Rainer Winters
Environmental Scientist (B. Sc.)
E-Mail an: rainer.winters at analogo.de
Vita
> born 1968 in Aachen
> A levels (Abitur) 1987
> Apprenticeship as an Industrial clerk at Montaplast GmbH in Morsbach, Technical Solutions for the Automotive and Household Appliance industry (1987-1990)
> Human Resource Management clerk at Borgers Ltd. in Telford/England, Vehicle Components (1990)
> Purchasing and Operation Scheduling departments clerk at Montaplast GmbH in Morsbach, Technical Solutions for the Automotive and Household Appliance industry (1990-1991)
> Study of Psychology at Johannes-Gutenberg University (JGU) Mainz, only a few theses (1991-1992)
> Lufthansa Cargo AG at Frankfurt Airport, lastly Account Manager Sales Global Partner and Business Partner, Key Account Management Press Logistics and Animal Logistics, Invention of the Lufthansa Business KPI “PVV” (1992-2010)
> Study of Environmental Sciences at University of Koblenz-Landau, Campus Landau, with priorities Chemistry, Physics and Ecology, Bachelor of Science (2010–2017)
> Study of Political Sciences at University of Koblenz-Landau, Campus Landau, various assignments in second simultaneous and admission-restricted academic course, among others Political Sociology, International Development Policy and EU Foreign Policy (2011–2013)
> Academic trainee at Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture, Food, Viticulture and Forestry of Rhineland-Palatinate, Mainz, among others in State Center for Environmental Education, Nature and Environment Foundation of Rhineland-Palatinate and State Agency Analytical Immission Laboratory (Landesamt) 2015
> Environmental Policy Consulting and Policy Consulting (2012-2020)
> Free Journalist (Memberships in DJV 2014 to 2017, VZN 2018 and British Association of Journalists)
> Furthermore see below
Conferences – Extract
> 15. Forum Environment District Administration (Kreisverwaltung) Water in Climate Change (2011)
> Hofgeismar Forum for Environmental Law and Environmental Policy (2012)
> 1. Mainz Media Camp at SWR Public Broadcasting (2017)
> Forum Schleswig on Public Law at Higher Administrative Court of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, Noise and Air as a legal problem (2019)
> BDO 8th Annual Energy Conference Hamburg (2019)
> Tagesspiegel Future Energies Science Match (2019)
Seminars
around 70 expert seminars attended
Languages
> German| Native language
> English | EU-Level C2
> Spanish | EU-Level B2
> French | EU-Level B1
> Mandarin Chinese | EU-Level A1
> Ancient-Greek | Graecum
> Latin | Latinum
Politics, Journalism, Environment – Stations
> Studies in the context of the environmental compartment „Soil“ (2010-2017):
Soil science and microclimatic investigations and mappings with testing for pH value, ionic strength and organic matter (humic acids), Cu/Zn/Pb inputs into soils, three years of Soil Chemistry around the Scheffer-Schachtschabel soil bible, Project on structural and sculptural forms of Karst morphology using the example of the largest hole in the State of Rhineland-Palatinate near Schäfer-Kalk, Profile analysis of own catena topo relief sequences and Pürckhauer soil profiles, project on Remediation of uranium ore mines, Pedological assessment of a wide variety of biotope areas such as semi-arid grasslands, Soil and vegetation geography module, Analytical Chemistry and laboratory tests with qualitative analysis of important inorganic and organic substance groups, quantitative analysis, acid-base reactions, buffer systems, complexometric titration, precipitation and redox reactions, Instrumental environmental analysis with wet-chemical and electrochemical analysis techniques, modern spectroscopic, mass spectrometric and chromatographic methods, automation in sample extraction and analysis
> Study in the context of the environmental compartment „Water“ (2010-2017):
Measurement and analysis of chemical and biological water quality in aquatic ecosystems, Project agglomeration of silver nanoparticles in the natural surface water of the river Rhine incl. DLS and zeta potential measurements, Cu/Zn/Pb discharge into water bodies, Comparative project of New Zealand’s water quality with global water limit value regimes, EU Water Framework Directive and various other water legislation, Anthropogenic pollution and renaturation of flowing waters, Methods of water purification, Exchange of gases at the water/atmosphere phase boundary, Basics of Limnology, Water balance of landscapes (control and storage function of soils for water and material flows in landscapes), Flood formation, Instrumental analysis with determination of organic and inorganic pollutants in water samples by DC, GC, HPLC, AAS, photometry and Flow injection analysis, Water chemistry (sorption, ion balance, chemical material conversion processes in water bodies, dissolution and precipitation reactions, redox reactions, lime-carbonic acid equilibrium), Marine Biology with a focus on the North Sea
> Study in the context of the environmental compartment „Air“ (2010-2017):
Atmospheric Physics (turbulent mass transports in the atmosphere, global currents, heat and energy balance of the atmosphere, global mass and energy transport, radiative transfer equation, local transport of mass and energy), Atmospheric Chemistry, Project Physical wavelengths in the context of climate-relevant processes in the stratosphere and troposphere with didactic reference to comparative values from nature and science, 6 months of Climatology with climate history, Differentiation between climate/weather and urban and open-country Climatology, Study object Geological reconstruction of the Antarctic Ice Sheet deglaciation since the Last Glacial Maximum
> Study in the context to Biospheres and Ecospheres (2010-2017):
Project Correlation of insects and edge structures to bat activity in vineyards, Project active Biotope mapping in the context of the EU Habitats Directive and IUCN Red List, Project Geoecological environment of Achillea millefolium (common yarrow) under pH aspects, Autecology with adaptation to abiotic and biotic environmental factors, Population Ecology, Synecology with material and energy flows in ecosystems, Project on ecological effects of the sale of Baltic peat to Great Britain, Methods of molecular and cell biological research module, Soil and Vegetation Geography module, Concepts of Theoretical Ecology with statistical methods and modeling, one-year Zoology module with microscopic-biological practical course and fauna identification course, one-year Botany module with flora identification course, Landscape Ecology module, Stress and Disturbance Ecology module, Evolutionary Biology and Genetics/Genetic Engineering module, Soil and Vegetation Geography module, Ecological Risk Assessment project: From Book-Keeping to Chemical Stress Ecology, Project The molecular genetics of European ancestry, Project Incentives for Grassland Cultivation in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate
> Study in the context Statistics, Modelling and Geographic Information Systems (2010-2017):
ArcGIS, R-based software applications, Terrain modelling with derivation of water networks from digital elevation models (DEMs), Stream order and Land Use in catchment areas, Species Distribution Modelling, Geostatistics, Database Systems module, Database Models and Database Design, SQL, Stochastics, Distribution Functions, Statistical Hypothesis testing, Environmental Modelling with Vensim, Invention of GIS-WIN (World Inventory of Free Available Geocoded Data on Species and Environment)
> Author of more than one hundred letters to the editor of taz – Die Tageszeitung (2011-2017)
> Cooperation with Pia Schellhammer, leading MP in the State Diet (Landtag) of Rhineland-Palatinate (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) on the Freedom of Information Act (IFG) and referendums = Volksbegehren (2011-2013)
> Member of Climate Protection Advisory Board of the City of Mainz (2011-2014)
> Member of Editors group of the print magazine Rote Laterne Rathaus Mainz, City Hall faction DIE LINKE (2011-2013)
> Cooperation with „Research Unit Sustainability and Climate Policy“ of Prof. Dr. Felix Ekardt, University of Rostock, ex-Green-Party-Chief Mayor-candidate of the City of Leipzig (2011-2012), author of various newspapers like DIE ZEIT, SZ, FR, Capital or TAZ.
> Working with Environmental Law norms: Federal and State Acts on Protection against Harmful Environmental Impacts from Air Pollution, Noise and Vibrations (BImSchG, LImSchG, 32. BImSchV, 39. BImSchV, ImSchzustBehV, TA Lärm, TA Luft), Sewage Sludge Ordinance (AbfKlärV), Ordinance on the recycling of biowaste on land (BioAbfV), Act to Promote the Circular Economy and Ensure the Environmentally Sound Management of Waste (KrWG), Law on the regulation of genetic engineering (GenTG), Regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), Act on the Protection against Harmful Soil Changes and the Remediation of Contaminated Sites (BBodSchG), Ordinance on Hazardous Substances, Freedom of Environmental Information Act (UIG), Federal Mining Act (BBergG), Water Framework Directive, EU Odor Immission Directive (GIRL), Law on administrative offenses (OWiG), Natura2000, EU Habitats Directive (FFH-RL), EU Soil Frame Directive (BRRL), Chemicals Prohibition Regulation, Nature Conservation Acts (LNatSchG, BNatSchG, LNatSchZVO), Act on the Implementation of the Waste Framework Directive of the European Union (AnfRRL), EU Directive Seveso III (2012/18/EU), Water Acts (LWasG, WaStrG, WHG), Act on emergency aid for final consumers of grid-bound natural gas and customers of heat (EWKSG), Ordinance on the quality of water intended for human consumption (TrinkwV), Ordinance on the handling of nutrients in farming operations and operational material flow balances (StoffBilV), Electricity and Gas Supply Act (EnWG), Act for the preservation, modernization and expansion of combined heat and power generation (KWKG), Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV), Law on the environmentally friendly design of energy-related products (EVPG), Act on energy services and other energy efficiency measures (EDL-G), Ordinance on charges for access to electricity supply networks (StromNEV), Electricity Tax Act (StromStG), Law on the peaceful use of nuclear energy and protection against its dangers (AtG), Act on the Search and Selection of a Site for a Repository for High-Level Radioactive Waste (StandAG), Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), Act on the Establishment of a Special Fund „Climate and Transformation Fund“ (EKFG), Construction Act (BauGB), Regional Planning Act (LPlanG), Act on the development and promotion of offshore wind energy (WindSeeG), Act on the Joint Task „Improvement of the Agricultural Structure and Coastal Protection“ (GAKG), EU Floods Directive (HWRL), Ordinance on the protection of surface waters (OGewV), EU Directive concerning the quality required of surface water intended for the abstraction of drinking water (RL 75-440), Act on charges for the discharge of waste water into water bodies (AbwAG), EU Soil Framework Directive, Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Act and regulations, Soil Protection Program of the State of Schleswig-Holstein (2011-2020)
> Member of the Scientific Faculty Advisory Board 7 at University of Koblenz-Landau (2012-2014)
> Promoter of Bottom-Up-Processes concerning Environmental Law, Application of Freedom of Information Acts like LTranspG/UIG (2012-2017), featured amongst others in Activity report 2012/2013 of the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information of Rhineland-Palatinate in the category „Universities“
> Author at scharf links (2012-2017)
> Political, legal and scientific evaluation of funding schemes in context:
Common Agricultural Policy (GAP) 1. Pillar and 2. Pillar (ELER), Cross-Compliance Regulation, Improvement of the agricultural structure and coastal protection (GAK), Local development of rural economy (LEADER), Active Regions, EU De-minimis State aids, European Regional Development Fund (EFRE), Investment Bank of Schleswig-Holstein IB.SH, EU LIFE Environment and Climate Schemes, State program for rural areas (LPLR), Animal Protection, Nature Conservation through Compensational land schemes (Ausgleichsflächen, Eingriffsregelungen), Natura2000, EU Habitat Directive, State Government Sustainability Award, Schleswig-Holstein Regional Program „Economy“, Regional Planning Act (ROG), Environmental Impact Assessment (UVP), Groundwater Protection, and many more (2012-2020)
> Initiation of a personal voter mobilization campaign for the 2013 federal German election
> Student representative in the Senate of University of Koblenz-Landau (2013-2014)
> analogo.de (since 2014):
With the founding of a new data journalism medium, the motto is Environment, Politics, Science & Mainz. The working method is divided into the three pillars of journalism, databases and transparency. An additional focus has emerged in the form of reviews of opera and concert performances.
> Environmental journalism for analogo.de (since 2014):
Contexts soil, waste, sewage sludge, pollution control, NO2, carbon, phosphorus, chemicals, pesticides, atmospheric chemistry, flora, fauna with selected works such as KATA LOGO Geography-Pedology-Soil types, KATA LOGO Chemistry-pH Kaleidoscope for everything water-soluble, KATA LOGO Chemistry-Silicates-From Magmatites to Clay Minerals, KATA LOGO Chemistry-Soil Chemistry-From Primary Clay Minerals to Secondary Soil Clay Minerals, KATA LOGO Analytics, and many more.
> Delegate in the German Federation of Journalists (DJV) at the trade union conference in Mainz (2015)
> Political, legal and scientific evaluation of legislative initiatives and parliamentary motions in context of:
Plant protection and fertilization, Common Agricultural Policy (GAP), fertilizer legislation, EU Nitrate Directive (91/676/EWG), neonicotinoids, glyphosate, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), greenhouse gas emissions trading, structural change in agriculture, dying out of farms, inner-German Green Belt, Material Flow Balance regulation, animal feed, and much more (2015-2020)
> Head of the Exam Transparency Working Group at University of Koblenz-Landau, Campus Landau (2016)
> Scientific postulations on human reproduction “Learning from bees – outlook on the human reproduction” 2016
> Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s thesis in the disciplines of hydrogeology, zoology, genetics and chemistry, groundwater studies in Cologne and the Harz Mountains (2016-2017)
> analogo.de Editor Rainer Winters compared to the Mainzer Allgemeine Zeitung as the main actors in the Master’s thesis „Acceptance of local large-scale construction projects – an investigation using the Mainzelbahn tram as a case study“, Marius Maruhn, Institute of Geography, Johannes-Gutenberg University Mainz (2017)
> Political assessment of the Schleswig-Holstein State budgets for 2019 and 2020 in the context of Environment, Agriculture, Energy and Consumer Protection (2018-2020)
> work in the State Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein in context of:
Plenary debate, Environment and Agriculture committee, parliamentary initiative (motions, questions, draft legislation), trade fairs, lobby events, State Planning Council, press releases, press conferences, panel discussions and media background discussions. Official contact for Robert Habecks and Jan Philipp Albrechts State Parliament Liaison Officer of the Ministry of Energy Transition, Agriculture, Environment, Nature and Digitalizationg (MELUND) 2018-2020
> Initiator and leader of monthly telephone conferences for environmental/agricultural/energy Legislative Associates based in all 16 state parliaments, the German Bundestag and the European Parliament 2019-2020
> Finalist at IDH Media Price „Health“ 2021 for independent and critical reporting on the topics of health and health policy with reference to the state of Schleswig-Holstein. This article was shortlisted and narrowly missed out on victory: How Schleswig-Holstein’s hospitals are covering up the Covid-19 figures – The big ANA LOGO report.
> Author at Telepolis/Heise Medien since 2021
> Author of a report on the WikiLeaks Fishrot whistleblower Jóhannes Stefánsson in the London based magazine Index on Censorship. Editorial conference together with Daniel Ellsberg and Britanny Winner. Index on Censorship editor-in-chief Martin Bright asked me if I could write a report on the subject. The article appeared in the 50th anniversary issue of the magazine on pages 66 to 68. Pages 62 to 65 contained the interview report by Mark Frary with Daniel Ellsberg, the “Original Whistleblower” (2021).
For the first edition of Index in 1972, Alexander Solzhenitsyn wrote an article. In 1977, a translation of Václav Havel’s Charta 77 appeared here. Later, Index published the World Declaration of the International Committee for the Defense of Salman Rushdie, which supports “the right of all people to express their ideas and beliefs and to discuss them with their critics on the basis of mutual tolerance, free from censorship, intimidation and violence”. And six months later, Index published the hunger strike declaration of the four student leaders of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, Liu Xiaobo, Zhou Duo, Hou Dejian and Gao Xin.
As an investigative journalist, Martin has worked with several prominent whistleblowers for the British Observer, including whistleblower Katharine Gun, who turned to him when, as intelligence staff, she became aware that British intelligence was being used by the NSA to wiretap the six non-permanent member states of the UN Security Council so that the US could manipulate their voting behavior when the US wanted to bring about a UN decision to invade Iraq. The story was made into a movie and released in 2019 under the title Official Secrets, with Keira Knightley playing Katherine Gun. De facto, the UN then denied the USA (and Great Britain) its UN blessing, the countries were exposed as aggressors and invaded Iraq in 2003.
Daniel Ellsberg was a high-flyer from the Pentagon. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger took him on as an advisor to the National Security Council. Ellsberg was convinced that the Vietnam War was unwinnable and, with its countless war crimes, highly immoral. Ellsberg knew that the US administrations of recent years had told the public big lies about the actual role of the USA in the Vietnam War. He secretly copied a 7,000-page classified report on the true history of the Vietnam War (Pentagon Papers, officially: United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967: A Study Prepared by the Department of Defense), and leaked the pages to the press. The Washington Post’s role in the case was made into a movie by Steven Spielberg, starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. “The Publisher” was released in cinemas in 2018. Ellsberg’s leak is closely linked to the Watergate scandal and led directly to the fall of US President Richard Nixon. Also the Watergate scandal is a rich source of material for film adaptations. Daniel Ellsberg thought about Katherine Gun: „No one else – including myself – has ever done what Katharine Gun did: Tell secret truths at personal risk, before an imminent war, in time, possibly, to avert it.“
Britanny Winner wrote in the anniversary issue on pages 48 and 49 for her silenced sister Reality Winner, a former US intelligence specialist who brought the Russian interference in the 2016 US election to the public and was sentenced to five years in prison for it. At the time of the editorial conference, Reality Winner had just been released from prison. So far Reality Winner’s experiences have been filmed twice.
> Author at Whistleblower Network News (2021-2022)
> Writing of the book series DAS ZEIT UND RAUM BUCH – 10.000 wissenschaftliche Perspektiven in zwei Bänden – Band 1 DIE ZEIT (ISBN 978-3-9822970-0-2) and Band 2 DER RAUM (ISBN 978-3-9822970-3-3). Volume 2 was the Book-Favourite of the Week of Süddeutsche Zeitung on the first december weekend 2023. Selected literature recommendation by Friedrich-Verlag in „Grundschule Kunst“ (for art teachers in Primary Schools), twice in 2023, also in the Ecology magazine Pollichia of the Association for Nature Research, Conservation and Environmental Education and the Vienna-based magazine FAIRliving. Reviews also by the business magazine brand eins and Heise Medien/Telepolis inclusive interview. Also see overview of selected reviews.
Commitment and Honorary work – extract
> Board member of the Swimming Club of Waldbröl (1982-1986)
> Independent management of the St Joseph Lichtenberg parish library, starting at the age of 15 (1984-1987)
> Membership in conservationist organisations (i. e. B.U.N.D.) since 1985
> Initiator and founder of the Lichtenberg Tennis Court Youth Initiative (1986-1987)
> Vice-Chairman and co-founder of the Tennis Club FTC Lichtenberg 1988 e.V. (1988-1990)
> Award from the city of Bad Godesberg for extraordinary efforts to charter an uncomplicated Lufthansa aid flight for the victims of the severe earthquake in Gölcük/Turkey (1999)
> Contribution to the 10th edition of the Lonely Planet travel guide ‘Central Asia’ (2009-2010)
> Active support of Transparency International e.V. (since 2010)
> Active support of Parliamentwatch (abgeordnetenwatch.de) since 2011
> Press speaker of Action group Route 47 in Mainz, Cooperation with neighbour Gundula Gause/heutejournal (2012-2013)
> Member of Professional Association for Environmental Sciences (2012-2017)
> Active support of Mehr Demokratie e. V. (2013-2017)
> Speaker at peace demonstration (45 min) in Mainz on overfishing and the fisheries agreements with Western Africa (2014)
> Initiator and Founder of project freiLOS at University of Koblenz-Landau, Campus Landau (2014-2016)
> Interview partner at the Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival 2020 in Washington D.C. , together with Wendy Addison and Michal Pleticha on the topic „Is Europe Ready to Protect Citizen Crime-Fighters?“
> Bundestag consultation on whistleblowing – Memorandum for members of the Bundestag on the implementation of the EU Directive, together with Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, LLP, the National Whistleblower Center, Whistleblowing International and the European Centre for Whistleblower Rights (2020-2021)
> Journalists‘ regulars‘ table of DJV Rheinhessen (Circle of colleagues ex ZDF, SWR, dpa, Free Journalists) 2014-2016
> Trusted support for WikiLeaks Fishrot whistleblower Jóhannes Stefánsson. Jóhannes won the WIN WIN Gothenburg Sustainability Award („Nobel Prize for Sustainability“) in 2021, which was previously also won by Kofi Annan, Al Gore and Gro Harlem Brundtland. Jóhannes won ahead of other finalists such as mafia hunter Nicola Gratteri and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) for his very special commitment to fighting corruption. Jóhannes: „I am thankful for what you did for me and I will never in my life forget that as what you started has saved my life.“
Overseas travels – extract
> Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria (1979-1982)
> Western Sahara, Morocco (1989)
> Great Britain, India, Nepal, Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Egypt, Indonesia, Timor Leste, Australia (1990-1991)
> Israel, Hong Kong, Mongolia, China, Russia, Transsibiria (1992)
> Florida, Ecuador, New York, South Africa, Tunesia (1993)
> Seychelles, Philippines, Mexico, Hong Kong, New England states, Canada, Yemen (1994-1995)
> Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama (1996)
> Biennial trip around the world (1997-1999): Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Australia, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India, Cambodia
> Zimbabwe, Iceland, Namibia, Corsica, Finland, Iran, Colorado, Trinidad & Tobago, La Réunion, Mauritius, Barbados, Hungary, Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania, Japan, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Hawai’i (2000-2005)
> Cuba, Great Britain, France, Spain, New York, Switzerland, Austria, Ethiopia, Lofoten Islands (2006-2007)
> Biennial trip around the world (2008-2010): Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Atlantic provinces of Canada, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Antarctica, Chile, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, French-Polynesia, Hawai’i, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Thailand, South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, U.A.E., Oman, Nepal, Jordan, Spain, Danube riparian countries, Finland
> Countries of Europe (2011-2025)
> Angola, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Sao Tomé & Principe, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia (2024)
> 116 countries visited in total
Personal matters
Rainer Winters is married and lives without smartphone, without Facebook and without Amazon.