Project News

29. August 2019Project NewsAwarenessCroatia, Czech Republic, Europe, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia

Looking Beyond your Backyard

Ten men and women, who received EUKI-financed bursaries via the International Journalists’ Programmes (IJP), demonstrated just how exciting and varied environmental journalism can be. They spent eight weeks working in European partner countries and carried out research on climate change mitigation and energy transition. The result was 41 audio and written pieces from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia . These are in the right-hand column and can be downloaded.

The articles cover a varied range of climate and energy topics. They include contributions on bioplastics in Bratislava as well as cycling projects, bee-keeping and dealing with nuclear power. The journalists visiting Germany were particularly interested in the plan to phase out coal power by 2038. Katja Lihtenvalner, Marina Kelava and Tereza Stastna provided their readers in Slovenia, Croatia and the Czech Republic with reports on the planned transition from coal and lignite to sustainable sources of power.

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Report back from Berlin:) I humbly take over from @hazelsheffield My name is Katja and I come from Slovenia. I mainly work for Slovenian newspaper Večer. Here in Berlin I am hosted at Focus. I received an energy bursary and climate changes plus plus or non stop on my mind:) just today I made an interview with head of traffic and air quality at @umwelthilfe Crazy weather outside: hot and sunny. I guess I will harass you with my diesel story this week as it is my absolute priority. Let's go for a ride!;)

A post shared by IJP (@ijp_journalists) on Dec 3, 2018 at 7:49am PST

The Hungarian Gergely Nagy seized the initiative to look further afield. His report on energy transition in Germany won the Hungarian Energy Traders Association’s prize. In his report, he explained the energy transition clearly for Hungarian readers and analysed different aspects such as politics, society and the movement against nuclear power. Meanwhile, the German journalist Markus Meyer-Gehlen was on assignment in Hungary. Among the topics he reported on for the station WDR was the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant.

Sabine Rossi reported on artificial snow in Maribor, Slovenia. Source: Instagram/Sabine Rossi

What is exciting about all the stories is that they are from an outsider’s perspective. Reporters look beyond their national boundaries and learn on the spot about the local and national challenges and projects of other European countries. The journalists can also use their networks for future research. The public in the journalists’ home countries are the real beneficiaries of this opportunity to exchange experience and thus gain more knowledge.

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My last Monday meeting at Focus. Every Monday someone analyzes the last edition (it can be from readers to editors, journalists, politicians etc). It's the most interesting part of the meetings for me #euki #Focus #Berlin #journalism

A post shared by IJP (@ijp_journalists) on Dec 10, 2018 at 1:41am PST

Autumn 2019 sees the start of the second round in the exchange scheme for journalists. The participants are from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. Twelve more reporters can therefore gain experience on the spot and conduct research on climate and energy topics all over Europe.

Click through last year’s contributions and gain an impression of climate change mitigation as a pan-European task.

Project

Central Eastern European Climate and Energy Policy Scholarship for Journalists

Publications

Marina Kelava (H-Alter, The Ecologist; Croatia)

“Mi smo priroda koja brani samu sebe” (Coal mining in the Hambach forest); Source: H-Alter

Njemačka termoelektrana najveći je pojedinačni zagađivač zraka u EU (German coal power plant and air pollution); Source: H-Alter

Klimatski pregovori: 24. pokušaj (UN Climate Change Conference COP24 in Katowice); Source: H-Alter

3 key ingredients to launch a bike kitchen (Voluntary bicycle repair service in Zagreb); Source: Shareable

Termoelektrane na ugljen: Europljani plaćaju milijarde za zdravstvene troškove (Repair Café in Berlin); Source: H-Alter

Bicikliranje mijenja svjetove (Bicycle courses for refugees); Source: H-Alter

Jens Cristof (MDR; Germany)

Slowakei plant Einführung von Einwegpfand (One-way deposit in Slovakia); Source: MDR

Bioplastik aus Bratislava (Bioplastics in Bratislava); Source: MDR

Dieselgate Diskussion in der Slowakei (Dieselgate discussion in Slovakia); Source: MDR

Katja Lihtenvalner (Vecer, Slovenia)

Črni časi za premogovno industrijo (Coal industry in Germany and structural change); Source: Vecer

Rudnike premoga bodo zaprli, vendar kdaj? (Structural change); Source: Medium

Proizvajalci si ne želijo nadgradnje starih dizlov (Interview with Dorothee Saar, DUH, on diesel driving bans); Source: Medium

Proizvajalci si ne želijo nadgradnje starih dizlov (Interview with Dorothee Saar, DUH, on diesel driving bans); Source: Vecer

Rudnike premoga bodo zaprli, vendar kdaj? (Structural change); Source: Focus.si

Markus Meyer-Gehlen (WDR, Cosmo; Germany)

Russische Abhängigkeit: Debatte um das Atomkraftwerk Paks (Debate about Hungarian nuclear power plant); Source: Deutschlandfunk

Atomkraftwerk Paks (Debate about Hungarian nuclear power plant); Source: WDR5

Gergely Miklos Nagy (Magyar Narancs; Hungary)

Atomerőmű darabokban (Safe shutdown of nuclear power plants); Source: Politika

Mire mennek atom nélkül? – A német gazdaság szénfekete foltja (Nuclear phase-out in Germany); Source: Magyar Narancs

Csak ne az udvaromba (Nuclear waste in Germany); Source: Politika

A széncsata (Nuclear phase-out in Germany); Source: Politika

Sabine Rossi (WDR, Cosmo; Germany)

Neue Schneekanone am Pohorje (New snow cannon at Pohorje); Source: RTV4

Besuch aus Deutschland (Interview about EUKI grant); Source: RTVSLO

Bienen verrücktes Slowenien (Bees in Slovenia); Source: WDR5 Quarks

Ski-Urlaub nachhaltig?! Geht das? (Sustainable winter holidays); Source: Cosmo Cities

Bienen verrücktes Slowenien (Bees in Slovenia); Source: WDR2 Weltzeit

Neugier genügt: Radtour unter Tage (Underground cycling); Source: WDR5

Bienen verrücktes Slowenien (Bees in Slovenia); Source: WDR2

Underground Biking (Underground cycling); Source: WDR2 Weltzeit

Unter Königinnen – Als Imkerin in Slowenien (Bees in Slovenia); Source: Deine Korrespondentin

Daniela Ivankova (RTVS; Slovakia)

Warschau und seine Bienen (Bees in Warsaw); Source: rbb

1500 Kilometer zu Fuß – Wandern für den Klimaschutz (Hiking to protect the climate); Source: rbb

Bericht aus Berlin (from 9:35) (Report from Berlin); Source: RTVS

Bericht aus Berlin (from 27:09) (Report from Berlin); Source: RTVS

Tereza Stastna (Czech Radio; Czechia)

How Germany’s coal phaseout is becoming an international movement; Source: Deutsche Welle

Living planet: When will Germany break up with coal?; Source: Deutsche Welle

How hard is a low-carbon lifestyle? A Berlin family tells all; Source: Deutsche Welle

Living planet: Personal climate action in Berlin; Source: Deutsche Welle

Living planet: Insects as a climate friendly alternative to meat?; Source: Deutsche Welle

Grit Eggerichs (Deutschlandradio; Germany)

Kroatien: Die Insulaner auf Krk wehren sich gegen ein Flüssiggas-Terminal (Liquid gas terminal in Krk); Source: Deutschlandradio

Nachhaltigkeit: Zugfahren ist geil (Train riding); Source: Deutschlandradio

Krk: Eine Insel kämpft für grüne Energie (Green energy in Krk); Source: WDR1