Nachhaltigkeit - the German word for sustainability is based on the three pillars of ecology, economy, and social responsibility. It requires long-term thinking and action -
The term therefore also includes a temporal component.

The principle of sustainability was coined in German forestry over 300 years ago:
Only as much wood may be harvested as can grow back. Sustainability – a German invention!

This model must be applied to all our resource use in order to close material cycles and keep the Earth livable for up to 10 billion people. The pollution of the oceans by plastics, in particular, demonstrates the urgency of improvements. Biodegradable plastics, ideally based on biogenic materials, and highly integrated recycling strategies are needed to reduce such environmental damage.
Humans are not masters at correctly estimating dynamic developments.
In my new book (here then cross-reference/link to publications) I often repeat the sentence
"If we put it in the circle, it is in the circle." We've already brought a lot of material into the world without foreseeing its development or planning for its end of life: nuclear waste, asbestos, and even plastics.

Let's consider the example of wind turbines. These have long been an integral and necessary component of sustainable power generation, but their design poses problems: The high-strength composite material of the ever-larger rotor blades is not yet recyclable. This is an incentive for me, because it would obviously be more intelligent to build the rotor blades from biogenic materials (my "core business") or from recycled material, for which there is currently no industrially applicable process.

I'm less concerned about the carbon frame of my racing bike, however. By the time it's time to dispose of it, the recycling problem will have been solved long ago.

Sustainability also involves using everyday objects for as long as possible. I do this out of conviction, as demonstrated by my 30-year-old racing bike, which I continue to use with great joy.

When the material's lifespan is reached, the sun provides many times the energy we need to make processes and products sustainable. We can even "turn back the clock" and reverse the damage. CO2 from the atmosphere can not only be sequestered—it can also serve as a raw material for chemical intermediates.

The implementation of such strategies is a test of our innovative strength. Sustainable action requires an understanding of the sustainability "triad" of ecological, economic, and social aspects, as well as an understanding of the temporal dimensions of our actions. Only in this way can we create a future worth living for future generations.

With that in mind: Welcome to my website!