We are Alps Compact 2019
Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Governance
As a popular annual tradition, the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention offers a selected group of interested journalists the opportunity to deepen their knowledge on the Alpine Convention, to learn about Alpine nature and culture and to meet Alpine decision-makers, entrepreneurs, inhabitants etc. during a trip through the Alps. Although the topic of the tour changes yearly, meeting people in order to address particular Alpine topics and travelling sustainably are the two solid values of the journey!
For its 6th issue, the tour took place as the “We are Alps Compact” edition, being held simultaneously to the XV Alpine Conference and focussing on the topics of: Climate Change, Natural Hazard and Governance. Journalists were invited to a series of excursions in and around Tyrol’s capital, Innsbruck (AT) and to converse with political representatives of the 8 Alpine Countries in the run-up to the XV Alpine Conference as well as during its closing Press Conference. The compact tour took place on Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 April 2019.
Dedicated Facebook page
Partners
The tour led to the release of the following articles and broadcasts by the participating journalists (this list is being updated regularly):
written by Antoine Chandellier:
- Plan climat, une ambition de la Convention alpine - Le Dauphiné libéré
- Priorité à la qualité de l'air dans les Alpes - Le Dauphiné libéré
- À quoi sert cette convention alpine qui vise la neutralité climatique? - Le Dauphiné libéré
written by Jochen Bettzieche:
- Klimawandel: Alpenländer wollen ihre Berge schützen - bizzenergy
- Frische Bergluft - Erneuerbare Energien 04/2019
written by Zdenka Mihelič:
- Čez hribe in doline: današnja tema 25.04.2019 - Radio Univox
- Slovenija podpir Smerkoljevo - Planinski vestnik 06/2019
written by Vida Petrovčič:
- 15. konferenca Alpske konvencije - Planinski vestnik 05/2019
written by Leonie Fößel:
- Alpine Convention: Dealing with natural hazards 26.06.2019 - Global Change Ecology
written by Axel Klemmer:
- "Der Klimawandel ist unfair"- DAV Panorama 04/2019
- Das Risiko nimmt zu - Bergsteiger, 09/2019
Participants
Jochen Bettzieche
Jochen Bettzieche is a German freelance-journalist specialized in economical, technical and scientifical topics. One of his main topics is sustainability which he covers since 1999. He works for newspapers like Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Neue Zürcher Zeitung am Sonntag, Süddeutsche Zeitung and Stuttgarter Zeitung, magazines like Schrot & Korn and Cosmia and special interest magazines focused on economics or renewable energies. In addition to his work as a journalist he produces surveys, takes part or moderates panel discussions and gives speeches and advises companies about sustainability-issues. Jochen Bettzieche a physicist with postgraduate studies in journalism.
Christine Brugger
Christine Brugger is CEO and editor of Radio Osttirol in Lienz, Tirol. She started her career in radio business right after the liberalisation of the Austrian Broadcast in 1998 at Radio Frequenns (grass root media) in the Ennstal. She took over the principles of plurality of opinion from then to the day-to-day programme of Radio Osttirol. Her motivation to make radio programme is both curiosity and passion. Radio Osttirol is located in Osttirol with its Nationalpark Hohe Tauern and the river Isel. Therefore she reports about topics such as protection of nature and environment, Natura 2000 and hydropower plant projects because of their importance within the transmission area. These topics get more editorial attention as you would assume in the programme of a local radio station.
Radio Osttirol has been nominated four times for the Austrian Radio Award from 2015 to 2017 and got gold, silver and bronze prizes for its daily news-magazine and the categorie “local stories”. Beyond that Christine Brugger, who studied horticulture, works as a presenter at events and trainer in media education.
Antoine Chandellier
Antoine was born in Marseille and lives in Grenoble. Editor and mountain reporter for Le Dauphiné Libéré, Alpes Loisirs and Ski Chrono since 2010, he practices mountaineering and ski, and has managed for 10 years the Dauphiné Libéré’s office of Chamonix and the Mont-Blanc redaction. Antoine has written several books about mountain: La Trace l’Ange, La montagne en direct (Paulsen, Guérin), Frison-Roche, une vie (Arthaud), Les refuges dans les Alpes, abris du ciel défis des hommes, and L’épopée du secours en montagne (Editions Le Dauphiné Libéré). Tourism, environnement, economy and leisure are the main topics of his articles.
Gerhard Fitzthum
Gerhard Fitzthum, born in 1955, is graduated philosopher and works since the early nineties as freelance journalist, mainly for the tourism page of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, but also for the radio, especially philosophical essays, satires and other small stories. He is the true veteran of sustainable alp crossings, enjoyed and survived the first 6 editions of SuperAlp!
Leonie Fößel
Originally coming from Germany but she left parts of her heart in different parts of the world. Leonie aims to be an environmental journalist in a future not too far away. Currently, she is studying Environmental Geography in Bayreuth. Ever since she can remember, she loved writing and nature - combining these two aspects is the icing on the cake for me. With her work, she hopes to contribute a little to change in our world, making this planet a better place is her ambition. Being surrounded by nature - especially mountains - is what makes her the happiest.
Robert Heuberger
Robert Heuberger was born in Villach and grew up there discovering mountain Dobratsch with his grandfather and the caves of Warmbad with his friends. After high school graduation, he started to study biology and philosophy in Vienna. The focus of his studies was ecology, limnology and vegetation ecology of the Alps. After his studies, he started to work for a fishing organization in Vienna. In 2003, Robert decided not stay in Vienna for the rest of his life. 2004, he started working as a project assistant at the Dobratsch Nature Park.In 2006, the Weissensee Nature Park was founded and in 2007 Robert managed both Carinthian Nature Parks.
Many positive projects could be implemented in this past 12 years (public transportation in Weissensee, winter concept without lifts and artificial snow on the Dobratsch mountain, visitor guidance, nature conservation measures ...). These projects were already visited by the "We are Alps” tour. “I still want to implement a lot and learn from other regions. Mountains, hiking, the biodiversity and the changing lights you can explore during the year in the Alps are my motivation.”, so Robert.
Axel Klemmer
Axel Klemmer, born 1963, is geographer and has worked as editor, journalist and author for special interest magazines, travel books, TV and DAV (German Alpine Club) since the mid-1980's. Collecting high summits in the Alps, once essential, has become less important for him. Visiting the mountains means social studies about interaction, misunderstandings and clichés between the people who come there for fun and those who live and work there. What does wealth mean – and how does it look: This is the question that currently keeps him going on.
Zdenka Mihelič
Zdenka Mihelič is a professor of mathematics and physics, but she works as a free-lance journalist and as a voluntary mountain guide in the mountains with different projects. She is one of the editors in editorial board of the only Slovenian Alpine Magazine Planinski vestnik, and for the magazine she covers environmental aspects, mountain protection, mountain huts, sustainability, activities in the Alpine Association of Slovenia. She is also editor of mountain radio broadcast show Čez hribe in doline (Through the mountains and the valleys) on Radio Univox, where she hosted guests from Alpine Convention for several times.
Vida Petrovčič
Vida Petrovčič is a renowned Slovenian television journalist and commentator covering economics, monetary policy, public finances, banking, energy production and policies, trade, privatisation and all other transitional topics of Slovenian economy. She covers these and other topics also for paper media. She has also played a prominent role as a reporter during the Slovenian war for independence. About the Alpine Convention she is writing for the Slovenian Alpine Magazine.
Silvain Rodinson
Sylvain Rodinson holds a Master in sociology, (after seeking in vain a teaching in ecology at the University, non existent in 1990) specialized imaginary, art, cultural representation. Work on initiation (transition from childhood to adult age), thus focuses on education, transmission, social integration. Practice martial arts, as an initiatory tool. Recalls that ecology is primarily a social science. Many professions, to experiment from within the professional and social statutes.Specialized education, performing techniques, then marketing, before dedicating to journalism in 2010.
Sylvain describes himself as a “Generalist, but still on both legs of culture (interview of artists, literary show) and ecology (mountain, nature parks, pastoralism, environment, organic farming...”.Today, he is an international delegate at the Board of the CNRA (National Confederation of associative radios; 350 radio stations in France) and member of the Board of Directors of AMARC Europe (World Association of community radios). Promotion of local radios as a social link and educational tool.