Posts

Why glass waste is a great alternative to sand in construction

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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 )

You are someone!

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

The consequences of earthquake damage on the environment and our health

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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

Wonderful and impactful comics for children

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  💫 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

Notebook

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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 cause a lot of damage around the world

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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 )

Lencois Maranheses National Park Brazil

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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

Announcement "Toward (a Green) Peace of Mind" community

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  🌱 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

Announcement of German translation

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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

We swallow a credit card worth of plastic EVERY WEEK

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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 )

Collecting crown corks for charity

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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?

Feel empowered and strong in addressing environmental issues

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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

Kelp forests and their restoration are important for our planet

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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 )

Gifting my book to Bill Gates

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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!

The importance of our decisions in security- vs sustainability-by-design

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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

How sulfur emissions impact climate change and vice versa

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Greenhouse gases are often discussed in the context of climate change because they are warming our planet. Did you know also gases exist that have the opposite effect; gases that cool our planet? One of these is sulfurdioxide (SO2). It is mostly emitted by our oceans. But climate change affects our oceans and as a consequences reduces the cooling effect. In this fascinating article, I explain how this works: https://www.erlijn.nl/link/scicomm.php?l=fb144a3477 (German version: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/wie-der-klimawandel-die-nat%25C3%25BCrlichen-beeinflusst-und-van-genuchten-cblbe ) Our oceans emit sulfur (credit:  winglwk  on  Shutterstock )

xplore Bamboo forest on Bali, Indonesia

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Bamboo is often mentioned as a sustainable material. But do you know where it comes from and how it grows? With this video, you can experience walking though a bamboo forest and learn more about this special material: https://youtu.be/m4rOKLptI-E

Benefits of using yarn leftovers for crafting

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In today's world, where sustainability is increasingly crucial, even our crafting choices can make a significant impact on the environment. One such choice is between using leftover yarn scraps for crafting projects such as this cute sweet instead of buying new yarn. Before reading on, which benefits can you think of? Here are some of the environmental benefits of choosing yarn leftovers: - Reducing waste: Yarn leftovers, often seen as waste, find new life in crafting projects instead of ending up in landfills or being burned. By repurposing these scraps, we contribute to reducing overall waste. - Conserving resources: Crafting with yarn leftovers eliminates the need for new wool or cotton production, which saves a lot of natural resources such as water and energy. Unlike new yarn production, which requires significant resources for sheep farming or cotton production, yarn processing, and transportation, using leftovers minimizes the environmental footprint associated with these pr

Matevulu Blue Hole in Vanuatu

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Let's explore the world together without traveling: Matevulu Blue Hole, Espiritu Santa Island, Vanuatu And visit beautiful places around the world on the Xplore Nature YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@xplore-nature

Former mining areas can be turned into a nature reserve

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Walenhoek in Belgium used to be a clay mining area in the 1900s, but has been transformed into a nature reserve that is today home to a variety of plants. It is a collection of different biotopes and serves to protect species. For example, many flowering plants provide food for wild bees. Click here to go on a virtual guided tour in the Walenhoek nature reserve: https://youtu.be/0m2bbjIbAH0