Sustainability is a keyword that often comes up when discussing ways to deal with the many challenges that climate change will bring in the near future. However, during his conversations with others, 27-year-old Tom Haas noticed that there are widespread misunderstandings surrounding the topic.
“People say things like: ‘But I have a photovoltaic system on my roof, so now I’m good as far as climate change is concerned,’” Haas explains, noting that this line of reasoning disregards other sources of pollution such as oil heating or gas boilers. Similarly, some people mix up atmospheric pollution with “classic” environmental pollution, overlooking the broader implications of CO2 concentrations.
Haas, a Master’s graduate in environmental sciences and management, wants to rectify these misconceptions while sharing his acquired expertise and inspiring others to adopt sustainable lifestyles.
On his Instagram account, Haas regularly shares information on environmental crises, climate change, biodiversity loss, and renewable energies. In addition, he conducts training courses and interactive workshops, encouraging participants to collaborate in identifying and solving environmental challenges.
The environmental school project seeks to engage a diverse audience, encompassing businesses, municipalities, secondary schools, and primary schools. While Haas currently manages the project independently, he has plans for expansion and hopes to eventually build a team around it. His overarching objective is to raise awareness among as many people as possible, stressing that “people need to be aware that our society is sitting on a tree right now and we are in the process of sawing off our own branch.” Haas recognises the importance of democratic participation in addressing climate issues, emphasising the significance of public willingness and the necessity to raise awareness.
The different offers can be found on emweltschoul.com (website available in Luxembourgish and French).
