Austrian Meteorologist Visits Frosch

What’s the best way to handle the tricks of ecology obstructionists, climate myths and distraction traps meant to hinder a sustainability transformation?
In a live talk of Die Zuversichtlichen, two voices long committed to factual climate communication and a circular economy came together, namely, Marcus Wadsak, the well-known Austrian ORF meterorologist and climate expert, and Reinhard Schneider, owner of Werner & Mertz and winner of the German Environmental Award.

Zackes Brustik, podcaster and sustainability influencer, moderated the one-hour conversation with thoughtful questions and astute comments. The live streaming of the event took place at diezuversichtlichen.de and reached more than 40,000 viewers. The complete recording can be watched on YouTube or Spotify and heard on Apple Podcasts.

The talk focussed on the question of how to use scientfically-based facts to counteract disinformation in climate discussions and why the circular economy plays a key role. The two conversation partners pointed out that socially fair and economically successful solutions have long been available. There is no shortage of possibilities but rather a lack of political and social will.

Schneider spoke about the challenges of initiating social change: “The real hurdle is not a deficiency of solutions, but the willingness to change and the ability to cope with what those changes mean. We have to show that what lies beyond the familiar is not negative; change offers new opportunities and joie de vivre.”

Wadsak underscored the urgency: “Climate change is the greatest challenge of this century. The window of opportunity is closing. We still have the chance to stabilize the climate, but we have to act with determination now. If this subject was taken as seriously as it should be, it would be in the news every day.”

Both agreed that the facts are on the table, but social and political obstructions hinder the transformation. Now is the time for decisive action and the implementation of available solutions. Collective climate protection can succeed—every single person is asked to be part of the solution.

Marcus Wadsak is a prominent figure in Austrian weather reporting. The Vienna native is not only an ORF meteorologist, but also an author committed to understandable and factual climate communication. His most recent book published this year, Klimawandel gibt es (nicht), takes a critical look at the myths and disinformation surrounding climate change. With his engagement in climate protection and sustainability, he takes up complex issues and shows how important well-founded information is in times of intentional distraction. Wadsak has been named Journalist of the Year in the Scientific category three times.

Since 2000 Reinhard Schneider has been the managing partner of the Mainz family company Werner & Mertz, known primarily for its Frosch brand. In 2019 he received the German Environmental Award for the integrally sustainable orientation of his company. In his book Die Ablenkungsfalle. Die versteckten Tricks der Ökologie-Bremser. Wie wir unsere Umwelt nicht länger aufs Spiel setzen, he exposed the systematic failure of the economy, politics and society in environmental protection and simulataneously proposed tried-and-tested solutions for a resource-conserving circular economy for the good of people and the environment. With the successful ecological transformation of his company, he convincingly shows that rethinking brings not only social and ethical benefits but also long-term economic advantages.

In the successful Live Talk format Die Zuversichtlichen (with 40,000 livestreaming viewers) the business leader and author Reinhard Schneider invites authors, networkers and pioneers to talk about currently relevant topics that we have to discuss if we, together, are to drive Germany and the world forward.