Ursula Bittner on direct action and taking a stand against greenwashing

Have you ever looked at the “Climate Friendly!” label on a packaged item and wondered whether the product is truly environmentally friendly? If so, you’re not alone. In today’s world, where protecting the environment is paramount, it’s important to know how to differentiate genuine sustainability efforts from greenwashing. Greenwashing is a form of marketing in which an organization falsely claims that its products or policies are environmentally friendly.

In this week’s episode, Evanna and Melanie are joined by passionate social justice advocate and Greenpeace economic expert Ursula Bittner. They discuss the dangers of greenwashing, Greenpeace’s campaigns and lobbying efforts to change our food system, and the role of direct action in bringing about positive change. Tune in to learn the steps we can all take to become more effective advocates for social justice and protectors of our planet.

Ursula Bittner is an economic expert at Greenpeace Central and Eastern Europe. She works on democracy, compliance, civil society, greenwashing, trade, supply chains, agriculture, and biodiversity. She holds a degree in international development from the University of Vienna, an MBA from California Lutheran University, and a degree from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna.

10 years ago, she worked for a soya-food company. She then cofounded an association for a sustainable European protein supply, where she worked for eight years as the general secretary. During that period, she also managed the Austrian Soy Association. She has made research trips to India, Brazil, Argentina, Taiwan, Japan, China, and several countries in eastern Europe to explore issues related to soy, milk, and agriculture in general. In 2021, she founded the Initiative Saubere Hände—Stoppt Korruption to fight against corruption in Austria.

Ursula advocates for a liberal democracy, a strong civil society, sustainable agriculture, and the protection of our planet. She became vegetarian when she was 11 years old and vegan about 15 years ago.

Explore Greenpeace’s website to learn more about its work and how to volunteer. 

Visit Saubere Hände’s website to learn more about its work addressing corruption in Austria.

Follow Ursula on X (formerly Twitter).

Check out Melanie’s new book, "How to End Injustice Everywhere". Check out Evanna’s book, "The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting".

This season of Just Beings is brought to you by our friends at Leafside and Vivo Life!

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This episode was edited by Andrew Sims.