Sustainability in focus: AOK Arena inspires students in Kirchehrenbach!

Sustainability in focus: AOK Arena inspires students in Kirchehrenbach!

The Kirchehrenbach Middle School was recently the venue for a special event focused on sustainable living and health. The “Sustainability Arena”, a traveling exhibition run by the AOK, returned to the school for an informative week. Students had the opportunity to learn more about topics such as environmental awareness, healthy eating, exercise and their connection in six interactive modules. Loud Wiesentbote The aim of this exhibition was to inform young people about their personal influence on the environment and to give practical tips for a more sustainable everyday life.

Under the expert guidance of Doris Spoddig, health expert from the AOK Bamberg directorate, the students took part in exciting workshops. They learned more about CO₂ consumption in food production and learned what role their own diet plays in this. A central aspect was the promotion of seasonal and regional purchasing as well as awareness of the negative effects of food waste. Students were also able to learn how to properly store food without using plastic wrap or disposable containers.

Healthy exercise as part of your lifestyle

Not only nutrition was on the program, the topic of exercise was also very well received. In the “We make a difference” module, participants received valuable suggestions about environmentally friendly means of transport. This shows how important it is to integrate exercise into everyday life and to behave responsibly with regard to the environment. Ute Rothmeyer, principal of the middle school, praised the students' commitment and made it clear how important such projects are for the development of a healthy and environmentally conscious lifestyle.

But what does all this have to do with the ecological footprint? An important finding of the ifeu study is that the environmental impact of food goes far beyond production. Transport, packaging and preparation play a major role here. Different foods have different carbon footprints, making it clear that even small changes in food choices can have a big impact on the environment. Alternatives such as replacing animal products with plant-based products can help reduce the ecological footprint.

Additionally shows the Website fussabdruck.de, that the ecological footprint is a method to measure the relationship between what the earth provides in terms of sources and what humans consume. These measurements are considered an important tool to promote responsible and conscious use of our resources. Questions like “How much nature do we have?” and “How much do we need?” are the focus.

Participation in the exhibition was free for all schools and the content could be flexibly integrated into lessons. For further information, Doris Spoddig from the AOK Bamberg Directorate is available by telephone on 0951 9336242 or by email at doris.spoddig@by.aok.de.