"Not knowing how to do something does not mean it cannot be done. Rely on your passion to propel you toward others who can help you achieve your goals, and embrace your ignorance as a blank canvas on which you will learn to paint something beautiful and new." ~Kim Stravers
Some of the most inspiring women we've featured on See Jane Do are those who followed their passion without any knowledge or experience in their field of interest and still achieved incredible results.
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| Ursula Sladek |
Recently See Jane Do interviewed Goldman Environmental Prize winner, Ursula Sladek of Schönau, Germany, a small town of 2,500. Ursula created her country's first citizen-owned renewable power company in response to the Chernobyl melt-down in 1986 and Germany's reliance on nuclear energy.
As a mother of five she was extremely concerned about the affects of nuclear radiation. Following the Chernobyl disaster her community was advised to stay indoors, to not drink milk, and to this day to not eat mushrooms from the forest or wild boar.
Seeking alternatives to nuclear energy Ursula formed Parents for a Nuclear Free Future and initiated enrgy saving contests in her town. The owner of the local power company felt threatened and said that he was in business to sell energy, not save energy. Ursula realized that big changes would require not only renewable energy but that the power must rest in the citizen's hands.
Ursuala has gone above and beyond to create a healthy alternative. Ursula wasn't an expert in energy. In fact, she jokes that all she knew about electricity was that it came from the power sockets. But Ursula knew something needed to change so she took it upon herself to learn everything about energy plants and policy. Most important she utilized the power of community to get the job done. The 10 year project included taking over the local grid and providing sustainable renewable energy such a wind, solar and hydro power. Ursula claims that their model is "the only way to solve the energy problem. The only solution is renewable energy." EWS now serves over 110,000 homes and businesses in Germany.
Click here to listen to Ursula's interview.
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