Club Neues Geben: Masterclass with Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen

Club Neues Geben Insights: What is a butterfly worth? Eckart von Hirschhausen's guide to saving the world (and ourselves)

Biodiversity is the actual wealth from which we all live. With this thesis, Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen broke down the often abstract climate debate in our June Masterclass at Club Neues Geben to a fundamental question for philanthropists: How do we value what keeps us alive? The conversation was not about sacrifice, but about the smartest investment we can make: in the priceless infrastructure of nature. For everyone looking for the greatest lever for their philanthropic engagement, we have prepared the core statements from the conversation with moderator Felix Oldenburg here.

Eckart von Hirschhausen (Gesunde Erde Gesunde Menschen) with Felix Oldenburg (bcause, Club Neues Geben)

Felix: Eckart, most people know you as a doctor and comedian. Today, however, you are here in a different role. Which one?

Eckart: I am here as the founder of the foundation "Gesunde Erde, Gesunde Menschen". For me, the connection between personal health and planetary health is the most important concern. We need air to breathe, water to drink, plants to eat, bearable temperatures and peaceful coexistence. All five basic dimensions of a good life are acutely in danger. And none of this can currently be regulated by a market because our economic system completely ignores "externalities" – the costs of destruction.

"A tree seemingly becomes more valuable when it is sawed into boards than when it is left to grow. That is so absurd."

Felix: You often speak of "biodiversity". Why is this term so central to you?

Eckart: Because it emphasizes the priceless value of nature. I was recently in Amsterdam and saw Rembrandt's "The Night Watch", protected by bulletproof glass worth millions of euros. That made me wonder: If a 400-year-old work of art is worth so much to us, what is a butterfly worth? A work of art that nature developed over 250 million years and that we are destroying within our lifetime. With every species lost, we lose the innovations of millions of years. The yew tree gives us one of our most important chemotherapy drugs. Aspirin comes from willow bark. We don't even know which solutions to our biggest problems we are currently destroying.

Felix: Many people feel overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis. They say: "I am convinced, but what can I do in practice?" And how can we make giving more visible and contagious?

Eckart: This is precisely the point. In Germany, the motto is often "Do good, but don't talk about it". But we need a "Giving Pledge", a positive competition of giving. 80 percent of major giving is triggered by acts of giving in our immediate environment. We have to show what is possible. And the good news is: Nature can restore itself within a generation if we give it the chance to do so.

Felix: Where do you see the greatest levers for philanthropists who want to act now?

Eckart: The greatest lever lies in protecting the large, contiguous ecosystems, the "love handles of Mother Earth" along the equator. There are fantastic instruments here in which private capital plays a crucial role:

1. Leveraging the state with the Legacy Landscapes Fund: This is a fund initiated by Germany in which philanthropic capital is matched by public funds. This allows us to secure the protection of huge, irreplaceable "Legacy Landscapes" for eternity. This is one of the most effective mechanisms I know.

2. Financing direct protection with organizations like the Jocotoco Foundation: A German biologist started this foundation in Ecuador, where he has bought and protected huge areas of land. Through clever communication and scientific work, they put pressure on corporations and change entire supply chains.

3. Supporting infrastructure and policy work: Organizations like Wetlands International do indispensable work protecting wetlands, which are critical for our climate and water supply. And we need to pull the political lever to phase out harmful subsidies that are still funding the destruction of nature to the tune of billions.

"It's hard to save the world on a voluntary basis when everyone else is destroying it full-time."

Felix: You say we need to become "good ancestors". What drives you personally?

Eckart: My generation grew up thinking the worst was behind us. Today I know: We will be asked by our children and grandchildren what we did or did not do. I want them to think well of us. That is what it is all about: preserving creation, the "Night Watch" of nature, for the next generation and those to follow. That is what drives me.

Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen is a physician, science journalist and founder of the organization "Gesunde Erde, Gesunde Menschen". He was a guest at Club Neues Geben, a closed circle of people who want to Give More, Together and meet regularly to exchange ideas.

For Further Reading & Action: A Selection of Links

Eckart von Hirschhausen's Organizations & Campaigns:

• Gesunde Erde, Gesunde Menschen: The foundation founded by Eckart von Hirschhausen, which focuses on the connection between climate and health protection. To the donation page on bcause

• Humor hilft heilen: His first organization, which brings laughter and humanity to medicine. To the donation page on bcause

• Campaign "Echte Leistungsträger": An initiative that makes the priceless value of nature for our economy and health visible. To the website echte-leistungstraeger

Mentioned Organizations & Investment Opportunities:

• Legacy Landscapes Fund: The fund central to the conversation, which pools private and public capital for the protection of key ecosystems.

• Jocotoco Foundation: The foundation operating in Ecuador that protects the rainforest through land acquisition and clever campaigns.

• Wetlands International: A global organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of wetlands.

• Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung: One of the most important research institutions for biodiversity, on whose board of trustees Eckart von Hirschhausen is active.

• Tropical Forest Forever Fund (TFFF): Another instrument mentioned in the conversation for financing forest protection. To the website tfff

• Nala Earth & Landbanking Group: Organizations mentioned by Eckart working at the intersection of technology, finance and nature conservation. Nala Earth nala | Landbanking Group thelandbankinggroup

Books & Publications:

• "Mensch, Erde! Wir könnten es so schön haben": The book by Eckart von Hirschhausen in which he explains the connections between our health and that of the planet. To the book (dtv) dtv