renewable energy. The first efforts were wind turbines and biomass digesters for cogeneration of heat and power. In the time since, new work has included a number of energy conservation projects, more wind and biomass use, small hydro plants, photovoltaic panels on private houses, and district heating. Tied to this are ecological flood control and wastewater systems.
[http://www.slowfood.de/ "Slow Food® Deutschland"] - [[Wikia:solarcooking:Germany|Solar cooking resources in Germany]]
Today, the effects of this are an unforeseen level of prosperity resulting in construction of nine new community buildings, including a school, gymnasium, and community hall, complete with solar panels. There are three companies operating four biogas digesters with a fifth under construction. There are seven windmills with two more on the way. One hundred and ninety private households are equipped with solar, which pays them dividends. The district heating network has 42 connections. There are three small hydro power plants. Wildpoldsried now produces 321 percent more energy than it needs and is generating 4.0 million Euro in annual revenue. At the same time, there has been a 65% reduction in the town's carbon footprint. {{W|Sustainable community energy system#Germany}}
==== Urban Foraging in Germany ====
[[wikipedia:Renewable energy in Germany]]
In 2009, Kai Gidhorn was regularly picking apples while cruising on his bike through the backcountry of [[Berlin]], Germany. Because he wanted to remember the good spots, he plotted them on a map. And because he also wanted to share that with friends, he made it a collaborative map online. Slowly, the map grew as people added more fruit trees in public spaces to it. One thing lead to another, and [https://www.mundraub.org/ Mundraub] ("theft of food") was born. Now the Berlin-based initiative has more than 40,000 registered users in Germany and Austria.
== Climate action ==
The practice in itself — foraging and gleaning — is not new. Still, it was forgotten, particularly in cities. Thanks to Mundraub's collaborative mapping (or so it seems), the practice is now re-emerging in Germany. People have become used to maps to relate to their environment and find their way. This is not limited to the German-speaking world. Falling Fruit, a similar platform in the U.S. has a global reach and has collected probably the largest data repository of fruit trees globally, tapping on the crowd as well as open data. To sum it up, the idea of urban foraging is to crowdsource a map of growing edibles, reconnect ourselves to our edible urban landscape, and, if possible, get free food. But this isn't just about taking.
In September 2010, the German government announced a new aggressive energy policy including the target of reducing CO2 emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050<ref>[[wikipedia:Energy in Germany#Sustainable energy]]</ref>
Mundraub staff work with children and adults to share literacy about edibles and plant growth. They also offer tours to uncover new edibles, organize collective harvests, and make apple juice and cider, giving people a taste of DIY projects. In December of 2016, in Pankow, a borough of Berlin, urban foragers struck a deal with the local government to plant and take care of fruit trees in a public park.
== Cycling activism ==
Fruit trees are usually not favored by municipalities because they require intensive care. While the number is humble — twelve trees — this is quite a ground-breaking achievement when one considers the tradition of top-down management of German city administrations. Consider that in most German cities, in order to pick up fruits from public trees you are supposed to ask permission to the municipality. In Berlin-Pankow, not only have urban foragers received a bulk authorization to pick fruits from any public tree, but also the right to take care of the planted trees, which includes pruning.
* [https://www.adfc.de/ ADFC]
* [[wikipedia:Main-Radweg]]
"We are currently in an experimentation phase: If it's successful, if citizens take good care of the trees, then we are ready to open more land for such direct involvement of citizens," says Andreas Johnke, director of the municipal service in charge of streets and green spaces of the Berlin-Pankow borough. This is just a start, one borough, twelve trees planted, but Mundraub plans to do the same everywhere in Germany, and many cities already have shown interest. The goal is to get 200 cities by the end of 2017 to open up their tree cadasters and grant bulk authorization to citizens to pick up edibles without needing to ask. And in March, Mundraub also collaborated with a supermarket to let citizens plant five fruit trees in the parking lot, blurring the line between private and public space. <ref>[http://www.shareable.net/blog/sharing-cities-using-urban-data-to-reclaim-public-space-as-a-commons @Shareable]</ref><br clear=left>
Münster in North Rhine-Westphalia claims to be the bicycle capital of Germany. It states that in 2007, vehicle traffic (36.4%) fell below traffic by bicycle (37.6%), even though it is unclear how such a figure is defined. The city maintains an extensive network for bicycles including the popular "Promenade" which encircles Münster's city centre. While motorised vehicles are banned, there are paths for pedestrians. Additional bicycle paths link all city districts with the inner city and special traffic lights provide signals for bicyclists. Bicycle stations in Münster offer bicycle rentals.<ref>[[wikipedia:Münster#Bicycling]]</ref>
There are 17 Biosphere Reserves, and 105 nature parks. More than 400 zoos and animal parks operate in Germany. The Berlin Zoo, which opened in 1844, is the oldest in Germany, and claims the most comprehensive collection of species in the world.
'''2019'''
== Rewilding ==
'''Jan 16''' Germany agrees plan to phase out coal power by 2038 <ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51133534 BBC News]</ref>
On 11 April 2013, eight European bison (one male, five females and two calves) were released into the wild in the Bad Berleburg region of Germany, after 300 years of absence from the region.
'''Jan 2''' Germany cuts fares for long-distance rail travel in response to climate crisis <ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/02/germany-cuts-fares-for-long-distance-rail-travel-in-response-to-climate-crisis The Guardian]</ref>
In 2014 the German government built a 3 km road tunnel to remove an Autobahn from the Leutratal und Cospoth nature reserve. {{W|ewilding_(conservation_biology)#Major_rewilding_projects}}
'''2018'''
== Community currencies activism ==
Germany launches world's first hydrogen-powered train, Sep 17 <ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/17/germany-launches-worlds-first-hydrogen-powered-train The Guardian]</ref>
[[wikipedia:Chiemgauer]], regional local currency started in 2003 in Prien am Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany. It is named after the Chiemgau, a region around the Chiemsee. The Chiemgauer program is intended to promote local commerce and non-profits.
How a small town reclaimed its grid and sparked a community revolution, Feb 28 <ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/28/small-town-wolfhagen-community-revolution-german-europe-energy-contract The Guardian]</ref>
== Food activism ==
In Germany’s Car Capital, the Unthinkable: The Right to Ban Cars, Feb 27 <ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/27/world/europe/diesel-driving-ban-germany-stuttgart.html nytimes.com]</ref>
German cities to trial free public transport to cut pollution, Feb 14 <ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/14/german-cities-to-trial-free-public-transport-to-cut-pollution The Guardian]</ref>
=== Urban Foraging in Germany ===
'''2017'''
In 2009, Kai Gidhorn was regularly picking apples while cruising on his bike through the backcountry of [[Berlin]], Germany. Because he wanted to remember the good spots, he plotted them on a map. And because he also wanted to share that with friends, he made it a collaborative map online. Slowly, the map grew as people added more fruit trees in public spaces to it. One thing lead to another, and [https://mundraub.org/ Mundraub] ("theft of food") was born. Now the Berlin-based initiative has more than 40,000 registered users in Germany and Austria.
Essen's experiment: can going green revive a post-industrial city economy? Oct 6 <ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/oct/06/essen-germany-european-green-capital-revive-economy The Guardian]</ref>
The practice in itself — foraging and gleaning — is not new. Still, it was forgotten, particularly in cities. Thanks to Mundraub's collaborative mapping (or so it seems), the practice is now re-emerging in Germany. People have become used to maps to relate to their environment and find their way. This is not limited to the German-speaking world. Falling Fruit, a similar platform in the U.S. has a global reach and has collected probably the largest data repository of fruit trees globally, tapping on the crowd as well as open data. To sum it up, the idea of urban foraging is to crowdsource a map of growing edibles, reconnect ourselves to our edible urban landscape, and, if possible, get free food. But this isn't just about taking.
Dreaming of Eternity: three days in the Ruhr Valley, Sep 25 <ref>[https://transitionnetwork.org/news-and-blog/dreaming-of-eternity-three-days-in-the-ruhr-valley/ transitionnetwork.org]</ref>
Mundraub staff work with children and adults to share literacy about edibles and plant growth. They also offer tours to uncover new edibles, organize collective harvests, and make apple juice and cider, giving people a taste of DIY projects. In December of 2016, in Pankow, a borough of Berlin, urban foragers struck a deal with the local government to plant and take care of fruit trees in a public park.
How Essen has thrown off its heavy industrial past to become a model of sustainability, Jun 26 <ref>[http://eu.smartcitiescouncil.com/article/how-essen-has-thrown-its-heavy-industrial-past-become-model-sustainability#.WYiZgnBVPRA.twitter eu.smartcitiescouncil.com]</ref>
Fruit trees are usually not favored by municipalities because they require intensive care. While the number is humble — twelve trees — this is quite a ground-breaking achievement when one considers the tradition of top-down management of German city administrations. Consider that in most German cities, in order to pick up fruits from public trees you are supposed to ask permission to the municipality. In Berlin-Pankow, not only have urban foragers received a bulk authorization to pick fruits from any public tree, but also the right to take care of the planted trees, which includes pruning.
How Residents of Hamburg Reclaimed the Power Grid, Jun 21 <ref>[http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-residents-of-hamburg-reclaimed-the-power-grid @Shareable]</ref>
German Nonprofit Creates New Open-Source License for Seeds, May 22 <ref>[http://www.shareable.net/blog/german-nonprofit-creates-new-open-source-license-for-seeds @Shareable]</ref>
From coal city to European Green Capital - Essen's extreme makeover, Jan 2 <ref>[http://www.dw.com/en/from-coal-city-to-european-green-capital-essens-extreme-makeover/a-36975499 @dwnews]</ref>
'''2016'''
The village that just wants to share, Dec 11 <ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-37510322 BBC News]</ref>
Germany wakes up to the issue of waste with reusable coffee cups, Nov 22 <ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38066528 BBC News]</ref>
German coalition agrees to cut carbon emissions up to 95% by 2050, Nov 11 <ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/11/german-coalition-agrees-to-cut-carbon-emissions-up-to-95-by-2050 The Guardian]</ref>
Germany has unveiled plans for a 0 emmisions, hydrogen train, Nov 2 <ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/germany-unveils-zero-emissions-train-only-emits-steam-lower-saxony-hydrogen-powered-a7391581.html independent.co.uk]</ref>
The People's Forest, Oct 5 <ref>[http://www.resilience.org/stories/2016-10-05/the-people-s-forest resilience.org]</ref>
Hamburg Creates a Vibrant Neighborhood by Creating Spaces for People, Jul 14 <ref>[http://commonedge.org/hamburg-creates-a-vibrant-new-neighborhood-by-creating-spaces-for-people/ Common Edge]</ref>
Could intercity cycle highways revolutionise the daily commute? Jun 30 <ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/jun/30/intercity-cycle-highways-revolutionise-daily-commute The Guardian]</ref>
"We are currently in an experimentation phase: If it's successful, if citizens take good care of the trees, then we are ready to open more land for such direct involvement of citizens," says Andreas Johnke, director of the municipal service in charge of streets and green spaces of the Berlin-Pankow borough. This is just a start, one borough, twelve trees planted, but Mundraub plans to do the same everywhere in Germany, and many cities already have shown interest. The goal is to get 200 cities by the end of 2017 to open up their tree cadasters and grant bulk authorization to citizens to pick up edibles without needing to ask. And in March, Mundraub also collaborated with a supermarket to let citizens plant five fruit trees in the parking lot, blurring the line between private and public space.<ref>[https://www.shareable.net/blog/sharing-cities-using-urban-data-to-reclaim-public-space-as-a-commons @Shareable]</ref>
German government agrees to ban fracking after years of dispute, Jun 24 <ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/24/germany-bans-fracking-after-years-of-dispute The Guardian]</ref>
The 4th Largest Economy In The World Just Generated 90 Percent Of The Power It Needs From Renewables, May 9 <ref>[http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/09/3776629/germany-renewable-generation/ ThinkProgress]</ref>
Germany’s New Bike Highways, February 18 <ref>[http://e360.yale.edu/feature/moving_beyond_the_autobahn_germanys_new_bicycle_highways_europe_sustainability/2963/ e360.yale.edu]</ref>
Germany Launches Its Ambitious National 'Bike Autobahn' Cycle Network, January 4 <ref>[http://www.citylab.com/commute/2016/01/germany-launches-its-national-bike-autobahn-cycle-network/422451/ citylab.com]</ref>
'''2015'''
Hannover: City of Possibilities, October 5 <ref>[https://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2015-10/hannover-city-possibilities Transition Network]</ref>
Essen wins European Green Capital 2017, June 18 <ref>[http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EGCA-Winner-2017_Essen_FINAL.pdf ec.europa.eu]</ref>
How big can a community wind farm be? May 11 <ref>[http://www.renewablesinternational.net/how-big-can-a-community-wind-farm-be/150/435/87457/ Wind Energy - Renewables International]</ref>
'''2014'''
Germany to ban fracking for seven years, July 5 <ref>[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/latest/germany-to-ban-fracking-for-seven-years/story-e6frg90f-1226978472029 theaustralian.com.au]</ref>
Germany Sets New Record, Generating 74 Percent Of Energy Needs From Renewable Energy, May 14 <ref>[http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/05/13/3436923/germany-energy-records/ ThinkProgress]</ref>
Aluminium recycling in Germany hits 89%, February 26 <ref>[http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/aluminium-recycling-germany/ European Green Capital]</ref>
Hamburg’s Plan to Eliminate Cars in 20 Years, January 7 <ref>[http://www.archdaily.com/464394/hamburg-s-plan-to-eliminate-cars-in-20-years/ ArchDaily]</ref>
'''2013'''
Germany’s stunning environmental movement, November 12 <ref>[http://wagingnonviolence.org/feature/us-can-learn-germanys-stunning-environmental-movement/ Waging Nonviolence]</ref>
Hamburg's answer to climate change, The German city is planning a green network that will cover 40% of the city area, contributing to resilience and allowing biking, swimming and nature watching in the city, <ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/hamburg-answer-to-climate-change theguardian.com]</ref> October 31
Hamburg Votes in Favour of Remunicipalisation of Electricity, Gas and District Heating Distribution Grids, September 24 <ref>[http://www.germanenergyblog.de/?p=14400 German Energy Blog]</ref>
'''2011'''
German Autobahn to be Covered with Giant Public Park, <ref>[http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/german-autobahn-covered-giant-public-park.html treehugger.com]</ref> November 30
'''2009'''
Bonn Center for Local Climate Action and Reporting - carbonn - aims at facilitating the access of local governments to climate benchmarking instruments on a global scale. <ref>[http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=606&ArticleID=6422&l=en&t=long United Nations Environment Programme]</ref> December 14
German village (Juhnde) goes off-grid ready, <ref>[http://www.off-grid.net/2009/10/17/german-village-goes-off-grid-ready/ off-grid.net]</ref> Oct 17
== Resources ==
== Resources ==
=== Community resources ===
=== Maps ===
==== Gängeviertel: Repurposed Historical Building for Public Art and Culture ====
Mapped: How Germany generates its electricity [https://www.carbonbrief.org/how-germany-generates-its-electricity carbonbrief.org]
The city of Hamburg decided to tear down a deteriorating historical building complex in a neighborhood once known as "das Gängeviertel." In August 2009, artists formed a collective to oppose the destruction of the 12 buildings, and advocated that they instead be repurposed as a public space for creativity. The collective succeeded in saving the Gängeviertel, and held a launch celebration. The event brought 3,000 residents of Hamburg into the space for exhibitions, film screenings, concerts, and other cultural events. The collective then transformed into a co-operative in 2010, and presented a concept plan for the complex to the local urban development authority in Hamburg. The city approved the plan and granted the co-op’s use and management of the buildings. In the six years since, several of the buildings have been renovated by the city and tens of thousands of people have visited the cultural complex. In 2012, the German UNESCO Commission celebrated the Gängeviertel initiative as a successful example of urban development that promotes cultural and social participation through the preservation of public spaces and democratic city policies. ''Adrien Labaeye'' <ref>[https://www.shareable.net/blog/how-these-3-citizen-led-initiatives-saved-and-restored-public-land Shareable], May 21, 2018</ref>
== About Germany ==
''See also'' [[Open spaces#Open spaces and Sharing Cities|Open spaces]], [[South Africa#Bottom Road Sanctuary: A Post-Apartheid Community Managed Nature Sanctuary|South Africa]]
{{Wikipedia excerpt|Germany|paragraphs=2}}
==== Other links ====
== Near you ==
[https://freifunk.net/en/ Freifunk], non-commercial initiative for free wireless networks
[[Berlin]] - [[Freiburg]]
=== Maps ===
Mapped: How Germany generates its electricity [https://www.carbonbrief.org/how-germany-generates-its-electricity carbonbrief.org]
Image:Greenwich park drawing1.jpg|[[Help:Creating a page|''Create a new page'']]
</gallery>
== Interwiki links ==
Wikipedia: [[wikipedia:Germany|Germany]], [[wikipedia:Green building in Germany|Green building in Germany]], [[wikipedia:Hermann Scheer|Hermann Scheer]]
== External links ==
* [[Wikipedia:Green building in Germany|Green building in Germany]], [[Wikipedia:Hermann Scheer|Hermann Scheer]]
*[http://www.cittaslow.info/ Cittaslow Germany]
* [https://www.cittaslow.info/ Cittaslow Germany]
*[http://www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.de/en/home/?size=2 German Council for Sustainable Development]
* [https://www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.de/en/home/?size=2 German Council for Sustainable Development]
The "Lebensmittepunkte" - or Berlin's Food Hubs - are a perfect and sustainable fit for the idea of the fifteen-minute city, Daily Alternative (Apr 15, 2024)
European nations must end repression of peaceful climate protest, says UN expert, theguardian.com (Feb 28, 2024)
The zero-waste city: what Kiel in Germany can teach the world, theguardian.com (Oct 18, 2023)
Gängeviertel: Repurposed Historical Building for Public Art and Culture[edit | edit source]
The city of Hamburg decided to tear down a deteriorating historical building complex in a neighborhood once known as "das Gängeviertel." In August 2009, artists formed a collective to oppose the destruction of the 12 buildings, and advocated that they instead be repurposed as a public space for creativity. The collective succeeded in saving the Gängeviertel, and held a launch celebration. The event brought 3,000 residents of Hamburg into the space for exhibitions, film screenings, concerts, and other cultural events. The collective then transformed into a co-operative in 2010, and presented a concept plan for the complex to the local urban development authority in Hamburg. The city approved the plan and granted the co-op's use and management of the buildings. In the six years since, several of the buildings have been renovated by the city and tens of thousands of people have visited the cultural complex. In 2012, the German UNESCO Commission celebrated the Gängeviertel initiative as a successful example of urban development that promotes cultural and social participation through the preservation of public spaces and democratic city policies. Adrien Labaeye[1]
According to Renewables First, the proportion of energy generated through community-owned production amounts to 15 percent in Germany. When communities take energy generation into their own hands, it connects the user to the source.[2]
In 1997, people of Wildpoldsried, in some cases acting as individuals, began a series of projects that produce renewable energy. The first efforts were wind turbines and biomass digesters for cogeneration of heat and power. In the time since, new work has included a number of energy conservation projects, more wind and biomass use, small hydro plants, photovoltaic panels on private houses, and district heating. Tied to this are ecological flood control and wastewater systems.
Today, the effects of this are an unforeseen level of prosperity resulting in construction of nine new community buildings, including a school, gymnasium, and community hall, complete with solar panels. There are three companies operating four biogas digesters with a fifth under construction. There are seven windmills with two more on the way. One hundred and ninety private households are equipped with solar, which pays them dividends. The district heating network has 42 connections. There are three small hydro power plants. Wildpoldsried now produces 321 percent more energy than it needs and is generating 4.0 million Euro in annual revenue. At the same time, there has been a 65% reduction in the town's carbon footprint. W
In September 2010, the German government announced a new aggressive energy policy including the target of reducing CO2 emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050[3]
Münster in North Rhine-Westphalia claims to be the bicycle capital of Germany. It states that in 2007, vehicle traffic (36.4%) fell below traffic by bicycle (37.6%), even though it is unclear how such a figure is defined. The city maintains an extensive network for bicycles including the popular "Promenade" which encircles Münster's city centre. While motorised vehicles are banned, there are paths for pedestrians. Additional bicycle paths link all city districts with the inner city and special traffic lights provide signals for bicyclists. Bicycle stations in Münster offer bicycle rentals.[4]
The territory of Germany can be divided into five terrestrial ecoregions: Atlantic mixed forests, Baltic mixed forests, Central European mixed forests, Western European broadleaf forests, and Alps conifer and mixed forests. As of 2016 51% of Germany's land area is devoted to agriculture, while 30% is forested and 14% is covered by settlements or infrastructure.
There are 17 Biosphere Reserves, and 105 nature parks. More than 400 zoos and animal parks operate in Germany. The Berlin Zoo, which opened in 1844, is the oldest in Germany, and claims the most comprehensive collection of species in the world.
On 11 April 2013, eight European bison (one male, five females and two calves) were released into the wild in the Bad Berleburg region of Germany, after 300 years of absence from the region.
In 2014 the German government built a 3 km road tunnel to remove an Autobahn from the Leutratal und Cospoth nature reserve. W
wikipedia:Chiemgauer, regional local currency started in 2003 in Prien am Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany. It is named after the Chiemgau, a region around the Chiemsee. The Chiemgauer program is intended to promote local commerce and non-profits.
In 2009, Kai Gidhorn was regularly picking apples while cruising on his bike through the backcountry of Berlin, Germany. Because he wanted to remember the good spots, he plotted them on a map. And because he also wanted to share that with friends, he made it a collaborative map online. Slowly, the map grew as people added more fruit trees in public spaces to it. One thing lead to another, and Mundraub ("theft of food") was born. Now the Berlin-based initiative has more than 40,000 registered users in Germany and Austria.
The practice in itself — foraging and gleaning — is not new. Still, it was forgotten, particularly in cities. Thanks to Mundraub's collaborative mapping (or so it seems), the practice is now re-emerging in Germany. People have become used to maps to relate to their environment and find their way. This is not limited to the German-speaking world. Falling Fruit, a similar platform in the U.S. has a global reach and has collected probably the largest data repository of fruit trees globally, tapping on the crowd as well as open data. To sum it up, the idea of urban foraging is to crowdsource a map of growing edibles, reconnect ourselves to our edible urban landscape, and, if possible, get free food. But this isn't just about taking.
Mundraub staff work with children and adults to share literacy about edibles and plant growth. They also offer tours to uncover new edibles, organize collective harvests, and make apple juice and cider, giving people a taste of DIY projects. In December of 2016, in Pankow, a borough of Berlin, urban foragers struck a deal with the local government to plant and take care of fruit trees in a public park.
Fruit trees are usually not favored by municipalities because they require intensive care. While the number is humble — twelve trees — this is quite a ground-breaking achievement when one considers the tradition of top-down management of German city administrations. Consider that in most German cities, in order to pick up fruits from public trees you are supposed to ask permission to the municipality. In Berlin-Pankow, not only have urban foragers received a bulk authorization to pick fruits from any public tree, but also the right to take care of the planted trees, which includes pruning.
"We are currently in an experimentation phase: If it's successful, if citizens take good care of the trees, then we are ready to open more land for such direct involvement of citizens," says Andreas Johnke, director of the municipal service in charge of streets and green spaces of the Berlin-Pankow borough. This is just a start, one borough, twelve trees planted, but Mundraub plans to do the same everywhere in Germany, and many cities already have shown interest. The goal is to get 200 cities by the end of 2017 to open up their tree cadasters and grant bulk authorization to citizens to pick up edibles without needing to ask. And in March, Mundraub also collaborated with a supermarket to let citizens plant five fruit trees in the parking lot, blurring the line between private and public space.[5]
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in the western region of Central Europe. It is the second-most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its 16 constituent states have a total population of over 84 million, covering a combined area of 357,600 km2 (138,100 sq mi) and sharing land borders with Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, and France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands to the west. The nation's capital and most populous city is Berlin and its main financial centre is Frankfurt; the largest urban area is the Ruhr.
Settlement in what is now Germany began in the Lower Paleolithic, with various tribes inhabiting it from the Neolithic onward, chiefly the Celts. Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity. A region named Germania was documented before AD 100. In 962, the Kingdom of Germany formed the bulk of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. Following the Napoleonic Wars and the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the German Confederation was formed in 1815.
The "Lebensmittepunkte" - or Berlin's Food Hubs - are a perfect and sustainable fit for the idea of the fifteen-minute city, Daily Alternative (Apr 15, 2024) 
