Arrival in Atlanta and First Day

Visiting Southface, Meeting the Consul General and Eating Bison Burgers

 

The delegation met for the first time in its entirety at Frankfurt airport on Thursday, September 24th. Filled with curiosity and excitement they headed towards Atlanta. Upon the arrival of the group Iris Schultz, Press Officer of the Consulate General took them to their first event at Kühne and Nagel Headquarters in Atlanta. Here, the delegates had the chance to meet with business representatives and industry employees while enjoying an American Octoberfest Dinner. The delegates were delighted that some of the folks attending the event had already checked out our blog and were pleased to meet them in person and exchange about the prospects of their visit. 

AFTER a well-deserved night’s rest at the Hyatt Place Downtown Atlanta, the delegation headed into their first day of meetings and sight visits. The first stop of the day was at Southface, an organization that aids “the construction development industry, government agencies and communities to promote sustainable homes, workplace and communities,” (Southface.org). At their LEED certified office the delegation had the opportunity to explore their efforts first hand. The building which is a mixture of an older house and newly added parts exemplifies all the big and small improvements which aid to a sustainable house. As Lea pointed out, “it is incredible of how many things you can think when you built sustainably and green.”

From having singular carpet tiles, which are easily replaceable and made from recycled materials, to waterless toilets that empty into the house-owned composting system, Southface offered great insights into the many opportunities to reduce waste, use recycled products, and use energy and resources efficiently. Particular highlights were the solar pots that added non-artificial lightening to the offices and the beautiful countertops and flooring, made from potash. Nils particularly enjoyed the ergodynamic office chairs, illustrating that a healthy posture is also part of a sustainable working environment. Before leaving, some delegates used the opportunity to buy some of Southface’s very own honey, produced on site and available for purchase in their office.

THE next stop brought the group to the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, where they met with staff and learned about the activities in the region, before discussing the visit and purpose of the delegation with Consul General Rünger. The Consul asked some tough questions about the possible impact and value such a visit might have beyond the participants’ individual merits, but the students did not dodge and represented themselves, their projects and their ideas with passion and conviction. Beyond the passionate words and unshakable belief in possibilities for change, the students all showed a great knowledge of their fields’ interrelatedness with the issues of climate change and sustainable, as well as exemplified that their interdisciplinary backgrounds can each contribute a new facet to the conversation and bring about innovative solutions.

Headed off to Ted’s Montana Grill, the next stop was a lunch with the Deputy Consul Wülfing, during which most delegates ate for their first time ever bison burger. The grill’s specialization in bison meat has actually helped to rejuvenate bison herds across the country. It turned out that making them a desirable resource, valued for their low-fat, healthy meat made them a commodity which was more highly in demand. This lead to the growth of herds, which now roam again freely in Montana and Wyoming. The Bison Burgers were so tempting that even some of the delegates that usually prefer vegetarian food carved and enjoyed some Bison meat - needless to say none of them regretted their choice.

Over our fantastic food we discussed diplomacy and the Transatlantic relationship, recognizing the importance of that partnership and the need to sustain it through consistent exchange on all levels of society, but particularly the young generations to correct stereotypes and misperceptions about the roles that each country play especially in climate change issues and environmental concerns.

CONCLUDING the first full day in Atlanta, the delegates ventured out to explore the city despite the rain and visit some of the sights.