CO2 compensation
Nowadays the man made climate change is an ever present topic in the media that by now has been proven by scientists dozens of times. As an athlete who depends on the nature, I pay very close attention to the weather and forecast every single day, and I can definitely see that things are changing.
Unfortunately the reality is that as a professional windsurfer my lifestyle causes a lot of CO2-Emissions, which contributes to the climate change and all its consequences. Hundreds of kilograms of windsurfing equipment that has to be shipped from China, made out of not the most environmentally friendly materials, flights all over the world with an abundance of boards and sails, car drives for tens of thousands of kilometers each year and the list goes on…
Back in 2015 when I chose this path, I honestly wasn’t considering all these things. This has definitely changed over the years, and turned into a strong believe that our society has to change. This change shouldn’t turn our life upside down in a matter of days. Becoming a sustainable society requires a sustainable change.
I believe that we should give back to our planet as much we can within our life styles.
Instead of abandoning the things we love and do for a living, let’s try to find a more sustainable way of doing them.
How can we produce windsurf gear more environmentally friendly? Can I travel this distance by car instead of plane? Should I look into getting an EV to support that movement? How can I cut emissions and trash in everyday life? These are some of the questions that I ask myself when looking into the future.
I feel like the media and society in general are putting too much pressure on people, creating the image that you have to change your whole life at once to make a change. If you start with one step, people will blame you for all the other steps you didn’t yet take. This, in my opinion, sends the wrong signal and is very discouraging. Every step in the right direction is a success, and more will follow in time.
In 2017 I stopped eating meat for various reasons, one of which being the huge CO2 carbon intensity of meat „production“. Now it’s time to take the next step.
For the upcoming years I’m happy to announce that with the help of my partners I will be able to compensate for all the CO2 I emit during my journeys as a professional windsurfer. In cooperation with “blue life”, I will make sure that enough mangroves will be planted for my carbon footprint to be neutralized. Mangroves bind five times more carbon dioxide than rain forrest trees, protect coasts, and support the local community.
I’m super grateful to be in the position to make such a big contribution to a project that will help make our planet a little bit greener and cleaner.
Lastly I want to encourage other windsurfers and athletes to take their first, second or third step. Beach Clean-Ups, CO2 Compensation, less plastic usage,… whatever it is.
If you have questions or something to say, don’t hesitate to contact me. #ClimateNeutralAroundTheWorld
Exact numbers about emissions and compensation are following soon.