365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge

After another extremely busy year, taking many initiatives towards a healthier planet, I'm taking a break. I'll be back on January 9th. Have a wonderful last part of this year, a good start of 2023, and stay healthy! (credit:  Alones  on Shutterstock )

Of course it is better not to fly at all, but when I do, I make sure I book a direct flight, as additional short flights cause extra CO2 emissions. 

Did you know that sensors, radar, and lasers can be used to measure different characteristics of an environment and assess its health? And doing this in an automated way helps us determine how the current environmental crises develop. Learn more: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/how-remote-sensing-can-help-us-determine-environmental-health-9cbb194e546f Remote sensing can provide us information about the health of our environment (credit:  ASVMAGZ  on  Shutterstock )

When I have leaves on the grass, I rake them away (#79). However, when they are in the border, I leave them, as they provide insects and other small animals a great place to hide.  

Did you know that our guts impact our mental health by directly communicating with our brain? This is because microorganisms in our guts produce substances that keep us mentally healthy. One of these substances is dopamine, our feel-good hormone. Learn more: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/3-ways-to-take-care-of-your-gut-to-prevent-eco-depression-ee0882f25ff6 Taking care of our intestines can help us prevent and treat depression (credit:  SpeedKingz   on   Shutterstock )

I have to admit, deciding to use a laundry rack takes a bit more time than using a dryer. But while putting the clothes up, I usually listen to some music so it is not so bad. And it just feels better to only use the dryer in case my clothes – or often bed sheets – need to get dry fast. Not only do I use less electricity, my clothes wear out less quickly too!  

The winner of the   We take action! award - clean water 2022 is the EVOLVE Initiative! They're doing many amazing things for example designing and constructing floating wetlands to treat polluted water and cleaning ponds! (pictures below) Congratulations! ❤️ https://www.facebook.com/EvolveEngineering/ https://www.instagram.com/evolve_engineering/ EVOLVE in action: pond before it is cleaned EVOLVE in action: pond after it is cleaned EVOLVE in action: carrying floating island EVOLVE in action: wetland with islands

When I go on holiday or take a break and travel somewhere, I always make sure I bring as little as possible. This saves energy, especially on long journeys. 

Did you know that the silk industry is a very sustainable industry? It is circular, meaning hardly anything is wasted and materials are used again and again. And not only silk is produced, also products for nutrition and medical purposes. Learn more: https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/why-the-silk-industry-is-a-good-example-for-other-industries-602f6c7aef84 A silk worm on cocoons eating a mulberry leaf (credit:  fotohunter  on  Shutterstock )

There are different types of shower heads. I have one that is water saving, which is an easy way for me to use less water during showering.

What can swarms teach us to reduce CO2 emissions? Listen to the answer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KklMQ9muG2I

Did you know that the world population passed 8 billion people on November 15th and grows by 80 million every year? This rapid increase makes solving environmental issues even more challenging. Learn how we can stabilize the growing world population: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/3-key-ways-to-stabilize-the-growing-world-population-e8610c3fe8 The world’s population is still growing (credit: image by  Duncan Pond , published with permission)

With my washing machine – and I guess most can do this – I can choose the temperature and the time it takes to wash the clothes. The standard setting of the program I pick is 40°C and 2,5 hours. I have tried whether it works just as well to wash with 30°C and only about 1 hour. And it does, which saves a lot of energy.

Wow, the beauty of nature combined with reusing materials as a way to care for nature. Gorgeous and creative! What materials do you have at home that you can use to craft for example a Christmas present? 'Robin' by UK sculptor Barbara Franc, using recycled metals #WomensArt #BirdsOfTwitter pic.twitter.com/jDsj00q202 — #WOMENSART (@womensart1) December 6, 2022

Misinformation can do a lot of harm. But sometimes pointing it out can make it even worse. That is why it is important to adhere to best practices. Learn more about how to do this here: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/shocked-by-climate-change-denial-how-to-deal-with-misinformation-4aefff91c232

Did you know that food production causes more than 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions? And it uses 70% of fresh water sources every year? So with now over 8 billion people, it is important to improve our food production. Learn more about how: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/5-ways-to-improve-our-food-production-and-save-our-planet-e167c5533c0b Food production needs to become more sustainable to save our planet (credit:  cherries  on  Shutterstock )

I noticed this water pump in someone’s garden and think it is a clever idea. It is another possibility if catching water in a rain barrel (#372) or using water from a stream (#286) is not possible.

Did you know that global warming can cause issues in pregnant women and unborn babies? For example: - malformation of boys' sex organs - reduced birth weight - gestational diabetes - high blood pressure Learn more about what can happen and why: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/10-effects-of-global-warming-on-pregnant-women-and-birth-defects-aae3925bda0f High temperatures can affect both mom and baby during pregnancy (credit:  MariyaL  on  Shutterstock )

Whenever I use the washing machine to wash my clothes, I make sure that it is properly filled. Leaving it half empty is I think a waste of electricity and water, as the machine then needs to run twice for the same amount of clothes.

Did you know that silvopasture involves combining trees, livestock, and forage on the same piece of land? Even though it can be complex, it has many advantages for the environment and animals. And it has many economic and social benefits. Learn more: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/22-advantages-of-silvopasture-as-type-of-regenerative-agriculture-1e333cb980b4 Silvopasture can have different forms depending on the species mix (credit:  vladimir salman  on  Shutterstock )

Preventing over-fishing is very important, as too few fish can change ecosystems completely. That is because less fish will be available for other animals, who reduce in numbers, etc. having far-reaching consequences. 

I agree! By doing things the same way, we will get the same results. Only be choosing different routes can we arrive at another destination. And remember: already a 1° shift of direction will over time bring us in a completely different place. What turn are you taking next? If we want to live better lives in the future, I believe it is critical that we work toward the environment by planting🌴🌳🎄🍀🌿☘️ trees🌳🌴🌲 and creating fruit forests🌲🌲🌳🌲🌲. https://t.co/I7cXyP3jWP #Environmentalist #climatewarrior #IndianEnvironmentalist #tamilnadu pic.twitter.com/xBsmWRjzo8 — Prasiddhi Singh (@Prasiddhi_O) November 28, 2022

Interestingly, I realized that by growing a fence, I can actually add something to nature. By building one, I would take materials (wood, iron, etc.) from nature. That’s an easy choice now.

What a creative way to reuse plastic bottles for urban gardening! Urban gardening contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (#SDGs) in many different ways. Learn more about why urban gardening is a great way to contribute to a healthier planet: https://medium.com/the-environment/how-urban-gardening-contributes-to-sustainable-development-goals-785df8d72af5 Recycling Plastics & Planting Eggplant for sustainable living :) #GoGreenWith5ire pic.twitter.com/ElP5V2DeBh — CB21 (@chrisgomez_21) November 29, 2022