Wow wow wow! What a block it has been! I can't believe it is over, and I know it will take a lot more than the flight home to process everything that has happened. I am writing from the comfort of my hostel bed, which I will say goodbye to in the morning, as one …
Bula and Auf Wiedersehen
Happy fall break! The past two weeks went by super quickly, and it’s hard to believe that it’s already block break! Yesterday I spent the whole day at the US Climate Action Center for the US Business Showcase, a full-day event that brought together corporate leaders from many iconic U.S. brands to explore their efforts …
The Highlight Reel
I am currently sitting on a train back to Frankfurt, not entirely sure how to begin to process the last week and a half. After countless brötchen (little bread rolls), meetings, and conversations with people from around the world I leave feeling filled, yes both intellectually and physically from the entirely bread and cheese based …
Last Day at the COP!
Today was our last day at the COP and a good one to finish on. We began the day with an early meeting with Cambridge University engineering professor Hugh Hunt. Dr. Hunt is the engineer behind a geo-engineering project intended to increase the reflectivity of the planet by injecting sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. This …
First Day at the U.S Climate Action Center (Failed to upload Nov.9th)
Despite the initial intimidation I’ve felt navigating the convention on, I find myself filled with a greater sense of confidence and inspiration for the international agenda. Today the United States Climate Action Center opened in Bonn at COP23 for a week of presentations and panel discussions to promote the grassroots movement #We Are Still In. …
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0 degrees Celsius
Sorry for the late post! We’ve had really spotty internet here. Actually, something I learned last week is that the internet in Germany is extremely expensive and therefore the internet in Cafés, houses, hotels, restaurants, etc is usually pretty slow. On Friday, we tried to get to Bonn on the RB48 (a nicer train …
Climate Migrants
At a session I attended late one night recently, I heard His Excellency, Anote Tong, the former president of Kiribati, speak about climate migration and the impact it is having, and will continue to have, on small island states. He said that, to him and his people, climate change isn’t an abstract concept; it is …
US Pledge, Karneval, Schokoladenmuseum, and more!
Today we all awoke to a hum of light rain in the silent city of Cologne – a very large contrast from the noise and commotion we experienced yesterday. The overcast sky seemed to cover the city of Cologne like a warm blanket encouraging people to huddle inside on this cold, rainy Sunday in November …
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Relaxation and Reflection
Bula Vinaka, Today was a great day of relaxation and reflection in comparison to yesterday’s hectic atmosphere. Yesterday was Karneval in Köln and people dressed in costumes, like animal onesies and unicorns, ran through the streets screaming, singing, and dancing. On our way back from the Conference, we tried to ride from the main train …
Energy Research in the Koln-Porz and Bonn Area
This morning I commuted from Cologne to Bonn all by myself: an insignificant task for many, but a monumental accomplishment for a car-driving Tennessean such as myself. I was out the door this morning before most of my classmates because I was attending an energy research excursion sponsored by the EnergyAgencyNRW (Northwest Rhine Westphalia), a …
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