Chinese and German students (15 years) travel together from Bejing to Irkutsk with the Transsiberian Railway. After an apprenticeship at Rosenberger Asia Pacific in Bejing they use their time on rails for a “climate academy”.

Students from the Middleschool Nr. 1 in Zhangjiakou and students from Realschule Traunreut in Bavaria are focused on their own future. Dealing with China, Mongolia and Russia for professional reasons has become reality long time ago in Europe and Asia. The international labour market therefore delivers great job opportunities for the young skilled generation.

But the growing industry in Asia also lets increase the pollution of fresh water. Together with friends from the partner school Lyzeum No. 3 in Irkutsk the Climate Explorers started to study the options to protect drinking water.

The students asked passengers from all over the world on the train for their habits regarding their consumption of water. A complete wagon was used for an exhibition to display the statistics. Also several workshops about water protection were held in the train compartments during the 3 day trip to Lake Baikal in Siberia.

The Lake Baikal is the biggest drinking water resource in the world. On the other hand in the neighbour country China the groundwater is heavily polluted.

The Limnological Institut Irkutsk helped to answer the students question: “Can the unequal distribution of clean drinking water cause political conflicts?”

The Climate Explorers have been told by Kai Strittmatter (German Newspaper – Sueddeutsche Zeitung) and by the scientist Lev Yampolsky (East Tennessee State University) that there is a chance for an act of war in the future.

Germany is very interested in avoiding any conflicts between Russia and China. In especially because Europe would need to deal with the consequences of receiving refugees.

But German technology could help China to keep the environment as clean as possible. That means that there is a need for Research and Development in water protection technologies. It also brings work for the qualified next generation.

After the studies at Lake Baikal the Chinese Students were visiting the Realschule Traunreut in Upper Bavaria. They had a big surprising present for the Germans:

As an act of humanity the Chinese students donated money to the mayor of Passau. The Bavarian town Passau was the major victim of the flood catastrophe in 2013. Environment protection is the challenge for all the nations worldwide. Because pollution has no frontiers!

 Netzwerk, Sponsoren & Support

– Stiftung Mercator, Klima-Macher! International 2013
– Mittelschule Nr. 1 in Zhangjiakou/ China
– Lyzeum Nr. 3 in Irkutsk/ Russland
– Goethe Institut Peking
– AFS – Interkulturelle Begegnungen e. V.
– Stiftung für Klimagerechtigkeit Plant-for-the-Planet (Felix Finkbeiner)
– Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik in Fridolfing (industrieller Partner)
– Rosenberger Asia Pacific Electronic Co., Ltd. in Peking
– Bosch-Siemens-Hausgeräte BSH in Traunreut
– Lions Club Übersee – Forum am Chiemsee – Cyber
– Stadt Traunreut, Bürgermeister Franz Parzinger (Schirmherrschaft Sponsorenlauf)
– Sposorenlauf Profi André Lange lange-laeufer.de (Beratung – Logistik)
– Great Bailkal Trail (Logistik am Bailkalsee durch Volunteers, Visasupport)
– Limnology Research Institute (wissanschaftlicher Partner – Trinkwasserseminar Bailkalsee)
– WE.LEARN.IT – ELIG.org/DSV-Stockholm University (Unterrichtsmaterial, innovative ICT-Tools)