Me. Consumption. Climate. What does my consumption have to do with the climate?

The workshop will take place over two days – the first day in December 2025 and the second in February 2026. There will also be group work between the first and second days.

Workshop objectives:

Understanding → Recognizing consumption in everyday life and understanding its impact on the climate

Analyze → Explore the issue in depth using the example of clothing consumption and highlight connections to global challenges

Reflect → Question your own consumption habits and discuss motivations for consumption

Design → Conduct research in groups, write newspaper articles, and give presentations

Develop → Solutions and possible courses of action for responsible consumption

Short interview with Sara Islami (commercial apprentice, 2nd year), Alina Huser (laboratory assistant, 1st year), and Adrian Unterwurzacher (laboratory assistant, 2nd year).

What did you take away from the first day of the workshop?

Sara Islami: What struck me most on the first day of the workshop was how high our consumption is and where we can make improvements or use alternatives.

Alina Huser: What struck me on the first day of the workshop was that it is very important to take care of our climate, otherwise life on our planet will become increasingly difficult. There would be more forest fires and more frequent heat waves, and sea levels would rise. The Earth itself will survive, but the question is whether we humans will survive if we don't change our lifestyle.

Adrian Unterwurzacher: Clothing production is more harmful to the environment than you might expect. That's why even simple habits like shopping secondhand can make a big difference.

Is there anything that particularly surprised you or made you think?

Sara Islami: I was particularly surprised by how many clothes we consume. That really made me think, as I myself love buying clothes.

Alina Huser: What really made me think was that there has been significant global warming over the last few centuries. This has led to many heat waves, and the snow is staying higher and higher up in the mountains. The climate is warming because the Earth is heated by the sun. Some of this heat escapes back into space, but some of it stays behind because there are greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that trap the heat. This natural greenhouse effect is basically normal and important. However, our problem is that the amount of these gases has increased significantly. As a result, not enough heat can escape, too much of it accumulates in the atmosphere, and the climate is warming up.

Adrian Unterwurzacher: The video visualizing emissions was particularly impressive and has stayed with me.

What topic did your group choose for your article and why?

Sara Islami: We decided on the topic of fashion and brands. So far, we have brainstormed, written down some subtopics, and already searched for sources. We chose this topic because we are involved in it ourselves and are therefore well placed to assess it.

Alina Huser: Our topic is fashion and brands. In a newspaper article, we write about how many items of clothing are thrown away because they don't sell. We also look at what can be changed to prevent this from happening so often. We also consider peer pressure and discuss why society buys counterfeit goods.

Adrian Unterwurzacher: We have chosen the topic of fake brand clothing and its impact on the environment. With this topic, we also touch on peer pressure, why these items are produced in such excessive quantities, and the working conditions in the manufacturing facilities. We chose this topic because someone in the group has had direct experience with it. We are currently still searching for sources individually and have planned a meeting for next Thursday to gather information.