Today, we visited Münster, Germany! Here, we got a short history tour and free time in the city. When looking into the sustainability of Munster, I found that 35-40% of travel is by bicycle. This is important as bikes require minimal resources to make. Using less resources results in less waste over time. This corresponds to the UN’s sustainable development goal 12. Bikes also cover less green space which allows more rainwater absorption, stress reduction, and carbon reduction. Most importantly, bikes don’t produce carbon like other public transportation. The UCLA website states that choosing a bike over a car just once a day reduces the average person’s carbon emissions from transportation by 67%. This an important factor in combatting climate change and bettering the Earth’s health. Other things I noticed in Münster were its paper/wooden silverware, solar panels, and building materials like sandstone. These factors all add to the cities sustainability because of their renewability and low wastability.
Something I found interesting about the culture was how almost everything was closed on Sunday. We experienced this when we arrived in the Netherlands as well. This stems from historical Christain traditions that would use Sunday as a day of rest. Both Germany and the Netherlands are largely secular now, but they continue this tradition to support a work-life balance. Although this is true, I was still able to visit three museums and two food places within the time we visited, as grocery stores, shops, and malls are the main targets of this tradition.
After our visit to Munster we took the bus to Rotterdam! This location is where we will end our trip. Because Rotterdam is a much larger city, we were able to visit the grocery store and pick up snacks to enjoy in our new hotel. Although the decorations in the rooms were a bit quesitonable, the dining layout and check in was great. Also, everything is noticebly walkable as the store, metro station, and mall were all under a 10 minutes away. It was all exciting to see, and I can’t wait to explore it even more!
