YPAC 2012

The term "energy" is used in the sense of source of energy (e.g. crude oil, natural gas, ...) and form of energy (e.g. electric energy, nuclear energy, ...). Saving energy thus means reducing both the amount of energy sources needed (e.g. using less fuel) and reducing the use of energy forms (e.g. using less electricity).

Energy use can be reduced both when energy is used efficiently (efficiency) and through omission of actions, i.e. the decision not to take an action which will use energy (sufficiency).

Efficiency = saving energy through more efficient technology and logistics (e.g. improved heating or cooling systems, low consumption engines, modern thermal insulation of buildings, LED illumination)

Sufficiency = saving energy through changes in behaviour / by omission (e.g. choice of: means of transport, holiday type and destination, nutrition, clothing, free time activity)

It is important to note that the substitution of one source or form of energy through another is not a part of this topic.

KEY QUESTION: Through which (legal, tax, economic, optional) measures can private households be induced to consume less energy?
(e.g. using less petrol by taking the car less often)

KEY QUESTION: Through which (legal, tax, economic, optional) measures can public households be induced to consume less energy?
(e.g. using less petrol by offering tickets for public transport and bikes instead of parking space for employees)

The final resolution should contain specific aims, i.e. how the reduction of energy use can be achieved through which measures, e.g.:

• 2000-watt society: The over-all rate of energy use of each person should be reduced to 2000 watts (today, each person in western Europe uses about 6000 watts, i.e. 52 000 kilowatt hours, or 5400 liters of crude oil per year per person).
• Energy self-sufficient regions: The import of energy should be avoided where possible, and energy use should be reduced to a point where energy requirements can be met with renewable and regional energy sources.
• Status of 1990: Energy use should be reduced to the status of 1990 (see Kyoto protocol).

For centuries, even in the darkest and most difficult periods in humanity’s past, people have always found hope to help them look forward to a future marked by real progress. And it was progress that shaped the path of world development in the past century, progress illuminated by a deep-rooted trust in scientific discoveries and their possible applications, two elements that have enabled a surprisingly fast rate of advance.

But today we are in deep crisis. And we are asking ourselves how it is possible that, with all these more and more sophisticated technologies, our gas bills are still shooting up and making many families live shivering with cold, even in developed countries like England. Or ask how it is possible that more and more people are arguing that a return to the past, regression, would be a wise, if not essential, move to ensure that humanity has a future.

Perhaps we’ve gone in the wrong direction?

It seems we have built an enormous building on unstable foundations. That we have let ourselves get arried away with enthusiasm for progress, running blindly ahead, unable to see, to notice, the errors that are building up. All aspects of human activity are built on intensive exploitation of energy taken from the earth. Every country’s economy, international commerce, diverse political systems, relations between States, everything, rotates around a system of exploiting energy, whose implications, today, frighten us terribly. We have taken, or rather snatched, rapaciously, everything that has come before us, as if blinded, spurred by uncontrollable fury. We have been reduced to being parasites and, only now, are we beginning to realise how great a risk we are running of dying together with our host. Our world, our society, has its roots buried in a clownish and risky procedure, in progress that has no foundation, in an incorrect and unjust “contract” with the world we live in. We live in a complex building suspended from a tightrope-walkers wire. And this is what we are discovering with dismay, as we realis  that petroleum deposits will, sooner or later run out, and that, until that happens, we will continue to carry on with the slow process of impoverishment of our planet, the well-known greenhouse effect, which will cost us more than we want to believe.

Thus, if humanity is to reach 2100 in a dignified state, the whole system supported by these careless procedures must be abandoned. We must reshape, repair and reconstruct. But every reform, indeed every revolution, needs fertile soil if it is to ignite and to spread. This is why it is so important to begin by making young people aware so that they can carry forward this ambitious project as they grow, without making the same mistakes as their parents.

Download the audio-file of Pietro Baggio's reading (English version)

Original version of the text (Italian):

Da secoli, anche nei momenti più duri e difficili nella storia dell’umanità, gli uomini hanno trovato una speranza per guardare fiduciosamente al futuro nel progresso. E il progresso è stato sicuramente la direttrice lungo la quale si è sviluppato il mondo del secolo scorso, illuminato da una profonda fiducia nelle scoperte scientifiche e nella loro applicabilità: due elementi che hanno consentito di procedere ad un ritmo sorprendente.

Eppure oggi ci ritroviamo in una situazione di profonda crisi. E ci chiediamo com’è possibile che, a fronte di tecnologie che vengono continuamente raffinate, i prezzi delle bollette del gas diventino così insostenibili da costringere moltissime famiglie, in paesi avanzati come l’Inghilterra, a vivere tremando di freddo. O com’è possibile che siano sempre di più le persone a sostenere che un ritorno al passato, un regresso, sarebbe auspicabile, se non essenziale, per garantire un futuro agli uomini.

Siamo forse andati in una direzione sbagliata?

Evidentemente abbiamo costruito un edificio gigantesco su fondamenta instabili. Ci siamo lasciati trasportare dall’entusiasmo del progresso, correndo in avanti alla cieca, incapaci di renderci conto di tutti gli errori che si sono venuti ad accumulare. Attorno allo sfruttamento intensivo dell’energia fornitaci dalla terra si basa ogni dimensione dell’attività umana,. L’economia di ogni paese, i commerci internazionali, i diversi sistemi politici, le relazioni tra gli stati, ruota tutto attorno a un sistema di sfruttamento, dell’energia le cui implicazioni oggi ci spaventano terribilmente.

Abbiamo preso, anzi ghermito, rapaci, tutto quello che ci si è presentato, come accecati, come mossi da una furia incontenibile. Ci siamo ridotti a parassiti e solo ora ci rendiamo conto di quanto stia diventando attuale la prospettiva di morire assieme al nostro ospite. Il nostro mondo, la nostra società, affondano le radici in un procedere goffo e avventato, in un progresso senza fondamenta, in un “contratto” scorretto e ingiusto con la terra che ci ospita. Viviamo in un edificio complesso sospeso sulla corda di un funambolo. Ed è questo quello che stiamo scoprendo con sbigottimento, realizzando che i giacimenti di petrolio prima o poi finiranno, e che, finché ciò non sarà avvenuto continueremo a portare avanti un lento processo di depauperamento del nostro pianeta, l’ormai ben noto effetto serra, che ci costerà più di quanto vorremmo credere. È fondamentale, perché ci possa essere un 2100 dignitoso per l’umanità, che l’intero sistema risultante da questo procedere sconsiderato venga abbandonato.

È fondamentale riformare, risanare, ricostruire. E ogni riforma, anzi, ogni rivoluzione, perché possa divampare e diffondersi, necessita di un terreno fertile su cui poter fiorire. Ed è per questo che risulta essenziale sensibilizzare e rivolgersi prima di tutto ai giovani perché possano crescere portando avanti questo ambizioso progetto, senza ricadere negli stessi errori dei padri.

Download the audio-file of Pietro Baggio's reading (Italian version)

I am your Blue Planet, your Earth, your habitat...

Dear Human Beings,

Forgive me for saying so, but I feel I am a place of beauty, and I offer you and all other living creatures an existenceamong my lands and oceans.

But sadly, for some time now, you have been doing your best to destroy me. Climate change and environmental pollutionare the terms you use.

With your constant striving for growth, progress and power, you have managed to upset my outstanding eco-system. With your mega-cities, large-scale industry, cars and machines, you think you’ve come a long way. The problem is:where are you going with this? Have you ever stopped to think where you’re going with this? Can’t you see the downsides? Your homes will be destroyed by earthquakes, tsunamis and other catastrophes, famine and poverty, will follow.Deep down, you know your actions and behaviour are doing me a great deal of harm. And now you’re worried about your future.

You want to put things right ... but how? You believe the only way to save me is with new technologies and by shifting responsibility onto others.

But let me give you a word of advice. Before you start worrying about innovative technologies, you should stop and think about what each of you can do to bring about change. Is it really necessary to drive to work every day or leave the TV on standby? Don’t you know that even little things can have a huge impact? Imagine how much energy would be saved if everyone switched off their TV completely?

A huge amount, and those savings would in turn help to ensure that my resources are not depleted.

So make the effort – and walk the couple of steps to the TV set.

I implore you: save me, and in doing so save yourselves: by changing your behaviour now.

Yours in love, hope and confidence,

Your Earth

Download the audio-file of Arzu Altintas' reading (English version)

Original version of the text (German):

Ich bin euer blauer Planet, eure Erde, euer Lebensraum...

Liebe Menschen,

ich bin – entschuldigt meine Überheblichkeit – ein Ort voller Schönheit und biete euch und allen anderen Lebewesen ein Dasein in meinen Landschaften und meinen Meeren.

Jedoch seid ihr schon seit langem dabei, mich zu zerstören. Klimawandel und Umweltverschmutzung nennt ihr es.

Ihr habt es geschafft, mein ausgezeichnetes Ökosystem aus dem Gleichgewicht zu bringen und zwar durch ständiges Streben nach Wachstum, Fortschritt und Macht. Große Städte, viel Industrie, Autos und Maschinen: ihr glaubt, ihr habt euch sehr weit entwickelt. Doch: Wohin geht eure Entwicklung? Macht ihr euch Gedanken über die Richtung? Seht ihr die Schattenseiten? Eure Häuser werden durch Erdbeben, Tsunamis und andere Katastrophen zerstört, Hungersnöte und Elend folgen. Ihr ahnt, dass euer falsches Handeln und Verhalten mir großen Schaden zufügt.

Und jetzt fürchtet ihr um eure Zukunft. Wiedergutmachung … aber wie? Meine Rettung seht ihr allein in neuen Technologien und in der Verantwortung anderer.

Aber ich gebe euch einen Rat: Bevor ihr anfangt, euch über innovative Technologien Gedanken zu machen, solltet ihr in euch gehen und euch fragen, was ihr jeweils zur Veränderung beitragen könnt. Ist es wirklich notwendig, jeden Tag mit dem Auto zur Arbeit zu fahren oder den Fernseher auf Stand-by-Modus zu lassen? Wisst ihr nicht, dass auch kleine Dinge eine große Wirkung haben können? Stellt euch vor: Wie viel Energie würdet ihr sparen, wenn jeder Mensch seinen Fernseher vollständig ausschalten würde?

Eine gigantische Menge, durch deren Verzicht meine Ressourcen nicht verbraucht werden würden.

Überwindet euch dazu, die zwei Schritte zum Fernseher zu gehen.

Ich bitte euch: Rettet mich und somit euch, indem ihr euer Verhalten jetzt ändert.

In Liebe, voller Hoffnung und Zuversicht,

Eure Erde

Download the audio-file of Arzu Altintas' reading (German version)

One day, in the not too distant future, in a place far, far away ...

The savage wolf returns exhausted from a hunting foray. Without prey. The clever rabbit asks the wolf why he failed to catch any prey. The savage wolf testily replies that he had simply run out of energy. And that, after a short break, he would try again.

The clever rabbit, known far and wide for his sharp mind, tells the savage wolf he would be better off stalking his quarry first. Hunting strategically wouldn’t involve as much energy and would be more efficient.

And although the savage wolf is impressed by the intelligence of the clever rabbit, he is furious not to have thought of that himself. That’s why the savage wolf then turns to the clever rabbit and says he has a better idea. From now on the clever rabbit should go and fetch him his food; if not, the rabbit himself would be eaten.

The rabbit is outraged by this suggestion and turns to the fair-minded crow for help. The crow, too, thinks the offer is immoral and also ethically unjustifiable.

And so it is decided that the high council of animals should be convened. The council is chaired by the arbitrary bear who, when faced with difficult decisions, often chooses simply to toss a coin.

And so the coin is tossed, and the decision goes the way of the savage wolf. Ever since the clever rabbit, now known by all as the tricked rabbit, is forced every day to bring the savage wolf his food.

So if you ever come across a rabbit busy stalking a deer, always remember the story of the savage wolf who got others to save energy on his behalf, and also the high council of animals, a venue where every decision is considered most judiciously. ...

Download the audio-file of Florian Gstöhls reading (English version)

Original version of the text (German):

Es wird einmal sein, in naher Zukunft, an einem fernen Ort ...

Der brutale Wolf kommt erschöpft nach einer kurzen Jagd zurück. Ohne Beute. Da fragt der schlaue Hase den Wolf, warum er denn keine Beute erlegt hätte? Der brutale Wolf antwortet darauf gereizt, er hätte einfach keine Energie mehr. Nach einer kurzen Pause würde er es noch einmal versuchen.

Der schlaue Hase, der allgemein für seinen scharfen Verstand bekannt ist, sagt zum brutalen Wolf, er solle sich doch zuerst an seine Beute heranpirschen. Eine gezielte Jagd würde ihn nicht so viel Energie kosten und wäre effizienter.

Der brutale Wolf ist von der Intelligenz des schlauen Hasen beeindruckt und doch macht es ihn wütend, dass er nicht selbst darauf gekommen ist. So sagt der brutale Wolf zum schlauen Hasen, er hätte eine bessere Idee: Der schlaue Hase solle von nun an für ihn das Essen besorgen, ansonsten würde er selbst gefressen.

Dieser ist empört über den Vorschlag und bittet die gerechte Krähe um Hilfe. Diese hält das Angebot ebenfalls für unmoralisch und ethisch auf keinen Fall vertretbar.

Aus diesem Grund beschloss man, den hohen Rat der Tiere einzuberufen. Den Vorsitz über diesen Rat hatte der willkürliche Bär. Dieser pflegt bei schwierigen Entscheidungen einfach eine Münze zu werfen.

Die Münze wurde also geworfen und entschied zu Gunsten des brutalen Wolfs. Seit jeher muss der schlaue Hase, welcher von nun an als der geleimte Hase bekannt war, dem brutalen Wolf jeden Tag sein Essen bringen.

Wer also einem Hasen begegnet, der gerade dabei ist, ein Reh zu erlegen, denke stets an die Geschichte des brutalen Wolfes, der andere für sich Energie sparen lässt und an den hohen Rat der Tiere, ein Ort, an dem jede Entscheidung mit Bedacht gefällt wird. ...

Download the audio-file of Florian Gstöhls reading (German version)

March 2072

MY DEAR ANNA,

You have often asked me to tell you what the world used to be like. You could never understand why I always refused to and why it made me angry. But today I’ve decided to write you this letter so that, finally, you would know why.

As I was growing up and living my adult life, the world was a wonderful place. We had more than enough to eat and drink, the most delicious things you can imagine: bananas, strawberries, chocolate, lemonade and coffee. The countryside was fantastic, meadows and forests everywhere, with all kinds of animals such as large birds or tiny beetles. Every summer we would fly off on holiday, to Spain, Thailand or another sunny destination, and in winter we all went skiing in the mountains, in our beautiful Alps. Back home, over the Christmas period, all the towns and cities would be illuminated with thousands of little lights, shining and sparkling! At home the heating was always on of course; you could leave your thick jumper outside and, if you were ever cold, all you had to do was take a hot bath.

So perhaps now you understand why I never wanted to tell you about it. With our lifestyles back then we managed to destroy your world. You’ve never known fruit, chocolate and coffee – where on earth would you cultivate such things nowadays with all the pollution and contamination? Even drinking lemonade is unthinkable; you’re just happy when there’s enough drinking water around. The only animals you’ve ever known are those in the few zoos that are left. During the holidays you never travel to where it’s warm; there’s no oil left; air travel doesn’t exist anymore; and anyway it’s roasting hot here in summer. As for skiing in the Alps, that’s inconceivable. Where would you get the snow from? There’s not even any artificial snow left, now that water is so scarce. When it comes to bright lights at Christmas you don’t think of mulled wine, but of the next accident at a nuclear power plant. And there’s no need to heat your home in the winter either,  global warming has taken care of that.

So I have to apologise to you; my generation destroyed your world, I can see that – now.

But it’s too late – I can only ask you to forgive me; we should have stood up and taken action, and put a stop to all the destruction!

Your Grandma

Download the audio-file of Sandra Appelt's reading (English version)

Original version of the text (German):

März 2072

LIEBE ANNA,

Oft hast du mich gefragt, ob ich dir davon erzähle, wie die Welt früher war. Dass ich immer verärgert abgeblockt habe, konntest du nie verstehen. Doch heute habe ich mich zu diesem Brief entschlossen, damit du endlich weißt, warum.

In der Zeit, in der ich groß geworden bin und mein gesamtes Leben verbracht habe, war die Welt wunderschön. Wir hatten immer mehr als genug zu essen und zu trinken, die köstlichsten Sachen: Bananen, Erdbeeren, Schokolade, Limonade, Kaffee. Die Landschaft war fantastisch, Wiesen und Wälder überall, mit allen möglichen Tieren, wie große Vögel oder kleine Käfer. In den Sommerferien sind wir jedes Mal weggeflogen, nach Spanien, Thailand oder in ein anderes sonniges Land und im Winter sind wir massenweise zum Skifahren in die Berge, unsere wunderschönen Alpen, gereist. Wieder zuhause, wurden in der Weihnachtszeit die Städte mit tausenden kleinen Lämpchen zum Glühen, Leuchten und Strahlen gebracht! Im Haus war natürlich immer gut geheizt, dicke Pullover konnte man draußen lassen, und wenn es einen doch fror, konnte man ja jederzeit ein heißes Bad nehmen.

Jetzt verstehst du schon, warum ich dir nichts erzählen wollte: Mit unserem Lebensstil damals haben wir deine Welt zugrunde gerichtet: Obst, Schokolade oder Kaffee kennst du gar nicht, wo sollte man denn noch etwas anbauen in dem verseuchten Heute? Oder Limonade zu trinken, unvorstellbar, du jubelst, wenn ausreichend Trinkwasser vorhanden ist! Tiere kennst du auch nur aus einem der wenigen noch bestehenden Zoos. In den Ferien fährst du nie ins Warme, das Öl ist aus, die Luftfahrt gibt es nicht mehr, außerdem ist es hier glühend heiß im Sommer. Und Skifahren in den Alpen? Unvorstellbar. Woher soll denn der Schnee kommen? Nicht einmal künstlichen gibt es, Wasser ist eine bedrohte Ressource. Bei strahlenden Weihnachtsleuchten denkst du nicht an Glühwein, sondern an einen weiteren Unfall im Atomkraftwerk. Geheizt werden muss im Winter nicht, das hat ja die globale Erwärmung schon erledigt.

Ich muss mich bei dir entschuldigen, meine Generation hat deine Welt zerstört, das sehe ich – heute.

Zu spät - kann ich dich nur um Verzeihung bitten, denn wir hätten aufstehen und handeln müssen, um die Zerstörung aufzuhalten!

Deine Großmutter

Download the audio-file of Sandra Appelt's reading (German version)

It was a Saturday like any other Saturday in Innsbruck. Julia was planning to go to the forest. All week long the young girl had been looking forward to her weekly outing. But on this day everything seemed to be going wrong.

First, when Julia went to take a hot bath, the water had not been heated and she was forced to do without it. Then, during breakfast, she heard on the news that a nuclear power plant had been attacked. Lots of people were now in fear of their lives as a result. Frustrated and shocked, the young girl left home. Out on the street she was greeted by Innsbruck’s heavy traffic. Cars as far as the eye could see. She bravely cycled her way among the cars, and when she finally reached the forest, she breathed a sigh of relief. Still upset, Julia sat down on a stone.

Suddenly, she gave a shriek of surprise. What was that? The girl could hardly believe her eyes. Was that really a good fairy? “You can have three wishes,” explained the tiny green winged creature to Julia’s astonished delight. Julia thought for a moment and then told the fairy about that morning’s unpleasant events. “I know exactly what you need,” said the fairy resolutely. “A solar installation will certainly keep your bath water hot; hydroelectric power plants will prevent the sort of tragedies you mentioned; and bicycles and public transport will help to drastically reduce car traffic.”

Julia was delighted with the suggestions and said: “Then let it be so!” No sooner said than done.

The three wishes helped Julia and the town of Innsbruck to a more resource-friendly form of energy generation, daily energy savings and a healthy environment.

Only one wish remains: we all need lots more of these energy fairies in our towns, cities and countryside ….

Original version of the text (German):

DREI WÜNSCHE KÖNNEN VIEL VERÄNDERN

Es war ein gewöhnlicher Samstag in Innsbruck.  Julia wollte in den Wald gehen. Schon die ganze Woche über  freute sich das Mädchen auf diesen wöchentlichen Ausflug. Doch heute schien alles schief zu laufen.

Zuerst, als Julia ein heißes Bad nehmen wollte, war das Wasser nicht geheizt und sie musste wohl oder übel auf ihr Bad verzichten. Anschließend beim Frühstücken erfuhr sie, dass ein Atomkraftwerk angegriffen worden war. Die Folge: viele Menschen mussten um ihr Leben fürchten.  Frustriert und schockiert verließ die Jugendliche die Wohnung. Auf der Straße erwartete sie der Innsbrucker Großstadt - Verkehr. Autos so weit das Auge reicht. Mit ihrem Fahrrad kämpfte sie sich zwischen den Autos hindurch und als sie schließlich den Wald erreichte, atmete sie erleichtert auf. Missgestimmt ließ Julia sich auf einem Stein nieder.

Plötzlich ließ sie ein dünnes Stimmchen erschrocken auffahren. Was war das? Das Mädchen traute ihren Augen kaum! War das tatsächlich eine Fee? „Du hast drei Wünsche frei!“ erklärte das kleine grüne Wesen mit Flügeln der freudig Erstaunten. Julia überlegte kurz und berichtete dann von den unangenehmen Geschehnissen des Vormittags. „Ich weiß genau, was du brauchst“ rief da die Fee überzeugt aus. „Eine Solaranlage wird dir gewiss dein Badewasser warm halten, Wasserkraftwerke können Tragödien wie die genannte verhindern und Fahrräder sowie auch öffentliche Verkehrsmittel können dazu verhelfen, den Autoverkehr wesentlich zu verringern.“

Julia war begeistert von diesen Vorschlägen und meinte „So soll es sein!“ Gesagt, getan.

Diese drei Wünsche verhalfen Julia und der Stadt Innsbruck zum ressourcen-schonenden Erzeugen von Energie, zum täglichen Energie-Sparen und zu einer gesunden Umwelt.

Ein Wunsch bleibt noch offen: wir brauchen noch viele dieser Energiefeen in unseren Städten und Landschaften...

Actually, I’m just a tiny little Martian. But what’s special about me is that I have an overview of the entire universe. I love my surroundings and I enjoy being able to live here; after all, I have everything I need to survive. As a planet, Mars does not have as many raw materials as Earth, but I have learnt to satisfy my needs with the bare essentials and to enjoy life without luxuries. We don’t need lots of material things to be happy. I believe it’s very simple; it’s really not a big deal. But is this sustainable way of life something anyone can handle easily? What about mankind back on Earth?

Sometimes when I’m enjoying the peace and tranquillity here on Mars I look over to Earth. That’s always a very unsettling experience; in fact, sometimes I think I’m going to black out. Why? Because I simply can’t understand how mankind can be so wasteful with Nature. Even up here, I can hear the noise of all that traffic in the Alps. One of the things that upsets me most is the waste of energy. Everyone is familiar with the concept of energy. It’s of great significance, and it has to be generated and stored. To produce energy you need energy sources. There are huge differences in the way these various sources are used: some are very harmful to the environment; others, less so. But there is no denying the fact that, on Earth, Nature is being ruthlessly exploited. The worst part is that people don’t even realise how wasteful they are – or refuse to realise it.
Nature is very generous, but even she has her limits. She gives us water, air and heat to sustain life as well as lots of added extras like food – and asks nothing in return. But even Nature will eventually rebel, and the thought of it sends shivers down my green spine: “Poor mankind,” I say to myself.

And yet, dear Humans, it’s all of your own making; you should have heeded the old saying: “He who only takes and gives nothing, gets nothing in return.”

Original version of the text (German):

EINE BEWUSSTE EINSTELLUNG ZUR ENERGIE VON OBEN!

Eigentlich bin ich nur ein winzig kleiner Marsbewohner. Das Besondere an mir ist, dass ich einen Überblick über das gesamte Universum habe. Mein gewohntes Umfeld ist mir sehr lieb und ich genieße es sehr hier wohnen zu dürfen, denn ich habe alles, was ich brauche um zu überleben. Der Planet Mars kann nicht so viele Rohstoffe vorweisen wie die Erde, aber ich habe gelernt meine Bedürfnisse mit dem Allernotwendigsten zu befriedigen und ohne Luxus Freude am Leben zu haben. Wir brauchen nicht viel Materielles um glücklich zu sein. Meiner Meinung nach ist das sehr einfach und auch keine Kunst. Doch es stellt sich die Frage, ob dieses nachhaltige Leben jeder ohne Probleme meistern kann?  Auch die Menschheit auf der Erde?
Es gibt Tage, da genieße ich die sinnliche Ruhe auf dem Mars und werfe dabei öfters einen Blick auf die Erde. Diese Blicke erschüttern mich sehr und manchmal wird mir sogar schwarz vor den Augen, denn ich kann mir einfach nicht erklären, wie es die Menschheit übers Herz bringt, so verschwenderisch mit der Natur umzugehen. Der Verkehrs-Lärm in den Alpen dringt sogar zu mir hinauf. Eine der Hauptursachen für meine Erschütterung  ist die Energieverschwendung. Energie ist sicher allen ein gängiger Begriff. Sie hat eine sehr große Bedeutung, muss produziert und auch gespeichert werden. Um Energie zu produzieren, braucht man Energiequellen. Es gibt sehr große Unterschiede bei den verschiedenen Benutzungen von Quellen, manche Energiequellen sind sehr umweltschädlich, andere weniger. Fakt ist, dass die Natur auf der Erde maßlos ausgebeutet wird. Das Schlimmste an der Sache ist jedoch, dass die Menschen diese Verschwendung nicht erkennen oder auch nur nicht wahr haben wollen.

Die Natur ist ein sehr spendables Phänomen, zumindest bis zu einem gewissen Punkt. Sie gibt uns Wasser, Luft und Wärme zum Leben und noch viele Extras wie Nahrungsmittel ohne jede Forderung. Doch irgendwann wird auch die Natur rebellieren und bei dem Gedanken wird mir angst und bange: "Arme Menschheit".

Aber liebe Menschen, ihr habt es nicht anders gewollt, ihr hättet auf das alte Sprichwort hören sollen: "Wer nur nimmt und nichts gibt, kriegt auch nichts zurück".

One day I came home from school, opened the letter box and peered inside. There was a letter lying there, addressed to me. I started to read:

Dear Eva,

I wouldn't write to you if I wasn't so worried. My heart hurts when I look down and see the crisis you got yourselves in. I'd really like to help you.

So many felled forests, so much water disappearing every day, all the noise and traffic, morning traffic jams and lights, lights everywhere, at night and during the day. And you people, lost because you've sucked out all the Earth's energy. And as if that was not enough, you've used up all of yours as well. In desperation you look for solutions to make Nature glow again and to return smiles on your faces. So I thought why not write a letter to tell them how good we have it up here where there is another world. It is the same as yours; it's only that we have learnt to take care of it and save energy, which is so vitally important. We use public transport to go to work and school in the morning, we grow our food in our gardens at home and thus our lives are healthier. We use energy-efficient light bulbs and build low-energy houses. We have put solar panels on our roofs and all these steps have made a difference.

Our two worlds used to be identical but now they are becoming more and more different. I'd really like to help you – we're all so happy up here! Wouldn't you like to be happy, too?

Your worried friend from another world

Original version of the text (Slovenian):

Nekega dne, ko sem se vrnila iz šole, sem odprla nabiralnik in pokukala notri. Tam je ležalo pismo, naslovljeno name. Začela sem brati:

Draga Eva,

saj ne bi pisal, če me ne bi tako skrbelo. A pri srcu me stiska, ko iz višav spremljam krizo, v katero ste padli in resnično vam želim pomagati.

Toliko posekanih gozdov, toliko vode,ki preteče v nič vsak dan, hrup in promet, jutranje koilone in prižgane luči povsod, kamor pogledaš, pa naj bo podnevi ali ponoči. In vi ljudje, izgubljeni, ker ste posrkali vso energijo Zemlje, pa to ni bilo dovolj in ste porabili še svojo. Iz obupa iščete rešitve, da bi narava ponovno zažarela in da se tudi vam vrne nasmeh na obraz. Pomislil sem, zakaj torej ne bi napisal pisma, in povedal, kako zelo lepo se imamo tu zgoraj, kjer obstaja še en svet. Popolnoma enak vašemu, le naučili smo se skrbeti zanj in varčevati energijo, ki je tako življenjsko pomembna. Uporabljamo javni prevoz, ko gremo zjutraj v službe in šole, hrano pridelujemo na domačem vrtu in tako tudi bolj zdravo živimo, uporabljamo varčne žarnice in gradimo energetsko varčne hiše. Na strehe smo namestili tudi sončne celice in vsi ti majhni koraki so bili usodni.

Včasih sta bila naša dva svetova enaka, sedaj pa si postajata vse bolj različna. Rad bi vam pomagl, tu zgoraj smo tako zelo srečni! Zakaj ne bi bili tudi vi?

Tvoj zaskrbljeni prijatelj iz drugega sveta

He really was genuinely happy. For a while. But really genuinely happy. Until the moment he no longer was. Because of the accident. The accident his girlfriend at the time was involved in. It was the first time she had driven his brand new BMW. At the crossroads she had failed to spot the car coming from the left and it left a massive dent on the driver’s side. So he was no longer happy. Because of the accident. But mainly because of the write-off.  How could she have been so careless and do that to his BMW? He’d always known that women can’t drive – and especially not his girlfriend. He should never have let her get behind the wheel. But how was he supposed to make it clear to her that she shouldn’t drive?

He had bought the BMW with his hard-earned savings. And the first time he put his foot down, his heart was beating as fast the engine’s revs. The countryside was a blur; the engine roared; and he was pressed right back into his seat as disco beats came blasting out of the speakers...

He could remember it all so clearly. But none of it made him happy now. Because his car was a scrap heap. And he couldn’t even take it out on his girlfriend. Because she was in a coma. He didn’t care she was lying in hospital. Best place for her. Served her right.

He really was genuinely in turmoil. But really genuinely in turmoil. Like the early days with his girlfriend when the butterflies in his stomach just wouldn’t settle down. Except that now those butterflies had really sharp wings that cut into him with every beat.

And when her heart stopped beating, she was placed inside her coffin and lowered lifelessly into her cold damp grave. He was sad. And furious. Yeah, furious is probably what he was. Why had he lent her the car? And why hadn’t she been more careful?

One day the anger and the grief disappeared and gave way to reflection. Often the man would sum up the past. He realised with resignation that he’d also been happy before he bought the car; he just hadn’t noticed. All the car had done was give him an extra kick. But the fun hadn’t been worth it. He would have been better off not buying the car. But then he wouldn’t have known how happy he had been. But at least his girlfriend would still be alive.

Original version of the text (German):

GLÜCK

Er war so richtig glücklich. Eine Weile lang. Aber so richtig glücklich. Bis zum Moment, als er’s nicht mehr war. Wegen dem Unfall. Wegen dem Unfall, den seine damalige Freundin gehabt hatte. Sie war zum ersten Mal mit seinem nagelneuen BMW gefahren. Auf der Kreuzung hatte sie den von links kommenden Wagen nicht gesehen, welcher auf der Fahrerseite eine üble Delle hinterlassen hatte. Er war nicht mehr glücklich. Wegen dem Unfall. Aber vor allem wegen dem Totalschaden. Wie konnte sie so achtlos sein und das seinem BMW antun? Er hatte es schon immer gewusst, dass Frauen nicht Auto fahren können und noch weniger seine Freundin! Er hätte sie nicht ans Steuer lassen dürfen! Aber wie hätte er ihr klarmachen sollen, dass sie nicht fahren sollte?

Den BMW hatte er sich von seinem mühsam ersparten Geld gekauft. Sein Herz war mit dem Motor auf Hochtouren gelaufen, als er zum ersten Mal so richtig aufs Gas drücken konnte. Das Grün zog an ihm vorbei, der Motor heulte, es drückte ihn in den Fahrersessel, aus den Boxen wummerte irgendeine Discomucke...

Daran erinnerte er sich noch genau. Aber das machte ihn nicht mehr glücklich. Weil sein Auto jetzt ein Schrotthaufen war! Und zudem konnte er seine Wut nicht an seiner Freundin auslassen. Weil sie im Koma lag! Es machte ihm nichts aus, dass sie im Spital war. Sollte sie doch da bleiben! Es geschah ihr recht!

Er war richtig aufgebracht. Aber so richtig. Es war wie in der ersten Zeit mit seiner Freundin, als die Schmetterlinge in seinem Bauch nicht zu flattern hatten aufhören wollen. Nur hatten jetzt diese Schmetterlinge scharfe, kantige Flügel, welche ihn bei jedem Schlag weiter verwundeten.

Nachdem ihr Herz zu schlagen aufgehört hatte, wurde sie eingesargt und regungslos in ihr kaltes, nasses Grab hinuntergelassen. Er war traurig. Und wütend. Ja, vor allem wütend, das war er. Warum hatte er ihr den Wagen ausgeliehen? Und warum hatte sie nicht besser aufgepasst?

Eines Tages verschwanden die Wut und die Trauer und liessen Platz zum Nachdenken. Der Mann resümierte oft das Vergangene. Resigniert stellte er fest, dass er auch vor dem Kauf des PKW glücklich gewesen war, es aber nicht gemerkt hatte. Das Fahrzeug hatte ihm nur noch einen Kick gegeben. Aber den Spass war es nicht wert gewesen. Er hätte das Auto besser nicht gekauft. Dann wüsste er zwar nicht, wie glücklich er gewesen war. Aber seine Freundin würde noch leben.

08:00 am

All participants of the YPAC 2012, including delegates, presidents, media group and also the organising committee met in the "Foyer" of the Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium for the first time. After a warm welcome at the school, the participants went to the gym for the "group finding activity", all were wondering what it would be like but no-one had a concrete idea. But after loosening a human knot and guessing different types of sport, the first exchange between the members had been made and the names got faces. Now all of the participants are heeding to Vaduz for their first working session. We're looking forward to their interesting results.

11:33 am

The Webgroup finally managed to put the first items on the website! Hurray!

01:15 pm

After lunch in the "Vaduzer Saal", the media group goes back to work while the delegates come to the parliament where a mountain of drinks and food was waiting for them.

02:00 pm

The first facts and impressions just spread their wings and flew in! During the second committee meeting in the afternoon, the delegate's heads were smoking all the time. They had a lot of interesting ideas like: Why don't we reduce the heating in the rooms to 18 degrees celsius because it's scientifically proven that the human brain works most efficiently at that temperature. Or what about the idea of some experts coming to your house and telling you how to save energy by building the house more sustainably. Also taxes for excessive consumption of energy were one of their issues. Well, all of these ideas are quite interesting and the delegates where arguing a lot and checking different possibilities.

02:30 pm

We managed to get the first statements in. One of the committee president's summary of the day: Ever-lasting discussions! But although the first day has already been exhausting, the organising committee is surprised that everything works perfectly. All we can say: Go on like this and we'll have a great week!

07:00 pm

The YPAC has officially opened! During the ceremony, directed by the three presidents Judith Hasler, Moritz Schwarz and Abuzar Erdogan, we heard a speech of Eugen Nägele (headmaster of the Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium), Renate Müssner  (agent of the Liechtenstein government), Dominik Siegrist (president of CIPRA) and Regula Imhof (from the Alpine Convention). To keep everybody entertained, the musicians of the Gymnasium played music in the intervals to brighten the mood of the ceremony. After the opening ceremony all the participants were invited to enjoy a buffet and after that the dinner. At 09:30 pm, after a great but intense day, all the participants went home tired but happy and excited for the next day in parliament.

08:00 am

The day begins with beautiful sunshine which gives the participants the motivation to work.

09:20 am

We're really looking forward to another great day and at this point we'd like to thank the students from the LG, who are looking after the participants very well and are also present all the time, in case one of the participants needs anything. They are also here every time we need something to eat or drink and that's so great. So we would like to thank all of you for your time spent working at the YPAC!

09.40 am

Committee 4 has a tense atmosphere with a lot of justified arguments. They solve their disagreements with voting, which is very close (4 against 3 votes). The postulations are almost ready for the General Assembly on Thursday.

Committee 2 is divided into two groups which discuss different topics. Their postulations are almost ready, too.

Committee 3 has a very relaxed atmosphere. Their postulations will be finished very soon, too. The General Assembly is going to be very interesting.

10:15 am

Because most of the people are wondering what the so called "Rebel" or "Ribel" is, which we're going to eat this evening in Ruggell, we just decided to give you a short impression of what it is and what it looks like :)

"Ribel" is one of the national dishes in Liechtenstein and it's made of a mixture of cornmeal, normal flour and water and rosted in a frying pan until the compounds get more and more crumbly. "Ribel" can be eaten with a variation of different trimmings like jam or apple sauce, some people also like to eat it spoonwise and dip it into cacao or coffee. But we can guarantee it tastes soo delicious, so you should really look forward to the dinner.

11:00 am

Committee 1 and Committee 3 had an argument as they both had the same idea on renewing power to houses, which led to the two committees’ fighting. Mean comments were sent flying and by the end of the 4th committee meeting it was good to see that both committees had agreed to fuse together and deliver that point as a combined committee.

11:30 am

According to a lot of people, yesterday evening was a great success and everyone is content with the way the 7th YPAC got started. Everyone is more than highly impressed by the evening program and the following dinner in the Mensa of the Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium.

12:00 am

Now we had a very interesting tour through the parliament building. We heard a lot funny, but also not so funny facts. For example that it cost 42 million Swiss Francs and it is built of about 1 million small bricks.  According to our guide, the Liechtensteiner are very proud of this building. At this point some of our Liechtensteiner students smirked, so maybe it is better to ask the Liechtensteiner people personally. All in all, we are very happy to be able to use this special building for our discussions and we are looking forward to using the plenary hall for our General Assembly tomorrow.

03:05 pm

Some rumors are going around concerning the weird statue at the entrance of the Vaduzer Saal. Why is the statue talking and what does it want to tell us? Is it maybe some kind of god for a special sect? We don't know yet and also the Liechtensteiner don't know, but maybe we'll find out more about this mysterious statue soon...

08:00 pm

This evening we all took the bus to the "Ribelabend" in Ruggel. At that moment, we didn't know what was awaiting us. Indeed, on arrival, we discovered the delicious or horrible (depends if you're Liechtensteiner or not) Ribel composed with Apple sauce, semolina and ribel corn, chocolate, sugar, cinnamon... Afterwards the best drummer of Liechtenstein gave us an amazing demonstration of his talent. To end the evening some participants went to various bars to taste the Liechtensteiner beer.

08:40 am

Another day of the 7th YPAC has started, unfortunately already the second to last day, and the committees are right now debating their postulations in the plenary room of the parliament building. This is going to be a very interesting day, we're sure. So we wish all participants to find interesting arguments in order to have a motivated discussion!

09:05 am

At this time we would like to think back to yesterday evening which was marvelous! The "Rebelbolla Club Eschen" did a great job, even though people were skeptic, they tasted the special national dish and some of the participants also ate more than just one portion. Although some were confused by the way the Liechtensteiner are eating "Rebel" by dipping a spoonful of it into a hot cup of cacao or coffee and some were also a bit skeptic because of the look of the exceptional meal, which is more or less understandable :). But all in all, we're sure it was an experience worth making to eat "Rebel"!

09:40 am

By the way: did you know that today is the international day of women?! Just yesterday we heard that in Liechtenstein the women got the right to vote in 1984. Imagine that was only 28 years ago and now women even have an own day!

10:05 am

The general program yesterday evening was also very entertaining, thanks to Manuel Marxer who played the drums incredibly well! All the spectators were speechless when he began to drum. Did you know that he can do up to 16 beats per second, that's kind of insane!

11:00 am

The first amendments have been made recently and we're happy to publish them now on the homepage! So check them out here!

02:05 pm

The afternoon program has just started and all the delegates, presidents, teachers and guests are looking forward to the discussions of this afternoon! But although the participants have to work a lot, Moritz Schwarz reminded all in his opening speechwhat the YPAC is really about, it's about friendship and exchange between young people from all over Europe! He also encouraged the attendees to take their responsibility of saving energy and protecting nature, because we are the new generation, we have to live with the future. Nothing more to add, well spoken Mr Schwarz.

02:30 pm

The delegates are discussing  eagerly, no alternative is being ignored. One delegate of committee 1 stated: "We did not save our energy during our meetings!" And that's obvious because the ideas the committees proposed were creative and also realistic, which is of course very important. One idea was, for example, to force the companies to abolish the standby function of electronic devices, like computers or televisions. If they don't abolish this function, the companies should not be allowed to sell their products in certain countries anymore. Interesting and also daring idea.

03:05 pm

The meeting is now about 10 minutes in delay because Postulation 2 of Committee 1, regarding the abolishment of the stand-by-modus, was such a controversial subject!

08:30 pm

After a long and exhausting day, in which the final resolution has been drafted, the General Assembly is finally closed and the participants are now going to their well-deserved dinner at the Kunstmuseum in Vaduz. Enjoy it!

09:00 pm

We're not sure what the participants are thinking about the eating habits of the Liechtenstein people because dinner was served in warmed glasses?! But fortunately it tasted delicious!

08:00 am

The last day of the 7th YPAC has started and everyone is looking forward to today's program at the Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium in Vaduz. Today there will be a round table with politicians & experts and also an exhibition of the work which has been done during this exiting week.

02:30 pm

The closing ceremony is taking place right now. The ceremony began with a musical performance and was great! After that the folio group presented their work and we're looking forward to the release of their magazine in autumn. The texts they read out in the different languages were full of creativity, we want to hear more! At the moment the participants from the different countries are getting their certificates as a verification that they have taken part in the YPAC 2012 in Liechtenstein.

02:45 pm

At the end of the ceremony three musicians of the Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium performed again. At the drums was Robin Kind, Maik Miller was at the grand piano and to complete the trio, Karl Maxer played the saxophone. They have even composed an own song for the YPAC which is called the YPAC Boogie Woogie. The spectators began to clap during the wonderful performance! Hopefully there won't be shed too many tears when there's time to say goodbye... But first the group photo has to be taken!

03:00 pm

Unfortunately the 7th YPAC has already come to an end... The participants of the different countries are right now on their way home, except the people from Italy, who are leaving tomorrow. Have a safe journey home! Finally we can say that it was such an awesome week and that hopefully everyone enjoyed the time here in Liechtenstein although it was quite exhausting sometimes. At that point we want to thank everyone for doing such a great job and taking part so actively. The organising committee had to do a lot of work during the week, but of course before the YPAC the whole organisation was just perfect! So we would like to thank especially Matthias Gappisch, Corinna Frommelt and Anna Robinigg for the time they invested to make this YPAC so successful.

03:05 pm

Finally the Web Group would also like to thank Caroline Begle, who supported us the whole week and without whom this site would not exist!

Sincerely, the Web Group: Lois Giraud, Philipp Spiegelt, Eliza Farrell, Patrik Rek, Philipp Schächle and Theresa Dolejsi