So that the “bathtub of God” does not become a whirlpool

It lies there magnificently, the “bathtub of God”, when we look out of our office window in Stegen. Most people probably know it by its secular name: “Ammersee”. It is the third largest lake in Bavaria, popular with locals and day visitors, and – a victim of man-made climate change.

Because the Ammersee is too warm. Way too warm. The biologist and professional fisherman Dr. Bernhard Ernst from Utting, who is not only a professional Ammersee expert, has been observing the water for decades and reported in 2023 a significant increase in the number of days with water temperatures over 20°C. In 1992, swimming in water that was over 20°C warm was possible on less than 40 days, in 2022 it was already more than 90 days and the number is rising.

According to Ernst, what at first glance seems like a welcome extension of bathing pleasure has far-reaching consequences: “The surface layer of the lake becomes warmer and warmer in summer and the individual layers of water mix for ever shorter periods in winter. This influences the water chemistry and the distribution of nutrients in the lake, which benefits unfavorable algae species. The changes threaten fish species such as the Ammersee char or the whitefish and, among other things, make the occurrence of unpleasant cercariae increasingly likely." Effects of man-made climate change, right on our doorstep. 

In order to perhaps prevent the bathtub from becoming a whirlpool, we are all called upon to do so. Also and especially companies. Our range of services on the focus topic of climate change ranges from lectures, workshops and gap analyzes to the Net Zero strategy and authentic climate communication.