365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge

This is very interesting: powering devices with algae, another example that the number of possible solutions to today's environmental issues are endless. So, I believe that the most important roadblock for making a difference faster is not technology, it's our psychology. Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: Algae has powered this computer for 1 year and counting. (World Economic Forum) #Energy #Technology #EnviroTech #Environment

After having created a new laundry basket (#314), I wondered what to do with the old, broken one. As the sides contain nice flowers, I decided to cut these parts out and keep them as templates for crafting. Also, the bottom part is a perfect tray when carrying cutlery and plates.

Birds get a home in my city too. When I walk to the city center, I pass this sign. It says that the area is protected because of a breeding kingfisher. It teaches me they need quietness and peace as they quickly leave the nest unattended. Of course I am happy to stay away.

I love going on a cycle holiday. The first one was in 2013, when I cycled from my home in Germany to my parents in The Netherlands. It is a great way to reduce CO2 emission and still have a great time.

Did you know about 2,000 insects are edible? And eating (farmed) insects has many advantage both for us and for the environment. In this article, I explain 6 reasons why it is a good idea to eat farmed insects or products made from insects: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/6-reasons-why-we-should-be-eating-farmed-insects-d512e658ad09 Insects can help us reach the goal of zero hunger in the world (credit:  katerinavulcova  on  Pixabay )

I accidentally let some bread became old. So I did some research on what I can still do with old bread. Making croutons sounded like a good idea, as I can eat it with my next salad.

When I was a student, I lived in Utrecht. The brief video you can see here is exactly how I remember it: mostly bikes, pedestrians and busses. Even though I wasn't into sustainability back then, maybe I noticed it unconsciously? Because I do love this city a lot. #cycling Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: 🚲 I remember this street in Utrecht from the 1980s when it was just a big smelly traffic jam. Look at this video: what an amazing improvement to the quality of city life and air quality. #cycling #cities #bike #environment #AirPollution #health

As I'm living in a rental house and the tank of my toilet is hidden, I can't do this. But I think it is an excellent idea to save water!

It frustrates me that little money is available for projects contributing to a healthy planet. As my motto is "a better world starts with yourself", I set up the "We take action! award" to support non-profit projects. Deadline for the current theme biodiversity is May 31st. More information, nomination and application on:  https://www.sustainabledecisions.eu/we-take-action-award

To be able to drill the holes of the laundry basket (#314) in equal distances, I printed a template. For this purpose, it was perfectly fine to use some old scrap paper to print on.

Many countries have set the goal to become net-zero. But setting a goal without specifying how to reach this goal makes it highly unlikely that it will be reached. In this article I explain how companies can determine their CO2 reduction strategy: https://medium.com/the-environment/how-companies-can-determine-their-co2-reduction-strategy-72f938fb62c5 “Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers” — Tony Robbins (credit image:  mohamed_hassan  on Pixabay)

During one of my cleanups, I found this helmet in a stream. It was too far away from the side for anyone to reach it. But with my grabber, it was easy to get out. So, I took it out, so that the owner could get it back and use it again.

As humans often do more for others than for themselves, recycling for a dog is a great idea: you put your bottle in and the machine gives dog food back. #doglovers #recycling Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: #JLBmornings: Awww, in Turkey they have 'reverse' vending machines. You recycle a bottle, and dog food comes out for the stray dogs😍

Have you ever wondered how living environmentally friendly benefits you? For example for me: it saves me hundreds of euros each month, which means I have to work fewer hours and can still spend the same amount of money. Is that worth a lot for you too?

I found a basket outside that was left there by someone for it to be disposed. But it looked quite okay, so I took it and made a laundry basket out of it.

"Focus is the only superpower you really need" I came across this quote, and indeed, this is so important for my #sustainability work as well. And yet, it is sometimes so wonderful to get distracted, for example by this image :) #sustainableLiving #mindset Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: #PositiveVibes #positivity

At my friend's house, I had the chocolate spread you see on the right for breakfast. I noticed that it doesn't contain palm oil. As a lot of forest is cut down to produce palm oil, it is a good idea to refrain from eating it. Now I know this product exists, I'll buy this next time as well.

Luckily, where I am from, glass recycling is common practice. But what to do when too much glass waste is produced and not everything can be turned into new glass products? In this article, I describe 7 alternatives: https://medium.com/the-environment/7-alternative-ways-to-recycle-glass-waste-7b308b3eb117 Crushed glass waste can be used for many different purposes (credit:  Portraitor  on  Pixabay )

I have a dice which has a missing side. Instead of buying a new one, I took some wood leftovers to made a nice and quick-and-dirty new one.

A typical tomato is for me red and round. Did you know so many different types exist? This is also called #biodiversity as biodiversity is not only between but also within species. And here I explain why biodiversity is important for our health: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/why-is-biodiversity-important-for-our-health-7d55ff2c2b3c Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: Tomato #biodiversity. (Not my picture)

I spent a weekend at a friend's house. She really made a big effort cleaning the house beforehand, baking a cake, and other preparations. One of my ways to say "thank you" was to repair her favorite two trousers that had holes in it. Now she can wear them even longer.

Humans are good at seeing sudden but not slow changes. That is why I believe a pandemic or humanitarian crisis triggers action quickly, whereas a slow process like the climate crisis triggers action a lot slower. And yet, it is happening, whether we see it or not:

As unfortunately some plants were stepped upon by children who were playing in my garden, I decided to make a kind of fence from rope. But to be able to get water for the plants, I also needed a gate. To be able to open the fence, I made a system with corks: I can hook the cork through a loop, so that the rope is straight; by unhooking the cork, I can loosen the rope. This requires a lot less material than a wooden fence/gate and is hardly visible.

Deforestation is usually discussed in rural areas, but trees are also important in cities. This is why many cities set up regulations and incentives to meet canopy cover targets. In this article, I explain how they can protect trees on private land: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-cities-can-protect-trees-on-private-land-7a4184644f29 Cities can also protect trees on private properties (credit:  M.Pakats  on  Shutterstock )

I have a small oven, which has a light that stays on, even when I put the temperature to 0°C / 32°F. To save energy, I turned the time to zero as well, so that the light stopped burning.  

What is your first thought when seeing this picture? Mine: "Oh, hello, nice to meet you" That's interesting, as this is how I react in many other situations too. So, it tells me how I look at the world: open, curious, welcoming. What can you learn from your first thought? Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: Instead of looking with a condescending gaze, it's time for #humanity to begin seeing Eye-To-Eye with the Natural World... 🦋LJC @GeraldKutney #climate #conservation #environment #ecosystem #biodiversity #SustainableLiving #life #EarthKeepersUnite

I have mounted a birdhouse in my garden. It is wonderful that the birds have a safe place to make their nest. And I like it as well, especially when they fly in and out to get food for the baby birds.

Yesterday, I went on a wonderful cycle tour, enjoying the beauty of spring. And I noticed that I appreciate nature even more. Which makes sense, as we care for the things we love and love the things we take care of even more. Enjoy the ride too: https://twitter.com/ErlijnG/status/1526963323849383936

One of the biggest problems of the 21st century is pollution. This is because pollution is often toxic and builds up in the environment as it doesn't degrade. In this article, I explain how microorganisms can help by removing pollutants: https://medium.com/the-environment/how-microorganisms-remove-pollutants-from-soil-and-water-38bfd97fe267 One of the biggest problems of the twenty-first century is environmental pollution (credit:  Kirill Gorshkov  on  Shutterstock )

When a computer boots, it starts several processes automatically. I know that in Windows, you can change which processes start in the task manager. You can reach the task manager by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del on the keyboard, choose task manager, and then go to the Autostart tab. This is helpful, as processes that run in the background use electricity unnecessarily.

I was curious whether it is possible to make a new candle from candle leftovers. To be able to try, someone gave me these four stumps. I melted them in a tin from my waste bag and poured it into a glass that was left from making pizza. As you can see, it worked.

What a clever way to reduce the amount of pesticides: using dogs to find plants that are ill, so that they can be removed before the illness spreads. #agriculture #sustainability #SDGs Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: Reduce the use of indiscrimate chemical fungicides and pesticides. Preserve the #Environment by deploying trained dogs instead! (World Economic Forum)

My dishwasher has an energy-saving setting. I always use this setting, as it makes my dishes nice and clean. 

I noticed that the fan of my laptop was very loud at some point. I wondered what was going on and looked in the task manager (on Windows laptops you can press Ctrl+Alt+Delete on the keyboard and then choose Task manager) to see which process was taking a lot of CPU capacity. It was my browser, so I decided to close tabs I didn’t need anymore. This helped a lot and therefore reduced energy use.

In June, I'll be traveling to Thailand to present at the Water and Waste Management conference. To reduce the environmental impact of my flight, I have - carbon offsetted the flight - booked direct flights - booked economy class - and will travel to and from the airport by train

Good news: more and more governments are putting regulations in place, to make environmental education an important part of educational programs. In this article, I explain 3 initiatives teachers can take to make this education effective: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/what-makes-environmental-education-effective-7e33ab3274fb Environmental education is becoming an important part of educational programs (credit:  Rawpixel.com  on  Shutterstock )

Both on my computer and my smartphone, it is possible to use the dark mode. This means that each window is app is shown in darker colors. This saves energy, as less light has to be beamed by the screen.

When I was a teenager, I often cycled around on my racing bike. After getting back from a tour, I always noticed many tiny insects stuck to my sun cream. Today, I hardly catch any insect. Have you noticed the big difference too? #biodiversity #insects Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: Show this threa

Whenever I go for a run or cycle tour, I take a tiny notebook with me. Many ideas pop up during these activities, and of course I don’t want to lose the thoughts before I get back. My first tiny notebook was given to me by someone; my new one is made from paper leftovers.

On my research I came across this beautiful quote: "Photography is a form of hunting where that which is shot, lives forever" - Muhammad Mahdi - Isn't this a way more beautiful way of hunting animals than trophy hunting? credit:  0fjd125gk87  on Pixabay

Boiling something in a pressure cooker is more energy efficient than in a normal pan. I already knew this, but forgot. So, in between writing this, I have put a message in a Facebook group which is dedicated to sharing stuff, asking whether someone has one unused. This is better than buying a new one in a shop.

Storing energy from renewable energy sources is essential to balance supply and demand; e.g. when the wind doesn't blow. A well-known technology are batteries, but there is more. In this article I explain 6 types of technologies to store excess energy: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-energy-from-renewable-sources-can-be-stored-696b425c302 To be able to balance the supply and demand for electricity in the grid, storing energy is essential (credit:  mipan  on  Shutterstock )

I have a few boxes laying around that I keep in case I need to send something by post. But most don’t look good from the outside. I learned that you can turn boxes inside out. As the inside often still looks good, it is as if I have bought a new one.

Isn't this beautiful? It definitely warms my heart! And if you are taking action to promote #biodiversity, please remember to apply for the "We take action! award", or nominate an initiative so that they can apply. The deadline is May 31st: https://sustainabledecisions.eu/we-take-action-award Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: If this isn't protection, empathy, & fellowship, then how can we call it better? Like humans, animals are also sentients, & they deserve to exist, live, & be happy in their natural habitats. 🙏 HK

Unfortunately, many couples these days split up and start living in separate households. It is a lot more environmentally friendly to live together, as you can for example share many things and only have to heat one house. This saves a lot of waste and energy. 

I have no idea how this is possible: I felt an urge to color in my coloring book. I don't like it but started anyway. After having colored 2 cm2 (0.31 inch2), I saw this quote. It was exactly what I needed to hear! I stopped to finish some projects and felt much better

Whenever I have to keep pages together, I use a staple. But I learned that when I have between two and four pages, I can also keep them together by folding and cutting.

With many environmental issues being obvious, an important question is why not everyone has adopted pro-environmental behavior yet. One factor is our identity, which means how we see ourselves. In this article I explain the role of different identities:  https://medium.com/the-environment/how-our-identities-encourage-pro-environmental-behavior-76877e7ad67c How we see ourselves influences whether we behave environmentally-friendly (credit:  Digital Storm  on  Shutterstock )

I have learned that vegan alternatives for animal leather exist. This purse is made from cactus leather. Great!

Do you ever wonder what happens with hotel soap that is used and left behind? Most of it is trashed unless a great initiative like @CleanTheWorld collects it and creates new soap from these leftovers. #zeroWaste #sustainableLiving #recycling Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: Hotels are known to generate large volumes of solid waste. However, implementing a waste reduction program with soap and bottled amenity recycling can protect the environment, preserve natural resources, and reduce costs. 🌎Show this thread

Whenever I have a call and I use video, it has always been a struggle to have my smartphone in the right position. So I decided to make a stand from two corks, instead of buying one.

As I know that my thoughts shape my feelings, I look at the positive side of things as much as possible. For example, I just found 3 gray hairs on my head, which I don't see as a sign of getting old, but as a sign of getting wise! 😀🥳

As I down own the place I live in, I can't install a bidet and as it is uncommon where I live, I hardly ever use one. But it is a great way to save resources. The reason is that paper needs to be produced, packed, shipped, etc, and water does not. And creating paper requires a lot of water as well, so it probably saves water too.

Nature never stops impressing me: bar-tailed godwits can fly from Alaska to New Zealand non-stop! That is 11,000 km / 6,835 miles, equal to the longest flight (Frankfurt - Buenos-Aires is 11,486 km / 7,137 miles). Here I explain how this is possible:  https://medium.com/the-environment/why-bar-tailed-godwits-can-fly-nonstop-from-alaska-to-new-zealand-1ac110b1ac54 A bar-tailed godwit (credit:  No-longer-here  on  Pixabay )

Whenever I buy a new device, for example washing machine, I make sure that it is energy efficient. I recognize this by the energy label. A device labeled with for example A+++ is a lot more efficient than a device labeled with C.

With creativity, we can see things in leftovers, that others would have thrown away. Looking at it like this gives trash a whole new meaning: valuable materials to create something new. I've seen nice examples from some of you in the past and do #upcycling myself too. Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: Good Morning Friends ~ The tallest tree in Wales got damaged by a storm and was supposed to be cut down, instead chainsaw artist Simon O'Rourke found a better solution to symbolize the tree’s last attempt to reach the sky.

I seldom watch TV, especially not with friends, because I prefer to have a good chat. And it is more environmentally friendly, because it saves electricity. Of course assuming we can meet without telephone and video-conferencing. 

Recently, I learned about the existence of community gardens. Coincidentally, last week I had the chance to visit one. It is nice how people work together, compared to allotments where everyone has their own. And it has many advantages for our planet: https://medium.com/the-environment/how-urban-gardening-contributes-to-sustainable-development-goals-785df8d72af5

Every now and then, the large pieces of waste are collected. I saw a lot of stuff waiting to be collected with a lot of things that were still good quality. For example this frame. So I rescued it from being disposed.

How long do think 100 worms need to eat this plastic bag? You can find the answer for 5 different types of worms in this article and learn why they are able to digest plastic:  https://medium.com/climate-conscious/5-plastic-eating-worms-3eace65e4bce

This is a great idea by Jasmel :  to look at the print preview before printing a document, as this makes it possible to change the layout without having to print it several times. This saves ink and paper. And money of course.

I love simple and effective solutions. And I can imagine this is a wonderful thing to do on a children's birthday party: Doing some crafting together first and then make a trip to the forest to celebrate and plant trees. #biodiversity #deforestation #environment Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: Reforestation projects made easy. Just throw and go! (Waste Ed) #Environment

In my house is a smart thermostat installed. I can program it in such a way that it starts heating at a certain time, but what I find especially important is that it regulates the temperature. That way, it doesn’t accidentally get too hot using more energy and water than necessary.