365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge

I feel that the world can do with more love. Love for #nature, other animals, each other, and ourselves. So as I believe "a better world starts with yourself" I share this love with you! Have a wonderful rest of your Sunday and a great new week! Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: Love birds

The pizza I had this time was too much for lunch. That’s why I put the leftovers in the oven to keep the pizza warm until dinner. This allowed me to have a warm pizza, without having to heat it up again, which saved energy.

I was asked why after clicking the link to my article only the title of the article and photo was visible. That happens when you've reached the maximum number of 3 free articles. If you want unlimited access, you can become a member for only $5 a month: https://medium.com/@erlijng/membership

Someone gave me something in a plastic bag to prevent leaking. Instead of tearing the bag open, I decided to undo the knot, so that I can keep the bag and use it again later.

Did you know that fungi can live inside plants as well? They can even be very helpful for the plant for example by improving the uptake of nutrients, producing plant hormones to support growth, and improving the self-defense system of the plant.  Learn more: https://medium.com/a-microbiome-scientist-at-large/how-fungi-can-help-plants-grow-and-make-agriculture-more-sustainable-bc126a1b7019 Some fungi are helpful for plants (Penicillium; credit:  Kateryna Kon  on  Shutterstock )

At home, I hardly ever drink water from a bottle. But in a restaurant or when on holiday, I do have to take care that I get water from the tap instead of bottled water. I like that taste better and it is saves waste.

This is why invasive species should be kept out: I learned that Japanese knotweed causes many problems in Europe, such as affecting buildings and biodiversity. So, imagine what it does in Japan! Well interestingly, there it's just another harmless plant with natural predators.

I am very aware that this is a form of hoarding, but why throw away perfect buttons when I can still use them in the future when I loose one? Or someone else? If at some point I have too many, I give them to others who can use them well.

This is great! I tested Stream by Stream , because when I listen to music, I like the idea of hearing music from artists, who donate part of their streaming income to projects that support the environment.

Another way to make a shower require less resources is by showering with cold or colder water. I’m not a hero in this respect, so I can’t have a cold shower. But I can use colder water.

Freshwater scarcity is a hot topic, especially in areas experiencing a heat wave. For example this month, Italy has asked citizens to reduce water usage to a minimum. Luckily, we can turn saltwater into drinkable freshwater, even at home. Learn more: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/14-technologies-that-can-prevent-wars-over-drinking-water-85ebca54d850 Many technologies have been developed to create drinking water from saltwater (credit:  nito  at  Shutterstock )

Someone rightly said to me that sometimes clothes are used up and I need new ones. Well, looking at my socks, I realized the time had come to say goodbye. But I can still use part of the textile after having washed them, for example as scraps to blow my now. 

Many positive changes towards a healthier planet are invisible. For example, when a product is produced using less energy. Sometimes, we don't see it although it is right in front of our eyes: I realized this yogurt cup now has a label that can be separated from the plastic.

In my garden sat a bee which did not move when coming closer. My boyfriend picked him up to bring him to the place for bees to drink (#262). But he didn’t want to go there. Nor did he want to go to the insect hotel (#291). Therefore, we we fed him with honey. That’s what he needed, because after eating from it, he flew off.

Wow, I never thought of this before: doing exactly the opposite by making cars absorb CO2 during driving instead of emitting it. @TUeindhoven: "When the car is driving, air will move through our self-designed filters, where the CO2 will be captured and stored." Very clever! Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: Stuff that make me feel proud. Zero #Emission Mobility #zem. A team of Dutch #TUE students developed a car with built-in #C02 filter that captures more #carbondioxide than the car produces while driving.

A while ago, I visited a community garden. I noticed that they had two raised beds: one made of stone and the other one surprisingly from an old tree trunk. I loved it!

Many good deeds by humans are unnoticed. For example, volunteers in #wildlife rehabilitation centers save thousands of animals each year. They treat, feed, train them, and release them when they're strong enough. A beautiful and emotional moment! Learn more: https://medium.com/the-environment/how-wildlife-rehabilitation-centers-help-animals-survive-a-catastrophe-f2339c5e37ae Orphaned otter in care at a wildlife rescue center (credit:  Colin Seddon  on  Shutterstock )

When I get new keys, I label them, otherwise I don’t know what they are for after a while. Instead of buying new plastic labels, I decided to use an old cork, put a ring in and there you are. Nice and easy.

Yesterday, a community member (@Laoch16) on Twitter inspired me with: I believe within all of us is a tree: our lungs. I love the comparison as lungs are essential for us by taking in oxygen and releasing CO2 and trees are essential for our planet by doing the opposite. Upside down they even look like trees:

While buying a new bra, I noticed that some straps where already set to the shortest possible setting. This means that when the strap becomes a bit longer during use, I soon can't use my bra anymore or have to shorten the strap (#612). To be able to use it as long as possible, I paid attention to this.

I love before and after pictures like this! Because they show us something that is normally invisible, even though it is right in front of our eyes. And it shows that small actions towards a healthier planet today have a large positive impact in the future! Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: An urban forest near Bengaluru, containing 50,000+ saplings is growing well. One can imagine how refreshing it would be to take a walk in this area for few mins every day. #UrbanForest #Environment #sustainability

As water cannot get any hotter than 100°C as it evaporates after that, it doesn’t make sense to put more heat in when cooking. That’s why I turn down the heat as much as possible when the water is boiling, only to have enough heat to keep it boiling. This saves energy.

When you love wine, I suggest to enjoy your favorite bottle of wine even more: as climate change will affect grapevines' development cycle, growth, and yield, the quality of your favorite wine may never be the same again soon. Learn more: (credit:  PhotoMIX-Company  on  Pixabay )

Whenever I have old CDs after doing a cleanup in my house, I wonder what I can use them for. I had an idea: I can use them for Christmas decoration! 

Interesting about my sustainability journey is that I realize how true this quote is. For example yesterday, I learned that the RSPO label for sustainable palm oil is currently less effective than I thought (sources below). As together we know more, I love putting our heads together! Sources: Search query: rspo effectiveness in Scholar Google ( https://scholar.google.com ) date: since 2021 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/637/1/012051/pdf - "the adoption of RSPO certification does not have any impacts on the dependent variable" (dependent variable: the amount of CO2 emissions) https://ojs.unikom.ac.id/index.php/injiiscom/article/download/5577/2612 - "This review will solely focus on the environmental pillar of RSPO certification" - "The positive impact of Sustainable Palm Oil certification on reducing forest fire and deforestation is still limited and not convincing." https://eprints.eudl.eu/id/eprint/5110/1/eai.14-9-2020.230

I have a spot on the lawn where the grass didn’t grow so well. To prevent anyone from walking on these spots, I put some iron wire over it. And instead of buying wire, I used some that I found in a bush.

Wow, this is incredible! I at first thought this was amazing craftsmanship by the artist. Then I realized it is amazing craftsmanship by #nature! Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: Leaf Insects.. Incredible nature #biodiversity #nature

While shopping necessary new clothes, I found some products that claimed to be sustainable. I looked at the label why it is sustainable and found out that the textile consisted partly of recycled textiles. Excellent! 

The palm oil industry is currently heavily critiqued, as this industry causes deforestation, biodiversity loss, and higher CO2 levels. For example, on Borneo a forest area the size of Vietnam has been burned down between 2000 and 2018. This negatively impacts the environment in many ways. Learn more, including ideas of what you and I can do to contribute to more sustainability in the palm oil industry: https://medium.com/the-environment/3-reasons-why-the-current-palm-oil-industry-is-disastrous-for-our-planet-1541da015595 Oil palm fruits used to create palm oil (credit:  dolphfyn  on  Shutterstock )

When I have a bottle with only a little bit of soap left, I pour water in it, shake it and use the tiny bit of soap that is left. And interestingly, I can repeat this several times.

I agree with @jamesvgingerich, this deserves a huge thank you! And he is another great example that we can all make a positive difference even without financial resources. What area could you take care of where you live? I pick up trash along a stream. #cleanup #pollution Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: A sincere thank you to this one man gang who is busy cleaning up #Pollution form the Florida Keys. Any way to replicate this enthusiasm and distribute it to other parts of the country? (NowThis) #Environment

I recently ate in a restaurant. For my meal, they served ketchup in a bottle. For the other meal, they served sauce in a small cup. I have seen this before and think it is much better to serve in a bottle, because if it is in a bottle, everything that is left can be passed to the next customer. If it is in a cup, they have to throw leftovers away because of hygienic reasons.

#564 of my 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge is "Leaving part of lawn untouched so that flowers can grow". This year I decided to leave my flower/herb/vegetable corner go wild. Plant #biodiversity increased massively and I had pollinators visiting! Experiment successful :)

From some social network services, I get email notifications to let me know something was posted on the platform. But for some services, I don’t look at these notifications. So to reduce the traffic and the storage space on my computer, I canceled receiving them.

#Nature is amazing and worth protecting! For example, #octopuses have some eye-popping characteristics and looking at how they do things can inspire us to make our solutions more efficient. This article explains how octopuses inspire modern technology: https://medium.com/the-environment/3-eye-popping-characteristics-of-octopuses-that-inspire-modern-technology-19931a9e42ef (credit:  Daniel Eskridge  on  Shutterstock )

Where I live, it is safe for delivery men to leave packages at the door when they arrive and I'm not at home. For example because my neighbors are willing to take the package. As this prevents the delivery man from having to come back, I tick this box when available. In this article is described, how the last mile of package delivery can be made more sustainable:  https://medium.com/the-environment/how-the-last-mile-of-logistics-can-be-made-more-sustainable-bf131ab576cc

Bridges for animals. I have seen them in The Netherlands as well. They are called ecoducts and contribute to #biodiversity. Biodiversity is not only good for ecosystems, but also for our health. This article explains why: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/why-is-biodiversity-important-for-our-health-7d55ff2c2b3c Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: RT if you'd like to see more of this! #ClimateAction #Environment

I used to use really strong chemical stuff to clean the toilet. As I don’t want to use that anymore, I looked up what else works well too. I found out that vinegar works too. I tried it yesterday, and leaving it in there for eight hours, it was really easy to get rid of it. And the good thing is, I can also use it for other things, such as the kettle and the egg cooker.

Wow, today 6 months and 59 articles ago I started sharing Fascinating Facts about nature and sustainability on Medium.com (@ErlijnG). I love this platform as members have unlimited access to articles on a wide range of topics and members support authors through reading time or their referral link: https://www.medium.com/@Erlijng/membership

When a company wants to reduce CO2 emissions, but also we as individuals want to live more environmentally friendly, it is helpful to set a goal and define a strategy how to reach this goal. With a list of steps to take, it is much easier to put them into practice, and makes it more likely to reach the goal. More about setting up a company strategy: https://medium.com/the-environment/how-companies-can-determine-their-co2-reduction-strategy-72f938fb62c5

As more and more people move into cities, greenery in urban areas is replaced by man-made structures. This affects a city’s resilience and sustainability. In this article, I explain how growing plants on roofs can turn this around: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-growing-plants-on-roofs-boosts-a-citys-resilience-and-sustainability-50bad3651e70 The Acros Fukuoka in Fukuoka, Japan, has a green roof (credit:  yyama  on  Shutterstock )

To be able to give away home-made cookies, I like the idea of an inside-out crisps bag, as it makes the wrapping special. And it reduces waste.

Look at the wonderful smile of this man after he has set his little piece of wetland off! Don't you want such a smile as well? I love it, and I also love the idea: very creative way to bring green back! More about benefits of plants in urban areas: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-plants-can-help-cities-to-improve-urban-air-quality-96ed6edc3f5 Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: Small floating treatment wetland. Total cost Rs 200.

As stones and asphalt don't give much room for plants and animals to live, using mulch is a better way to support biodiversity.

Caring for elephants as a trip. I really enjoyed feeding, scrubbing, washing and petting elephants that were rescued in Thailand from horrible circumstances. It felt so heartwarming to do this! And much better than riding them, as they don't like that. This was wonderful and I didn't mind getting dirty at all!

I had a really nice egg cup with “Erlijn” on it. It broke once. I glued the pieces together, but when it fell a second time a few years later, it was too broken to fix. Now I have this lovely small marmalade glass for my eggs.

Pollution is one of the biggest concerns of the 21st century as pollution causes huge health risks. Because of the danger, it is important to restore polluted environments. In this article I explain how plants can help us clean up our mess: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/6-ways-plants-can-help-clean-up-our-mess-from-water-and-soil-e8f82c8fd5e5 Sunflowers can radioactive pollutants from the soil (credit:  Mykhailo Baidala  on  Shutterstock )

Collective hope is the trust that collective action can make a positive difference for our planet. As I strongly believe that having trust motivates to take action, I share my trust in my posts. More information: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-emotion-can-be-leveraged-for-sustainable-behavior-5632f290f413

"Change in as little as 3 days" That's great news, as it shows that we can change very quickly. And I have noticed that change in daily life can happen even faster: when I have found something I want to change, I make the decision in a split second and change overnight. Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: In this case it's for the better (plastic to paper), but isn't it crazy how something you've known your entire life can change in as little as "3 days in July" #photography #streetphotography #abstract #environment #change

During a walk, I came across stinging nettle plants. I remembered that I can brew tea from them. So I decided to harvest a few leaves for a fresh cup of tea after returning home.

After having handed over the We take action! award biodiversity 2022 to Lebanon Reforestation Initiatve yesterday,  I'm excited to announce that application and nomination is now open for the next round! 🌱Current theme: clean water  ⏲️Deadline: November 30  ➡️ https://www.sustainabledecisions.eu/we-take-action-award

Some people believe that living environmentally friendly only causes limitations and shows them what they can't do anymore. But I realize how it benefits me too. For example, when I save hundreds of euros every month, it means I have to work fewer hours to have the same amount of time available.   

While the number of people living in cities increases, air quality in many cities decreases. As air #pollution can have serious health impact, the best solution is to reduce pollution. An alternative is counteracting pollution by growing plants: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-plants-can-help-cities-to-improve-urban-air-quality-96ed6edc3f5 Plants can help improve the air quality in cities (credit:  JaySi  on  Shutterstock )

I find it horrible when I go to a cafe and get a single cookie that is wrapped in plastic. So when I serve a cookie, I make sure it isn’t.

While on my journey to live more environmentally friendly, I don't always see the difference each change is making. But when looking back a few years ago, I recognize the leap. So, please stay encouraged even when you don't see obvious differences on a day to day basis! Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: Since 2007 Eden Reforestation Projects have planted more than 664 million trees in Madagascar 🌳🌳🌳 #environment #climatechange #GlobalWarming

As soil healthy is very important for biodiversity and for plants to grow, it is helpful to plant different crops in different years in the same area. More about this: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-organic-farming-can-be-made-even-more-environmentally-friendly-be55fe42686c

In Thailand, I visited an amazing concert. It started after heavy rain and seemed to come from this grid! It turned out to be a frog concert. I was so surprised to be the only one in the audience, because nature is amazing!

When I borrow items from neighbors, I can’t of course borrow them forever. I came across a video on how to make a watering can from an empty bottle. That’s really easy, so now I don’t have to borrow one anymore.

The number of pollinators has decreased to a dangerous level in recent years. An important reason is urbanization. But surprisingly, not only the number of pollinators decreases, also their behavior changes in urban areas. This article explains how: https://medium.com/the-environment/4-behavioral-changes-of-pollinators-in-urban-compared-to-rural-areas-a45591d9aff2 Hummingbird (credit:  Ondrej Prosicky  at  Shutterstock )

When I do something that is good for the environment and makes me feel good, I look forward to repeating this behavior, as it brings me in a positive spiral of feeling good. More about this phenomenon: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-emotion-can-be-leveraged-for-sustainable-behavior-5632f290f413

Do you have many tiles in your garden? Then this idea may be interesting for you: you can replace them with the stones you see below. A great idea, as you can still walk on them and plants have a chance to grow. Good for #biodiversity and rainwater can flow away more easily. Loading... Twitter Embed Code Retweet text: We doen mee met HaKa Tegelwippen, tegels eruit en plantjes erin. Dit kan ook met z.g. gras tegels. Blijft goed beloopbaar en is toch een stuk groener. Regenwater zakt makkelijker weg en meteen meer biodiversiteit in de tuin 🐝🐞🪲🌱🌿

Of course, I try not to use the microwave. For those cases that I do, I have learned that putting food on a plate in a ring heats up the food more evenly. But because of that, it heats it up quicker too, so that less electricity is required.