The National Environment Competition (BUW) - “From Knowledge to Sustainable Action“

The National Environmental Competition (BUW) is a nation-wide competition for young people from the age of ten to twenty taking place annually with the objective of supporting young talents with an interest in the topics environment, sustainability and society. All people interested in natural scientific, technical and societal issues are invited to study current environmental problems and relevant fields of action and to submit their written project proposals by the deadline - March 15th of every year.
In accordance with the motto of the competition "From Knowledge to Sustainable Action", the connection between theory and practice is of great importance for the design and assessment of the projects. The search for topics can start in front of your own doorstep by tackling problems from your own living environment. Depending on the problem and the solution approach, the written project to be submitted can have their focus of implementation in all fields of action which are relevant for environmental protection and environmental education. This includes, for example, nature conservation and ecology, technology, economics and consumption, as well as politics, society, health and culture.
The participants should demonstrate that they are able to get to the bottom of the causes of environmental problems and, based on this, search for creative solutions in a problem-oriented manner. A good BUW project is characterized by scientific thinking and working and solution-oriented action.
The Cluster of Excellence "The Future Ocean" would in particular like to support school students and awards a special prize worth 500 Euros for the age group BUW I (13- to 16 year-olds) and 750 Euros for the age group BUW II (17- to 21 year-olds).

Further Information:
General questions for the national environment competition (conditions of participation, deadline, etc.) can be found at http://www.buw-home.de.

Previous recipients of the special award:

2008/2009:

Topic: Ocean – too warm, too high, too acid?"
Award winners: Kai Dehlwes, Martin Hinz, Christoph Seifert, Juliane Lens, Philipp Griehl
School/Location: Georg-Herwegh-Oberschule, Berlin

Topic: Development of an innovative wave power station and a related model
Award winners: Martin Hinz, Kai Dehlwes, Christoph Seifert
School/Location: Ohm-Gymnasium Erlangen, Bavaria

Topic: Microalgea: CO2-killer and energy source of the future?
Award winner: Philipp Griehl
School/Location: Elisabeth-Gymnasium Halle, Saxony-Anhalt

2010:

Topic: Mobile through algae
Award winners: Johannes Busse, Frederik Thomsen
School/Location: Bremen
Poster 

2011:

Topic: With poison against poison? Use of dispersants during the combat against oil pollution according to the example of Corexit in the Gulf of Mexico
Award winners: Thomas Marquardt, Sven Verlaat, Dilan Genc
School/Location: Schulzentrum Rübekamp, Bremen
Poster

Topic:DNSail – Ship propulsion of the future?
Award Winners: Felix Winkler, Franz Radke
School/Location: Heinrich-Hertz-Gymnasium, Berlin
Poster

2012:

Topic: Deepwater Horizon - environmental pollution on a high level
Award Winners: Gina Monov, Jamal Jaber, Moritz Peters
School/Location: Altes Gymnasium, Bremen

2013:

Topic: Excrescence algae – slick green on stones or a productive biocoenosis
Award winners: Anne-Marie Fischer, Lisa Pielsticker
School/Location: Schiller-Oberschule Sarstedt, Sarstedt, Lower Saxony
Poster

2014:

Topic: The dangers of plastic in the marine biosphere
Award winners: Gina Monov, Elsa Luise Paas
School/Location: Altes Gymnasium, Bremen
Poster

2015:

Topic: Micro plastic particles as environmental problem
Award winners: Hanna Brüggemann, Clara Heilker, Veronika Kienle
School/Location: Wieland-Gymnasium, Baden-Wuerttemberg
Poster