365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge

With skyrocketing gas prices in Europe, it is not only good for the environment to turn the heating to a lower temperature, it is also good for our wallet. This year, I see how far I can come without turning the heating on at all.

Did you know elephants rarely get cancer? This is surprising as they have many cells and can live 80 years. So to be able to survive, evolution has created a solution: they have 20 (!) copies of a gene that suppresses tumors. More fascinating facts:  https://medium.com/the-environment/4-animals-that-grow-old-because-they-age-in-an-unexpected-way-3877b4177205 Blind mole rats live much longer than would be expected based on their size (credit:  taviphoto  at  Shutterstock )

When I have breakfast in, for example, a hotel, butter is often presented in little plastic cups or packaging. I don’t like this, as it is quite a bit of waste for only a little bit of content (and they probably aren’t even recycled). But I want to stick to my breakfast routines to make sure that I have lots of energy during the day – for example to write this – so I decide in favor of butter with the least wrapping possible.

Yesterday at the IFN international team meeting, we had very interesting conversations and got to know awesome #sustainability projects. For example,  Sudhakar Kumarasamy Ph.D. shared a project involving a sustainable school ( Vera Angelita School ). This school supports young girls with high-quality education for a better future, including an environmentally friendly lifestyle. And  🌍🌱 Eric Spoerndli shared his project  Stream by Stream , which lets us listen to free music. When we listen to their music, we support projects contributing to a healthier planet as well! And as these meetings are also about sharing knowledge and skills, we for example discussed the positive impact of these projects and that making a positive difference for our planet doesn't have to be difficult at all! Would you like to share your project too and benefit from knowledge and skills from other experts? Learn more about these weekly team meetings and sign up here: https://www.sustainabledecisions.eu

When the distance to work is too long to walk or cycle with a normal bike, and cannot be reached very well with public transport, then I like the idea of using an e-bike instead of a car. It saves a lot of CO 2  emissions and when I would come home, I would already have done my sports for that day.  

Did you know eggshells can make your house stronger? They can improve the properties of building materials. And on top of that, they reduce the contribution of conventional materials to climate change. So, many good reason to use them. This is how: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-eggshells-can-be-used-to-build-a-stronger-house-964d53534342 Eggshell are often thrown away, but can be put to good use in construction (credit:  Nomad_Soul  on  Shutterstock )

In hotel bathrooms and public toilets, I have often seen these plastic bags. I guess they should be used to throw away sanitary towels? If this is correct, I still don’t understand why using a plastic bag. In other places, I have seen paper bags. Much better! If only plastic bags are available, I wrap anything that needs wrapping in toilet paper instead. That works really well too!

As we're overusing earthly resources, it will currently take over 1,000 years to be restored. And this number will grow as we already used up our resources for 2022 on July 28th. We can turn this around with massive action. Here is how: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-we-can-help-save-our-planet-by-using-energy-more-efficiently-40e02d8c4b9 Improving energy efficiency will help save our planet (credit:  Olivier Le Moal  on  Shutterstock )

Green air barriers between pedestrians or buildings and cars are helpful to improve air quality. This is because they mix polluted air with cleaner air and cause the air to flow upward, away from the people. Learn more: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-plants-can-help-cities-to-improve-urban-air-quality-96ed6edc3f5

Droughts have been a huge issue already this year, and with climate change, it will probably become worse. But what do we do when freshwater runs out? We can desalinate water, and in case of an emergency we can do this:  https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/2-methods-that-can-save-us-when-freshwater-runs-out-eb94c210262d (credit:  design36  on  Shutterstock )

When in the future I will move and I can decide how the garden will look like, I’ll make sure I have as many plants as possible. Plants provide more space for animals to live than for example a terrace.  

Did you know that eggshells can be put to good use in many different ways? For example:  - as fertilizer  - to make coffee less bitter  - to remove the grayness of with clothes  - natural drain cleaner  - to give your skin a treat  So, I won't throw them away anymore! (credit:  Chamille White  on  Shutterstock )

Every year, a lot of fishing gear gets lost in the ocean. How many times do you think this gear can go round our planet (so what is the total length)? Every year, 14 billion hooks, 25 million traps and almost 740.000 kilometer (460.000 miles) fishing lines disappears into the ocean! So that is 18.5 times around our planet!  (credit:  vitrolphoto  on Shutterstock )

Once a week I bake self-made pizza at 225°C. As the oven remains hot for quite some time after re-setting the temperature to 0°C, I tried switching off the oven after 19 instead of 20 minutes. It worked just as well to use the remaining heat in the oven. Also, I used the remaining heat to keep the pizza warm whilst eating the first few pieces. Yummy!

A pictures does often say more than a 1000 words. And the words add to it. I seldom use a car, and don't even own one. Instead, I use my bike or walk, or go by train for long distances. And by buying a train ticket, I vote with my money for continued train services. 70 people in a #bus Vs... 70 people in #cars And you, how do you commute? #green #sustainability pic.twitter.com/0qeRVAayZY — Pascal Bornet (@pascal_bornet) October 14, 2022 Retweet text: 70 people in a #bus Vs... 70 people in #cars And you, how do you commute? #green #sustainability

 Apart from looking great, growing native flowers on balconies helps pollinators living in urban areas.

> Do you want to grow your internationally focused  #sustainability  project/company? > And do you want to benefit from knowledge and experience from other experts in the field? If yes, join the international team from the International Forum for Nature and Sustainability. Why? Benefit from knowledge and skills from other experts in the field and share yours to be able to make a larger positive difference for our planet. And faster. Who? Anyone who 1) has, is planning, or is part of a project/company/etc with an international focus in the field of sustainability and 2) wants to grow as a person to make an even larger positive contribution to the environment and society with this project/company/etc. How? Weekly meeting on Thursday 4:00 - 5:30 pm CET per videoconferencing Language: English Cost: free Spots are limited! Feel free to share with others in your network who could be interested as well. Learn more and sign up to join: https://www.sustainabledecisions.eu/IFN-int-team

It is a few years ago that I have received my last paper bank statement. I now only have online statements which saves a lot of paper.  

Did you know whales can be key in mitigating climate Change?  That is because each great whale stores on average 33 tons (73,000 pounds) of CO2 per year. That is 1,500 time as much as a tree can store in a year! Learn more fascinating facts about whales: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/world-changers-4-reasons-why-whales-and-their-poop-are-important-59377db7a1e3 Whales are very important for our planet’s health (credit:  Paul S. Wolf  on  Shutterstock )

When putting waste in the bin, it is easy for me to just throw it in as it is. But this way, I also throw away a lot of air. This means that I need more bags for the same amount of rubbish. As the waste bags are made of plastic, I generate even more plastic waste. And more plastic bags need to be produced. Therefore, I flattened this carton.  

As you may know, I'm also an ethical hacker, testing websites on security issues. Doing IT security projects not only helps make the digital world a safer place, it also allows me to sponsor my own #sustainability work. And last week, my presentation was a lot of fun as well! Interesting and entertaining talk on "How human errors and mistakes can play into attackers’ hands" by @ErlijnG at @SoftwareQSTag #qstag pic.twitter.com/9fWkKgtXyl — Florian Fieber (@florian_fieber) October 5, 2022 Interesting and entertaining talk on "How human errors and mistakes can play into attackers’ hands" by @ErlijnG at @SoftwareQSTag #qstag

I recently heard a story from The Netherlands having trouble with knotweed (Fallopia japonica). It is an Asian plant, that grows quickly, is difficult to get rid of, and can damage for example buildings and bridges.  

The word “smog” is a combination of “smoke” and “fog” Car traffic causes smog, because dust from for example car tires and asphalt mixes with car fumes and air. If completely preventing smog is impossible, air pollutants air can be removed. This is how: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-buildings-can-be-turned-into-air-pollution-eaters-42a5793d233b Special coatings cannot only remove air pollutants, they can also clean themselves (credit: image based on picture by  dymaxfoto  on  Shutterstock )

On one of my walks, I noticed a little hut that was made by children. It was made from branches that they found in the woods. I liked the idea compared to the one that is made from wood that is bought in the shop. It saves chopping a tree and transporting the wood.  

In a crisis situation, we often get more done than we would have thought possible in advance. That is because experiencing a pain makes us more eager to change.I for example never used to like online meetings, but loved moderating and speaking at the hybrid session at the UN!

In my spare time, I love crafting. And when I have crafted the presents, I love putting nice wrappings around them. The sticky tape I usually use is made of … well, not something that looks good for the environment. So, I looked for alternatives and found masking tape. I already used this when painting, for example, walls to cover the window frames. Now I also use it for crafting, wrapping presents, sticking notes on the door, closing bags, etc.  

Did you know that waste cooking oils can be used in building insulation? These oils for example come from restaurants and can be turned into hard fat. It contains fatty acids that do a great job in storing heat and saving energy.

A green oasis is an area with slow-moving air and without polluters, which contains or is surrounded by plants. The advantage as that the air quality is improved by doing this, especially in urban areas with air pollution. Learn more: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-plants-can-help-cities-to-improve-urban-air-quality-96ed6edc3f5

Have you ever thought of what happens to sunscreen after you applied it? Chemicals in it end up in water both directly, for example during swimming, or indirectly, for example after having washed the sunscreen off in the shower, harming animals: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/beware-our-sunscreen-can-affect-and-kill-marine-animals-af51549c7dc8 Sunscreen is important for our health but can be harmful for the environment (credit:  Max Topchii  on  Shutterstock )

Another way to help insects is becoming a beekeeper. I cannot currently do this, but I keep it in mind for the future.

I'm excited, as tomorrow I'll be presenting and co-moderating at the Ninth session of the Group of Experts on Energy Efficiency. This session is part of the Sustainable Energy Expert Week 2022 organized by @UNECE. https://unece.org/sustainable-energy/events/ninth-session-group-experts-energy-efficiency

At work, I use a wireless mouse, which you can see here. I switch it off when I don’t use it to save energy. I can also save energy by switching off other devices, such as my computer, smart phone, screens, printer and ,at home, my router. I noticed that depending on the device, there are additional advantages. In this case I don’t have as many empty batteries that I need to dispose of in a special battery receptacle at certain shops.