365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge

To protect my credit card from bending, I needed a case. Instead of going to the bank to get a plastic one, I created one from the bottoms of two mild cartons. With tape I connected these parts and made the case even stronger. I think the result is great (I'm aware that that is probably because I made it myself, not because it looks so great :) ).

Coral reefs are at risk due to climate change, so we often think about the importance of coral. But did you know that sponges on these reefs are doing an awesome job too? They for example recycle carbon and nitrogen, and remove pollution. Learn more:  https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/coral-reef-stars-why-sponges-on-coral-reefs-are-doing-an-awesome-job-2908681d71e1 (credit:  John A. Anderson  on  Shutterstock )

When I go shopping, I bring my own bag instead of buying a new one. I’ve been using the trolley for example already for years, which has saved me a huge pile of bags.

In a Dutch city, the urban forest is walking, being driven around to different places in the city. A great way for citizens to experience #nature more! And now the trees have come to them, many don't want to let them go. See, we just sometimes forget how wonderful nature is! Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: A “walking forest” of 1,000 trees was never going to move at speed. Since May, volunteers have been transporting the native trees planted in wooden containers along a 3.5km stretch through the Leeuwarden, giving people an opportunity to experience an alternative greener future

Old glass can be used for many more purposes than creating new glass (Learn more:  https://medium.com/the-environment/7-alternative-ways-to-recycle-glass-waste-7b308b3eb117 ). One of the ways is to create mosaic in for example a pavement stone.

Yesterday, I saw this tree with bags around it. If found out that they are watering bags. They water the tree for 6-9 hours through tiny holes, to prevent it from dying due to climate change. And watering like this is more effective than using a watering can. Great idea!

I have learned that doing the dishes by hand requires – with the right habits – less energy and water. That’s why I’ve done it by hand.

Did you know plastic can be like a boomerang? When you throw it away, it can eventually come back to you. But if it does, it probably returns without you knowing. This is because it for example ended up in the beef or fish on your plate. Learn more: https://medium.com/the-environment/how-plastic-that-ends-up-or-is-dumped-in-the-ocean-affects-aquatic-organisms-a7452d60f55 Plastic dumped in the ocean is often eaten by aquatic organisms (credit:  Pogorelova Olga  on  Shutterstock )

Although a vegan or vegetarian meal is even more environmentally friendly, eating insect based products is also better than eating livestock meat. One of the products made from insects if flour, which can be used to bake bread. More on eating insects: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/6-reasons-why-we-should-be-eating-farmed-insects-d512e658ad09

Good news: In July Switzerland opened a facility to generate and store #renewableEnergy. It is based on two lakes, one higher than the other. How this technology works is explained in: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-energy-from-renewable-sources-can-be-stored-696b425c302 It can for example charge 400.000 electrical vehicles in parallel! Loading... Twitter Embed Code Zwei Seen, eine riesige Staumauer und sechs Hochleistungsturbinen: In der Schweiz steht ein gigantisches Pumpspeicherwerk. Die neue Anlage kann genug Strom speichern, um 400.000 E-Autos aufzuladen. Gleichzeitig.

By removing a lot of old emails, I save storage capacity. But also, when I make a backup from my hard drive, it saves time and energy as all these old emails don’t need to be transferred.

Many technologies can help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions through digitalization. Still, the energy system transformation is slow. But why? This article by the UN (@UNECE) for which I was lead author explains behavioral barriers that hold us back: https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2022-07/ECE_ENERGY_GE.6_2022_5_Final.pdf

When companies decide to implement their CO2 reduction strategy, it is important that this is supported. So, every employee, manager, and external partner involved can do their share to support these efforts.

One option to get away from fossil fuels is using biofuels. Did you know these can be made from microalgae? These algae double within 24 hours, so very quickly huge numbers can be harvested and turned into different types of fuel, such as biodiesel: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-microalgae-can-be-used-as-a-great-alternative-to-fossil-fuels-247e6137693c Microalgae can be used to produce biofuel (credit:  Mark Rademaker  on  Shutterstock )

If possible (unfortunately, often one is printed even when I don’t want one), I refuse a receipt in a shop. For for example electronic devices, I of course need one. In that case, I ask for a digital one.

Now this is an incredible piece of art about the future of our oceans: https://youtube.com/watch?v=kQg4pYy6wvM#t=0m10s And I'm so happy, that a big stage like this, is also used to share important messages! Learn more about how art can be used to teach environmental topics: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-can-art-be-used-to-teach-children-about-climate-change-5fbbb9cc641b

I cycled past this house, which is very thoroughly renovated. As you can see, the wooden structure is kept. Apart from that this gives the house its typical architecture, it is a great example of reusing materials.

Yesterday, I traveled by train using Germany's 9-euro-ticket. I can travel with this ticket in regional trains, all month long. It should compensate the high energy prices, but is of course also good for the environment as many more now travel by train instead of car. Great!

By sharing how I change my daily habits, I ensure that I keep on going: if I wouldn’t do that, no one would know when I would skip a day or stop altogether, which makes it easier to do so.

On social media, I read so many cries for change to limit global warming. But how can we turn this around? In this article, I explain 19 strategies that can help mitigate climate change, including ocean fertilization and carbon capture and storage: https://medium.com/the-environment/its-getting-hot-19-strategies-that-can-help-our-planet-to-cool-down-2eaa96c29130 Reducing CO2 that is emitted into the atmosphere prevents further warming up (credit:  Anton Watman  on  Shutterstock )