German Group about "Human change not climate change"

Interview of Diyar Guelerguel from Germany after the Training Course "Human change not climate change" in Yerevan

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Can you give us your opinion about the project "human change not climate change"?

The project definitely gets the best school grade from me. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Copernicus Berlin for the very well organized training course "Human change not climate change". Everything went smoothly, the choice and location of the hotel was optimal for us during the project. Everything was well thought out. In addition, it is important in such a project that the trainers are experts in the field and can pass on their expertise and experience to the participants in an understandable and comprehensible way. That was also the case here. It was also very great that a maximum of only four people from the same country could participate in the project. This leads to the fact that the participants come from the most different countries in Europe and thus one can get to know many people from the most different cultures. In summary: Best organized, great participants, optimal venue, very nice hotel.

According to you, is it too late to stop climate change? What would be the most effective policy to stop climate change?

That is a very difficult question. I think it is almost too late. In my view, climate change can no longer be stopped, but we can minimize the consequences by taking timely countermeasures. For example, dozens of animal species have already become extinct. Due to climate change. It is already too late for that, nothing can be reversed here. What we can do is to prevent the extinction of further animal species, which currently have a low population. These must be protected. In addition, the environment is currently changing dramatically due to climate change. Many change processes have already started. One example is the melting of ice due to increased temperature. Here, we could replace the process of ice melting by reacting quickly and taking measures, but it would be difficult or almost impossible to stop it. In addition, in countries that are not economically stable, little is being done to combat climate change. These often do not have the means to do so. By the time these countries also take action against climate change, it is already too late.

In your opinion, what can young people do at a local level to mitigate the effects of climate change?

Young people can do a lot to minimize the effects of climate change. But what counts is convincing the decision-makers in the region or country. Because almost only they can implement something. But everyone can do their own part. This includes, for example, resource-conserving consumption or cautious consumption. Organizing or participating in many workshops can also make more and more people aware of the dangers of climate change for the world (snowball effect).

What is the most important thing you have learned during the training? How do you plan to share and use your knowledge?

The most important and instructive thing during the training course was definitely the insightful discussions and debates with the participants. I learned about the progress of many European countries in the fight against climate change. I will definitely disseminate the knowledge acquired during the course in my environment, so that my fellow human beings can benefit from it. I will also organize a workshop on climate change. Since I also work in the automotive industry, I will also pass on the knowledge to my work colleagues in order to stimulate critical questioning in the industry. Also, from now on, I will live in a way that conserves resources and is more environmentally conscious as much as possible. We are facing very big challenges, but together we can significantly minimize the risks to our environment.