Update from Luisa Neubauer: How is our planet doing?
She is the German face of Fridays for Future, podcaster and publicist and sits next to himfor women anda:Luisa Neubauer. In 2023 she was honored at the GLAMOR Women of the Year Awardexcellent, she said in an interview at the time: “We are already living in a world that we warned about just a few years ago. The many catastrophes that are piling up are overwhelming, even though we have been talking about it for a long time.” At the same time, she sowed hope: “We can make up for and improve a lot. The future doesn’t fall from the sky, we make it ourselves. And not tomorrow, but today.”
Time for an update: What will happen to us and the climate in 2025?
Luisa Neubauer in an interview about everyday environmental awareness and commitment
GLAMOR: Luisa, we catch you in the USA on a long train journey from Chicago to Minneapolis.
Luisa Neubauer: I'm traveling in the USA for two months and want to better understand what happens when right-wing extremism and the climate crisis collide.
You flew to the USA, did you feel ashamed to fly?
I thought about this carefully in advance and decided that if I was going to fly, I would do so straight away
two months. That's how it's worth it. It's not easy to navigate a world that is unsustainable and doesn't give many people the option to live a mindful life. Blaming each other doesn't help. Which doesn't help either: falling silent in the real world and only rant and unload frustration digitally. We all depend on an intact and healthy planet, that's what it's all about.
How can you become individually climate-friendly?
I would tell young women, “Don’t get attached to yourson, we will not solve the climate crisis over breakfast. It’s better to see where you can make a difference in the system.” What can you contribute individually? We don't need superheroes, just normal people who follow up, think about it, and take action.
The women in your family are all socially involved, including your mother and yours
91 year old grandmas are active. Did that influence you?
My mother, my grandmother and my sister are important role models for me. My sister Jemima founded “Mums for Lungs” in London and is very successful in combating air pollution. My cousin Carla Reemtsma is also active in Fridays for Future.
What is the biggest difference between these generations of activists?
The world is completely different today. But the biggest difference is that the pressure has become so great. We are working against time. There will never be less crisis again as long as we live.
That sounds scary. What can we do?
Routine helps, it calms you down. For example, find an initiative in which you are sustainably and continuously committed. Best in your own city. And the most important thing is: have fun while doing it.
Climate for everyone?
Absolutely! It is a fallacy to think that you can keep this away from yourself. It keeps crashing into our lives. It's not about charity towards the world, but rather an investment in our own lives. In the sense of: I do something, I can't do everything, but everyone can do something.
