green lifestyle guide for Berlin
Green Me Berlin is an online platform where the green scene from Berlin (and around the world) meets. The latest trends are reported here, the most beautiful cafés are presented and inspiring stories are told, all of which deal with the topic of sustainability. The Green Tours are also recommended. Here you will be shown the most beautiful and sustainable places in Berlin.
We met Claudi, the initiator of Green Me, for an interview and asked her our three questions.
What was or is your motivation behind GREEN ME BERLIN?
At GreenMe Berlin, my main aim is to present the creative Berlin “green scene” and thus to inspire Berliners, expats and travelers to experience the city from a new “green” side, to try out new things, openly and curiously through the Walking streets ... with fun, without constraints. Through my previous work with travel journalists and bloggers, I noticed that Berlin is full of unique, sustainability-oriented projects that share my values and make the world a little better and more colorful with their creations. From zero waste cafés and vegan restaurants, to local designers, shops and artists, to urban gardening projects and repurposed open spaces - sustainability has many facets and it was important to me to introduce the doers and free spirits who set a good example. At the same time, it is also important to me to bring like-minded people together and promote exchange. That's why we created our tours to share positive moments together and to encourage that we can all do something - and that it's even fun 🙂
What is your advice to our readers: What can you do specifically for a better future?
Eat incredibly tasty & healthy, chat with nice people, wear the best clothes and spend an unforgettable time in former fallow areas ... Translated it means:- Approach plant-based, natural food with openness and curiosity. The easiest way to do this is in one of the many great vegan restaurants in Berlin (but also in most other cities)
- Go to the market more often instead of Rewe, Lidl & co. Not only is this more sustainable, it is also a lot of fun to talk to the nice farmers and stallholders. No dissatisfied cashiers or annoyed people in line, but warm, passionate people
- Buy the next piece of clothing at an ethical fashion store. Believe me, the “potato sack eco” look is a thing of the past. The green fashion scene in Berlin is booming, there are numerous creative, young labels that passionately ensure that eco-fair fashion does not have to hide behind conventional brands. In addition, upcycling and second hand are two good concepts for saving resources. In general: less is more - long live minimalism 🙂
- Out into the cityscape. Community gardens and other creatively transformed areas and buildings are an exciting change from everyday office life.
How do travel and sustainability fit together for you?
Good question. I am actually someone who travels a lot. I am well aware of my footprint when flying and try to compensate for it as well as possible (e.g. through a vegan diet or donations to CO2 offsetting projects) and to travel as sustainably as possible on the trip. Nevertheless, I am convinced that traveling is incredibly important in order to keep an eye on the big picture. When you travel, you really become aware of the beauty of our nature and our planet. You learn about foreign cultures, form your own opinion – and are not dependent on the (often extremely unrealistic) views of the media. My 3 months in India 5 years ago, for example, had a tremendous impact on me. I've seen that the poorest people are often still happy and content. I've learned to be grateful. I've learned to get by with extremely few “things”, I've become a real minimalist. And I've learned that almost anything is possible if you really want to. Travel also makes us understand much better that we are all interconnected. We all share this brilliant planet and what we do or consume at home always has an impact on the people in Kenya, Fiji, Samoa, Nicaragua, Argentina, Nepal etc. That motivates me every day anew, because it means that we can change something in the world - even on the smallest local level.More of Green Me BerlinClick here for the Green Tours
Lisa Klakow
Lisa helped set up the Good Travel Blog and will write for us as a freelance author in the future. She is passionate about traveling and dancing around the world with a small ecological footprint.
2 Comments
-
-
Claudi
1000 thanks for the great feedback Jakob? I am very happy that you can identify with the message from GreenMe Berlin ... There will be tours again from spring, so be sure to come along!
-
Jacob
Great interview! A real inspiration 🙂
GreenMe shows that sustainability and renunciation do not belong in one sentence. Great guide to experience the capital authentically.