We are changing: Together for a good climate in Upper Austria

If the next generations look at our fossil power plants the way we do today at the Colosseum in Rome, then we have done something right in energy policy. Namely with disbelieving eyes, thinking that these power plants come from a distant, almost unimaginable past. Johannes Reichl introduces himself with this vision in an interview on the Johannes Kepler University homepage – he would even give tours of this power plant.

Reichl is a professor and researcher at the Linz Energy Institute of the Linz Institute of Technology (LIT) at the JKU – and, as is easy to see, a man with a plan, a goal and a sense of humor.

And he differs from those who just throw ideas around: Reichl implements it himself and wants to involve as many people as possible – the fact that everyone casually does something for their health is a positive side effect. And if something is good for people and the country, then OÖN is also a partner.

The Energy Institute has programmed the “Climate Campaigners” app, in which everyone can reduce their carbon footprint with small “challenges”, i.e. tasks and challenges. Challenges like…

• Lay one Buy nothing month by the garment.
• Make today a day meatless day.
• For non-commuters: Do the next seven days only active transportation.
• Use on yours dishwasher this for a week Eco program.
• Rotate that thermostat for a week one degree back …

Reichl is familiar with prophecies of doom like “It’s no use if only one person does it” or “What’s the point if the Chinese…” “Before I had my first contact with an electric car, I was also afraid that the battery would go out and this and this and that… But once you’ve driven it, everything works much better than you thought.”

For him it’s about leaving the oft-quoted “comfort zone” and simply trying something new. “Just try it out and ride your bike to work. You’ll see, at the end of the day you’ll even be proud of yourself,” says Reichl, who has already tried out a lot of things, casually ecologizing his life and yet is not a dogmat: “Admittedly, I can’t completely leave out the flying thing.”

Entire places as climate savers

And yet the motto still applies: do better than hide behind excuses. It may be that the individual cannot save the climate, but what is wonderful to see with the app is that you are not alone. Because thanks to the registration, which also includes the postal code, a certain degree of competition can creep in between places.

Because it is not only the individual reduction of carbon dioxide – i.e. CO2 – that is measured, but also that of communities, a federal state or individual groups – at work, in the family, in a circle of friends, in a club… “These challenges are a motivation, many will see that the big things happen on a small scale,” says the man from Linz.

Be part of the energy transition

In any case, taking part in the challenge is a simple way to be part of the energy transition. Of course, “we are still some way away from a complete energy transition,” says Reichl. Although he sees the goal for electricity by 2030 within reach, for fossil energy it will take a good deal longer. “We can’t change the energy at the push of a button, but we can change our energy consumption,” says Reichl.

It’s just a process. And in any case, later generations will look at us with disbelieving eyes, unable to believe how wasteful we were.

It’s that easy

If you want to take part in the OÖN Climate Challenge, download the Climate Campaigners app from the Play Store or App Store to your mobile phone and register. To do this, enter a name, place of residence, email address and then confirm a registration email. When answering the personal carbon footprint questions, you can use the slider.

• You can choose challenges in three main categories (mobility, living & energy, food). The OÖN challenges are marked as such.
• For each challenge there is a description, additional information under “Steps and Tips” and under “Reward” the number of game coins if you successfully complete the challenge.
• You can play multiple challenges at the same time and share them with friends (click on the three dots at the top right).
• There are vouchers in the rewards shop, for example for an OÖN subscription.

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