May 14, 2019
Sören Steding
Sustainability in Europe - Luther College J-Term Study Abroad

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

As part of the Luther College Paideia 450 January Term course of abroad study, a large group of students led by Luther faculty members James Martin-Schramm, Professor of Religion and Sören Steding, Associate Professor of German, traveled to multiple locations in Germany and England to explore the state of environmental sustainability in those regions. Professor Steding will share the experiences he enjoyed during this trip with our club.

Many European nations are significantly ahead of the U.S. in the development of renewable and low-carbon energy sources (wind, solar, biomass, and nuclear power), as well as in the education of citizens about the conservation of nature in the context of climate change. The Paideia 450 course considered long-term ethical and practical issues associated with alternative energy sources and public policies designed to increase their use. The course had a special focus on Germany, the largest economy in Europe, where strong influence by the environmental movement led to a government-mandated phaseout of nuclear power and significant investments in renewable energy sources.