The United Nations set themselves 17 goals in 2015. 17 goals that are aimed at leading into a sustainable future, ranging from “no poverty” to “responsible consumption and production” to “peace, justice and strong institutions”. Engagement Global together with the Rhine-Neckar Regional Association make these goals more tangible by offering adventure tours. Thus, one thing becomes more and more apparent with every kayak trip on the Elsenz near Zuzenhausen – that everyone can contribute to the protection of the Earth.
Francisca Gallegos triumphantly lifts her find up into the air. A muddy something, quite big – it takes up her entire rubbish bag. “We found an inline skate,” she yells. It had been lying between tree roots at the embankment of the river Elsenz. Speculations arise immediately. Was it an accident? Where is the second skate? Who dumps something like that into the river without further thought? In the end, the inline skate joins several plastic and glass bottles, a half-decomposed coffee cup, lids and cans, all of which were gathered along a river segment that was not even two kilometres in length. Gathered by participants of a kayak tour who make sure that things end up where they actually belong – in the waste bin, that is. And not in the river and therefore eventually in the sea or ocean or one of the gigantic garbage patches of our oceans.
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According to estimates of the United Nations, more than 150 million metric tons of plastic waste float in the oceans worldwide. At least another three million metric tons come on top of that each year. A garbage island the size of Central Europe is drifting through the Pacific Ocean – with devastating effects on sea creatures and sea birds. And on us humans – since, whoever eats fish, has microplastics on their plate as a consequence. To save the oceans, the United Nations included “life below water” in their 2030 Agenda as one goal for sustainable development – amongst 16 others such as “zero hunger”, “quality education” or “reduced inequalities”.
To make these goals more tangible and perceptible, Engagement Global, an organisation that supports development-policy commitment, together with the Rhine-Neckar Regional Association set up the 17-goals tours for sustainability. The project is financed by the programme “Development-related education in Germany” (Entwicklungsbezogene Bildung in Deutschland) by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. There are seven tours altogether – one for each district of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region. Each tour focuses on one particular topic. For instance, the main focus is on hunger and flight in the Eiermann-Magnani House in the Neckar-Odenwald district and in the green spelt oast house in Buchen, whereas in the Südliche Weinstraße district it is on fair and organic produce and in the Rhine-Palatinate region on the history of the potato. In the Rhine-Neckar region, the emphasis is on life below water.
The tours are conducted on foot, by bicycle or by boat. “We want to raise awareness of the 17 goals with these tours and demonstrate that for their realisation each one of us is required,” Sebastian Boye says, who together with Francisca Gallegos leads the kayak tours on the Elsenz. The protection of the oceans begins right on our own doorstep, for instance, in the rivers and streams of our region, since what floats along here will sooner or later end up in the sea. This is what the adventure tour “From the rivers into the oceans – the way of our waste” on the river Elsenz points out.
