Comments on: Why I Live in Germany

By: Chaminda

Chaminda — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:11:52 +0000

cpathinayaka@yahoo.com is my E mail address.If it is possible help me.
Thanks,

By: Chaminda

Chaminda — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:07:30 +0000

Dear friend,
I am Chami.My country is Sri Lanka.I am 29 years old.By this time i have been working in a company as an Auto CAD Draughtsman in Qatar for 10 months.I have a hope to do a job and live in Germany.But i don’t have any support to succsess my idea.If some body can help me to do it, i appreciate you in my life.Please concern regarding this and help me.
Thank you,

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:00:04 +0000

My young son and I will be visiting Germany in July, and I have tried to do some research to prepare for my trip. Specifically, I would like to find a list of eco-friendly grocers (preferably not chains), and other responsible retailers. Unfortunately, I have found very little information.

Can you suggest any resources - online or otherwise - that offer good directories and information?

Thanks!

By: Nuclear Is No Option » Eco-Chick

Nuclear Is No Option » Eco-Chick — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:47:37 +0000

[...] Written by: Courtney A few months ago, I posted here a compendium of reasons why I live in Germany. Though I’d intended the post as an answer to all those who’ve asked in the past, [...]

By: Christoph Harrach

Christoph Harrach — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:19:59 +0000

Courtney,

you missed a good networking event at biofach.
http://karmakonsum.de/index.php?s=biofach&searchbutton=Go%21

Next opportunity to meet other germen eco-blogger is may 30th / 31th in frankfurt.
we organize a conference and a green barcamp: http://karmakonsum.de/konferenz.

Mayby you make it out there …

Christoph

By: Gary Smith

Gary Smith — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:30:59 +0000

Courtney,

I completely agree. It is gerat to see another American that is aware of the world that we are living in. Thank you for being a voice of reason and understanding. I have lived here in Germany for almost 6 years and just had a child last week. Everything that you said about Germany is exactly why we decided to stay. Too bad Hillary won’t get the chance to run for president. If people would look at European countries(not as a standard) but as an example to go by, I believe that our nation would be in much better shape. If all of these countries (Spain, France, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Austia, etc…) can be right next to each other and live in complete peace and we are only connected to Mexico and Canada and the whole world hates us we must be doing something wrong. Like you said, I love my country and I miss my family but if my daughter can receive a better education and live in an almost crime free environment then I have to take the side of family over country.

It hurts me to know that I can receive better health care as an injured stranger in Germany than my mother can after working hard her whole life in the states. Anyway, I will get off my soap box but thanks for posting your thoughts and hopefully we can help to make a difference in the states. Vote, Vote, Vote!!! It is the only way to influence change!!!

Gary

By: Courtney

Courtney — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:36:52 +0000

Richard,
I appreciate your thoughts, though I’m uncertain what you mean by not actually doing my homework. In fact, the pros and cons of nuclear energy are ones I’m quite familiar with - both from a consumer’s standpoint and from an engineer’s. Though the lack of carbon emissions is a serious positive to the use of nuclear power over, say, coal, the consequences of fallout and waste are too great for me to advocate the use of it. I do have friends who work in nuclear (my husband works in solar - specializing in both photovoltaics and parabolic trough collection - but has also studied at a PhD level a comparison of all types of energy usage so the innerworkings of the various power plants aren’t news to me) and I understand the small likelihood of another catastrophe like Chernobyl occurring. I also understand the German reluctance to forget Chernobyl, considering that many living in the old East are suffering from thyroid cancer as a consequence of that disaster, and understand why they would be advocating for the closure of the nuclear power plants.

Nonetheless, I believe that the solution to the “world energy crisis” is, first, to consume less energy (just by living in Germany, I’ve quartered my personal usage; by purchasing less goods, I’ve also limited my share of industrial usage), then to pull from renewable sources (a nomenclature that doesn’t and shouldn’t include nuclear). I prefer my energy to come from wind and solar because it is regenerative without being destructive in the way that coal and oil-fired plants are. Not to mention that if Green party advocates here hadn’t been pushing to rid Germany of nuclear energy as they had done, solar technology for the rest of the world would still remain in the dark ages. Say what you will about the effectivity of solar vs. nuclear, for the average consumer, photovoltaics and solar thermal fit the bill in a much healthier way, one that doesn’t include lethal uranium mining and potentially lethal transports of hazardous waste.

Finally, nuclear energy is used as a political playing card in a way that makes me extremely uncomfortable. But solar - well, solar can go anywhere… and in fact, it’s all over the “axis of evil” and other non-allies of the US, ensuring those in developing countries can have electricity just like everyone else.

By: Richard

Richard — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:30:37 +0000

I was loving everything you were saying up until you rejoiced at the fact that nuclear power plants were being taken offline. That told me you hadn’t actually done your homework.

By: Courtney

Courtney — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:13:50 +0000

Thanks for all the nice comments. I wrote this as a reminder to myself about the positive things I feel living in Germany… though do note, it’s taken me three years to get to this place so I don’t necessarily advocate pulling roots. And though you’re right, Steph, Germany’s got a low low birth rate (1.3 babies/couple compared to 2.something for Americans), they also have funny rules about what constitutes a “German” baby (including German blood) that are currently undergoing revision. There’s been a lot of backlash from these policies, including discrimination in hiring against young married women; still, this works out a lot better for me than getting back to the grind six weeks after junior/juniorette’s made his/her first world appearance. I just don’t get how work can be more important than human beings. But that’s why I live in a social democracy, I guess.

By: Lilian Posey

Lilian Posey — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:06:13 +0000

Hi Courtney, My sister and I were both born in Austria 54-60 years ago. My mother has pics of herself on maternity leave provided by the government at a skii resort where she stayed with other women who had given birth. I don’t know how long ago Germany started benefits of that or of a similar nature, but I’m sure it’s not a current provision. We lived in Germany for 3+ years before immigrating to the US and it seemed (I was still very young) we had access to all sorts of services in the 50’s there also. I think here, where the individual states are as large as most countries in Europe, it’s difficult to have umbrella policies nationwide. Seems like nothing works here without making a profit anyway.

Lilian

By: Christoph Harrach

Christoph Harrach — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 19:01:08 +0000

Hi Courtney,

good to hear that you are living in Germany too …

My name is Christoph and I am eco-blogging. There is an networking date on the world largest organic fair biofach Feb 22th in Nürnberg. It would be great, if we could talk about that via email. Please send me your contact information christoph@karmakonsum.de…

Christoph

By: Steph

Steph — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:51:57 +0000

I think European countries offer those incentives to parents of newborns because their elderly population is outnumbering the young and they need new blood. That is not the case in the US at this time, so the government has no (financial) need to offer those incentives. At least that’s what my french teacher said :)

By: Graham

Graham — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:31:01 +0000

I have never visited Germany but have an open invitation to do so from a German couple we met when we moved to Alderney in the Channel Islands. Shall we go?
http://www.organicassistant.com
http://www.alderney.gov.gg/index.php/pid/1

By: Karly

Karly — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:52:16 +0000

I live in Germany too! Right now it is a lot better than the US, but hopefully it’ll change. I’m here because my dad’s in the army, and it’s changed me into a Green-machine. I love the recycling and the cleanliness.