My chance meeting on a train in Germany two years ago, led to an unlikely friendship that spans continents with another blonde named Janine. The similarities don't end there. She's also a former TV news anchor who left her job to devote more time to family and personal causes. "Green Janine," as she’s referred to in Germany, is on a mission to save the planet.

In 2014, Janine Steeger left her successful TV news career to dedicate herself to the climate crisis. It was the life growing inside a few years earlier, that prompted the bold move.

“I was sitting on the sofa with a baby in my belly, watching news of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. I had one big question, are we crazy? What are we doing with our earth? From that moment on, I made several changes. When I tried to get my own show about sustainability at the TV station I was working at, they said, nobody is interested in that.”

Steeger quit her job without a plan. She quickly found her purpose: to educate others about sustainability. “Green Janine” traded in her automobile for a cargo bike and wants others to do the same. People kept asking her questions about her new lifestyle changes. She answered them all and more when she wrote the book, Going Green. It’s getting rave reviews in Europe and making an impact.

Steeger’s influence has even led her 9 year old son to follow his mom’s footsteps; developing his own podcast, during lockdown. No topic is off limits for Mika’s news channel; from politics to preservation and everything in between.

Slowly, but surely, more people in Germany are listening to the message in her book, Going Green. Big changes are even happening at her old news network. Turns out, people do care and they are finally taking notice.

“The funny thing is my former employer announced two weeks ago that they will produce a daily climate show like CNN does. This is an example of empowering change for the future. But we still have a long ways to go.”

Steeger says she has no desire to go back to that network news job. Since the success of her book, she’s created a new career for herself as a freelancer. Green Janine loves her new life, moderating panel discussions on the climate crisis. Her commitment to sustainability continues and she’s optimistic about the future.

“Germany and Europe are on a good path now. The economy is in transformation to shift to climate neutral 2050. We hope to have the first “green chancellor” in autumn to work together with President Joe Biden on global climate action.”

Steeger says choosing green travel is a great place to start. In addition to using her cargo bike for transportation, she travels by train, rather than plane, whenever possible. Which is lucky for me, or we never would have met.

I’m grateful for her friendship and the courageous way she pursues her passion to restore our earth. Together, as we enjoyed the scenic views in that train carriage, I was inspired by her authenticity and drive to remind us all to do our part. Because, as Green Janine says, “There is no planet B.”

Learn more about Green Janine

Follow her on Instagram @janine_steeger and LinkedIn

Read her book, Going Green (Brush up on your German first! Not available in English yet.)