INVOLVEMENT WHAT WE CAN'T DO WITHOUT

Annika Böddeling, 15, from Hamburg

The environmentalistAnnika, how conscious of the environment are you?

Very! I only buy refundable-deposit bottles, switch off the light when I leave the room and collect my plastic yogurt containers for recycling. I do not want to look on while our environment gets more and more destroyed. It already got on my nerves as a child when someone would dump beer cans in the forest.

So you pick them up?

I used to do this, and then I would stack the rubbish in the pedestrian zone to make people see what they chuck away. I want to be active myself, otherwise I feel helpless.

What do you do now?

I joined a Greenpeace youth group. We try to do something for the environment with creative activities: We stage plays, collect signatures against whaling and play drums against the deforestation of the rainforest. Last year we had a camp at the world climate conference in Bonn and held a vigil for 99 hours. I also took part in activities against transports of atomic waste.

Isn't this dangerous?

More or less. Once a policeman carried me away when I sat on railway tracks during a transport of atomic waste. I tried to have a discussion with him.

You're not afraid?

Only when policemen stand in front of me with dogs and helicopters are circling close to us. We join hands and sing. It's a great feeling to be involved together.

Do you think you can change something?

I want people to deal with my views. Even if they have different convictions, we can have a discussion. Sometimes, when I speak with someone who then shows more understanding for my point of view, I believe I've changed something. This gives me courage.

Marion Schmidt