Czech Republic: Rosalie Powell (Sustainability in Prague)
One of my primary goals of study abroad was to understand environmental science and sustainability through the lens of another culture. It has been super interesting to talk with Czech and other European students and understand their perspectives on climate change and biodiversity loss. My feelings are that there is much more of a culture of sustainability and a general awareness of how individual actions impact the environment. While plane tickets are incredibly cheap, many students opted to spend more to take the bus to Czechia and emit less carbon. Similarity my roommates are very conscious of food waste and use of disposable plastic. I think these types of sentiments are certainly on the rise in the U.S. especially among young people, but not to the same extent as here.
Another major difference is how much easier and encouraged it is to be sustainable. I have a student pass for the public transport (unlimited uses & $15 for 3 months) and often it is faster than driving. The buses and trams come every 2-5 minutes, so I don’t need to check the schedules. Additionally, when I go the grocery store, I bring my tote bag or backpack because it costs extra if you would like a paper or plastic bag. Here in Prague we don’t roll out the trash bin every week, instead be sort our waste in containers on the street into glass, plastic, paper, metal and waste. This allows for more to be recycled.
It is also really cool to go to CZU, the most sustainable university in the Czech Republic. The whole campus is covered in plants and complete with compost bins and solar panels. There are so many ideas I will bring back with both in terms of implementation and science communication of sustainability. I believe (and hope!) that this is the direction we will be rapidly heading for in the next decade, which is a really exciting place to be in as someone who studying environmental science.
Rosalie Powell
Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin
Major: Environmental Sciences & Life Sciences Communication