365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge

The impact of climate change is often discussed in the context of agriculture. While this is important as agriculture provides us with food, plants in urban environments should not be overlooked. This is because they also have important health benefits! In this article, I explain these benefits and how climate change impacts plants in urban areas. And what we can do to keep our place nice, green, and good for our health: https://www.erlijn.nl/link/scicomm.php?l=d17baad9b1  

Visit the calmness of the beautiful Wohkudu Beach in Indonesia after a gorgeous (guided) nature walk! No need to travel, no expenses, and you can set off straight away here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geLl0RDCqw8

Today, an earthquake with severity over 7 on Richter's scale has hit Taiwan. Such strong earthquakes happen only 10-15 times a year, and hit Taiwan last in 1999. Already several buildings collapsed and a tsunami warning is sent out. This means that Taiwan soon has to deal with the debris that this event is causing. In this article, I explain how important it is to deal with this debris cautiously and how to do so in an environmentally friendly way: https://www.erlijn.nl/link/scicomm.php?l=ee697348f5

  🐸 Did you know that amphibians are facing a tough time, with a shocking 41% being at risk of extinction? That is why scientists are coming up with ways to protect them. One way is by storing their genetic material and promoting artificial fertilization to boost their populations and ensure their survival. Learn more about how this work in my latest article: https://www.erlijn.nl/link/scicomm.php?l=e818f1cb95 And what can you and I do to protect them? Here are some simple yet powerful actions: 🌱 Saying no to chemical fertilizers and pesticides to keep our waterways clean. 🗑️ Disposing of waste properly to prevent pollution. 🏞️ Protecting natural habitats where amphibians thrive. 🚫 Avoiding splitting up habitats when constructing roads and buildings. 🌉 Advocating for ecoducts, which are like nature-friendly bridges, to help amphibians cross busy roads safely. 🤝 Supporting organizations dedicated to amphibian conservation. Amphibian sperm can be stored to conserve threaten

Recent armed conflicts around the world not only affect humans, they also impact the natural environment, sometimes making an area unlivable. This is for many reasons critical, including that this can trigger further armed conflicts. In this article, I explain the vicious cycle between armed conflicts and environmental destruction in more detail: https://www.erlijn.nl/link/scicomm.php?l=79f933814f (German version of the article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/der-teufelskreis-zwischen-krieg-und-umweltprobleme-van-genuchten-95owe )

A current environmental concern is that we are using earthen materials more quickly than they can be replenished. One of these materials is sand; beaches are vanishing because we use between 32 and 50 billion tonnes of sand and gravel globally every year! As it is unsustainable to continue at the current rate, alternatives are being developed. One alternative is using crushed glass waste instead of sand. This is great as it not only limits sand use, it also contributes to resolving excessive waste on landfills! Learn more about why glass waste is a great alternative to sand in construction: https://www.erlijn.nl/link/scicomm.php?l=966cd8f36f Glass waste can be a great sustainable alternative building material to natural sands in various construction applications (credit:  noomcpk  on  Shutterstock )

Have you ever thought to yourself "Someone should do something about this." If yes, why not you? You are someone!  

While currently many extreme events happen that are caused by climate change, such as floods and droughts, some extreme events happen naturally. For example, earthquakes are caused by suddenly moving tectonic earth plates. Depending on the magnitude of the movements, it can range from hardly noticeable to highly destructive. In case of highly destructive earthquakes, the result is a lot of earthquake debris - remainders of buildings, food, objects, etc. Dealing with this debris is an important step in recovering from such an event. This is not only important for recovering infrastructure but also for our #health! In this article, I explain the far-reaching consequences of earthquake damage on the environment and our health: https://www.erlijn.nl/link/scicomm.php?l=ee697348f5

  💫 In 2022, I decided to dedicate myself to making scientific research in the fields of nature and sustainability available to all of us, as this helps us to take action toward a healthier planet. And I’m super happy that Louis Yuen has a similar passion! Instead of writing articles for adults, he draws wonderful and impactful comics for children, which also address important environmental issues based on science. 💥 Two weeks ago, I decided to buy one of his comics as I’m impressed by his work and to support him. I very much enjoyed reading the comic because it is very interesting – even I learned something new – and because it is made with so much love and attention to detail! I smiled broadly many times even though the addressed issues are critical. And I can tell that he put a lot of effort in creating this comic book, not only because of the beautiful drawings and games, but also because he is working closely together with the scientists who did the scientific research. 💡 Al

An important part of my contribution to a healthier planet is journaling. This means I write in a notebook every day, to capture what I've been doing, my goals and dreams, how I'm feeling, what I'm grateful for, what I learned etc. This helps me a lot to keep going! But as the notebooks I have found in the shop don't meet my requirements, including having a lovely nature-related cover and the number of pages, I created my own notebook. I absolutely love it! Click here to get one of these notebooks too, with the picture you can see below on the cover: https://www.erlijn.nl/link/prod.php?l=notebook (affiliate link). Happy writing!

Lionfish are popular in aquariums because they look beautiful. But some owners may have released their pets in the Atlantic Ocean about 20 years ago, which is now causing huge problems around the world. This is because lionfish are spreading to many areas and cause a lot of damage to both the marine environment and us humans. In this article , I explain what is happening and what we can do to prevent further damage. The lionfish is beautiful but dangerous, to other fish and divers, as it has poisonous spines (credit: Vlad61 on Shutterstock )

Let's explore the world together without traveling: Lencois Maranhenses National Park, Brazil Go on wonderful guided tours through nature around the world on https://www.youtube.com/@xplore-nature

  🌱 Exciting News! Introducing "Toward (a Green) Peace of Mind" 🌍 Are you feeling overwhelmed by the many current environmental issues and resulting eco-anxiety? Do you want to take meaningful action for the planet but don't know where to start? Look no further! Our new membership site is here to support you on your journey toward environmental resilience and empowerment. 🌿 Join our community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about protecting the planet and overcoming eco-anxiety together. With expert guidance, actionable tips, and a supportive network, we'll help you transform fear into action and uncertainty into empowerment. 🌿 Gain access to exclusive resources designed to provide practical solutions for reducing your anxiety and contributing to a healthier planet. Plus, connect with others who share your concerns and aspirations in a safe and supportive environment. 🌿 It's time to turn your eco-anxiety into a force for positive change. Joi

I'm excited to announce that my book "A Guide to a Healthier Planet" will be translated to German! I'm super happy as this means that even more readers have access to the important scientific insights and actionable steps related to climate change, pollution, and biodiversity contained in the book and can put them into practice toward a more sustainable future! I will keep you posted once it is available. Click here to find out more about the English version of the book and have a peek inside: https://www.sustainabledecisions.eu/guide-to-a-healthier-planet

Ever heard that we ingest so many plastic particles that we swallow a credit card EVERY WEEK? This is shocking because these particles can spread to many different parts of our bodies and harm us. Even our unborn babies! Click on the image to find out more about where microplastics have already been found in our bodies: https://www.erlijn.nl/link/scicomm.php?l=62d756efca Even our drinking water contains microplastic (credit:  Orakunya  on  Shutterstock )

I'm excited to have found a way to make a difference 3 times by taking 1 initiative! This is how: On the weekend, I met a lady who was collecting crown corks from restaurants. I was curious why she does that, so I asked. It was a great conversation in which she told me that these are collected as part of the " Kronen-Kinder " initiative. This initiative recognizes that crown corks consist of valuable materials, which can be put to good use. I understood that the income from this raw material is doubled by the city government and goes to children with cancer. 100% of it! So, from now on, I'm excited to not only remove crown corks from the environment on my weekly cleanup, but also sending them to recycling AND supporting ill children! I love it! Do you have a similar initiative / charity where you live too?

Do you feel overwhelmed or powerless because of the many environmental issues that are addressed in the news? I understand when environmental problems seem daunting and you feel unsure about how you can contribute to solutions or make a meaningful impact. To help you feel empowered and strong, I have published "A Guide to a Healthier Planet". This book serves as a comprehensive resource for everyone who wants to learn more about environmental issues, understand their role in addressing them, and take meaningful action for a healthier planet. The book is based on science and written in easy-to-understand language. Click here to have a peek inside the book: https://www.sustainabledecisions.eu/guide-to-a-healthier-planet

When talking about forests, we usually think of and mean forest consisting of trees on the ground. But hidden from view is another type of forest that is very important for our planet as well. These forests are marine kelp forests. Kelp is a fast-growing type of brown seaweed. Marine kelp forests cover 1/3 of our planet’s coastlines and also provide many ecosystem functions. In this article, I explain more about these fascinating ecosystems and how kelp reforestation contributes to biodiversity and mitigating climate change: https://www.erlijn.nl/link/scicomm.php?l=c7f222f3cb A kelp forest (credit:  Madelein Wolfaardt  on  Shutterstock )

Bill Gates gifted me in 2021 his book "How to avoid a climate disaster"! I was hugely honored! So, I'm very excited to have been able to gift my book "A Guide to a Healthier Planet" ( https://www.sustainabledecisions.eu/guide-to-a-healthier-planet ) to him in return: a friend gave it to him in person at COP28 in Dubai! I hope he has the time to read it, because I'm sure he will love it!

Cyber-security breaches are becoming increasingly common in today's digital environment. That is why security-by-design is critical: security must be considered from the beginning and throughout the software's life cycle. However, even when software is technically safe, security flaws can be introduced by humans, such as using weak passwords. In a similar way, environmental issues are becoming increasingly common in today's environment. That is why sustainability-by-design is critical: sustainability must considered from the beginning and throughout a product's lifecycle. However, even when products are sustainable, environmental issues can be introduced by humans, such as littering the products. This shows how important our decisions are in day-to-day life and that we can't just rely on others to solve all problems. Please, be part of the solution by making secure and sustainable decisions! (For those who didn't know yet: I'm both an IT-security and environ