365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge

Letting water go down the drain means it's out of sight and we — or at least I — don't think about it anymore. But treating waste water is more important than you may realize. It improves the quality of waste water so that it is clean enough to go back into nature. The goal is to protect the environment and our health. And yet, even when we cleaned it, this water is different. Not life threatening but still has an effect on the environment. It can for example make fish go big. This article explains how fish can go big: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-waste-water-can-make-fish-go-big-c6c3cb632e19 And do you want to read more fascinating facts? Get full access to my and all other Medium-authors' articles for only $5 per month here: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/membership #SciComm : would you like me to write an article about your research too? Learn more and apply here: https://www.sustainabledecisions.eu/science-communication A blue gill fish, which can go big in waste water ...

Don't you think we could use a little more laughter in our hectic and serious lives? Laughter is not only a terrific stress reliever and painkiller, but it can also help us avoid being sick in the first place. More good news: it doesn't cost anything, is risk-free, and environmentally friendly. Learn more about why laughing is a great medicine: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/why-is-a-good-laugh-a-great-medicine-a8e287bad87 #ScienceCommunication : do you need support with increasing outreach of your research as well? Learn more and apply here:  https://www.sustainabledecisions.eu/science-communication And excited about these fascinating facts? Get full access to my and all other Medium-authors' articles for only $5 per month here:  https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/membership A good laugh (edit:  santypan  on  Shutterstock )

Cold plasma treatment can make seeds more resistant to diseases and pests. One reason for this increased resistance is that disease-causing microorganisms are killed. Microorganisms are killed by destroying proteins in the membrane of their cells, so the membrane doesn't work properly anymore, their cells get damaged, and cell contents can leak. The advantage is that this is non-toxic and nevertheless effective to promote germination and plant growth for higher yields. Read this article to learn more about the advantages of cold-plasma treatment: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/5-reasons-why-cold-plasma-treatment-supports-higher-yields-1619e1848c2f When you appreciate this content and want to read more articles with fascinating facts about nature and sustainability, get full access to my and all other Medium-authors' articles for only $5 per month here: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/membership When you are a scientist doing research in the field of nature and sustainability a...

With an increasing population, making sure that everyone has enough to eat is becoming a more important topic. As the use of chemicals to harvest more is harming the environment, it is important to look for more environmentally friendly solutions. One of these solutions when growing rice is to use ducks. Letting them live together with rice plants has many advantages. For example, when having ducks, there is no need for pesticides and herbicides. This is because when walking around a rice field, ducks find all kind of tasty food such as weeds, insects and snails; exactly what a farmer wants to get rid of. Learn more about further advantages of having ducks on rice fields: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/why-are-ducks-excellent-fertilizers-e3df78cbf0a9 https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/why-are-ducks-excellent-fertilizers-e3df78cbf0a9

Conventional concrete is one of the most used building materials in the world. Production of cement, which is a main component of concrete, uses 10–15% of total industrial energy and causes 5–8% of the CO2 emissions caused by humans. Conventional concrete easily cracks; cracks can cause structural failure and make the building less durable and safe. To make concrete more environmentally friendly, self-healing concrete has been developed. In this article is explained how this works: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-co2-emissions-can-be-reduced-with-self-healing-concrete-d0ecab049545 Concrete that has healed itself (credit:  studiojaskrawo  on  Shutterstock )

One of the challenges households face in adopting a more #sustainableLifestyle is the level of income: some solutions require an investment. But independent of income, we can make difference in daily life: With a *high income*, we can for example invest in installing solar panels to use renewable energy and in buying the more sustainable version of a product. With a *low income*, we can for example repair broken products and materials or buy or sell products for second-hand use. Here you can find more challenges and further solutions: https://medium.com/the-environment/6-challenges-and-solutions-for-living-a-more-eco-friendly-lifestyle-f59fa6874eef Challenges in adopting an eco friendly way of living can be overcome with eco friendly living tips (credit:  Chinnapong  on  Shutterstock )

Millions of people are still undernourished, including children. To stop hunger, it is important that everyone has access to nutritious, healthy food all year. One way to achieve this is to make sure that less food is spoiled. About 25% of food is lost worldwide every year because of fungi. To save food from being spoiled, these fungi need to be removed. A promising method is the biological method, which uses for example lactic acid bacteria to transform harmful fungi into less or nontoxic compounds. Such detoxification by bacteria is more effective, safer than using chemical or physical methods, and is more sustainable. Learn more: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-biological-detoxification-improves-sustainable-food-supply-710e82e3c4b9 Fungi in corn (credit:  KOOKLE  on  Shutterstock )

Deforestation in the Amazon has far-reaching consequences. For example, harpy eagles' lives are intertwined with its trees as they hunt and nest in high trees. When 70% of the trees are cut down, adult eagles can't survive. This is because their vision is designed to hunt in the upper tree canopy. They can easily spot their prey from high above the trees, but have trouble seeing smaller animals on the grasslands in deforested areas. Learn more: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-is-deforestation-of-the-amazon-affecting-eagles-9ef800f52725 Harpy eagle which has caught a bunny (credit:  Chepe Nicoli  on  Shutterstock )

Teaching climate change in art is an impactful tool for teachers to help children learn about this global issue, help them to see solutions and express themselves. Art is used to introduce climate change to children, teach the basic concepts and help them learn more about the issue. As art communicates to different audiences, teachers can support multiple learning styles and help children better understand the many issues caused by climate change. Learn more about how to apply this impactful tool: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-can-art-be-used-to-teach-children-about-climate-change-5fbbb9cc641b When creating art, children not only listen but also interact with the learning content (credit:  Yarkovoy  on  Shutterstock )

Considering environmental issues, the distinction between - doing good things and - refraining from doing bad things is very important. Because even when we know we need to take action or stop doing something urgently, this doesn’t always mean we do. One reason is that we assume that our actions are caused by social pressure or are being dictated by others, instead of being responsible ourselves. When we don't feel responsible for our own actions, we see damaging behavior as morally acceptable. Learn more: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/why-high-moral-standards-dont-always-trigger-climate-action-52fa477e1d9a Credit:  Golubovy  on  Shutterstock

Solar and wind energy are the most commonly used renewable energy sources today, but generating electricity from ocean waves also has significant advantages.  Many different technologies have been developed already, but because many systems are not commercially viable, meaning that it costs more to install and maintain them than can be earned, further technologies are being developed.  Here is an overview and explanation of existing technologies: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-electricity-can-be-generated-from-ocean-waves-f22c80799a8b Ocean waves are a great renewable energy source (credit:  Jemastock  on  Shutterstock )

Air pollution can have many different forms — as gases, liquid droplets, or tiny solid particles — and can have serious health impact. More than 3 million people die from air pollution every year, two times the number of people killed in traffic accidents. In addition to reducing emissions, the effect of air pollution can be counteracted by growing plants. Learn more about how plants can help cities improve air quality: 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 )

Light pollution can negatively impact ecosystems around urban areas in many ways. For example by affecting animals. Animals are affected because natural biological activities and behaviors are disturbed.  For example, fireflies emit flashes of light in their abdomen at night to attract mating partners. With light pollution, their lights are less well visible and their communication gets disturbed.  Learn more about the negative impact of light pollution and what we can do to prevent it: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/3-ways-light-pollution-harms-ecosystems-and-how-we-can-reduce-it-f2212d10a86f Fireflies communicate with light which becomes less well visible with light pollution (credit:  Fer Gregory  on  Shutterstock )

Behind the scene: I'm drawing this to keep myself sane: It is a daily effort or struggle for me to find ways to make the biggest positive difference for our planet and stay balanced myself, so that I can keep going. Some days, this drives me crazy. Today, this calms me down.

The root cause of unsustainable behavior is society's disconnection from nature. Our disconnection reduces our understanding of the impact of our behavior on the planet. To improve, we need to reconnect with nature on different levels. Learn how: https://medium.com/the-environment/how-reconnecting-with-nature-improves-sustainability-df8de7c6ea02 The root cause of unsustainable behavior is said to be society’s disconnection from nature (credit:  Stergo  on  Pixabay )

Our planet is facing many environmental, social, and economic issues. In 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 goals aimed at meeting these challenges. One way we can contribute to these goals is by eating edible fungi. Fungi include everything from the mushroom to the spiderweb-like network that grows underground.  For example, picking and selling edible wild mushrooms benefits communities that live near forests. They also contribute to industry, innovation, and infrastructure as their mass-production creates jobs.  This article explains the many benefits: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/6-ways-fungi-contribute-to-the-un-sustainable-development-goals-78fa16b268db (credit:  Budi Sud  on  Shutterstock )

I received feedback that supporting me through PayPal is cumbersome, so I made is possible for you to buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ErlijnG I really like the idea of enjoying a cup like shown in the picture, because I need to take more breaks to take care of my health too. Credit:  Africa Studio  on  Shutterstock

Online shopping causes a lot of waste. But good news: packaging can be made more environmentally friendly by using new materials. One option is to use edible materials. An example is using seaweed to produce edible bubbles of water! Learn more: https://medium.com/the-environment/how-packaging-is-becoming-more-environmentally-friendly-b4e9afee578b Online purchases use much more packaging than in-store purchases (credit:  Negro Elkha  on  Shutterstock )

Your favorite wine may soon never be the same again: grapevines go through several stages, including budding, flowering, and ripening. Which stage is reached at what time depends on climatic conditions and speeds up with warmer temperatures. So, global warming my change the taste of your favorite wine. Learn more: https://medium.com/the-environment/why-you-should-enjoy-the-bottle-of-your-favorite-wine-even-more-8093717aed22 (credit:  PhotoMIX-Company  on  Pixabay )

Did you know sponges on coral reefs are important as they recycle carbon? They process dissolved organic carbon released by seaweeds and corals and pass it on to other organisms, providing nutrients in a usually nutrient-poor environment. Learn more: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/coral-reef-stars-why-sponges-on-coral-reefs-are-doing-an-awesome-job-2908681d71e1 (credit:  John A. Anderson  on  Shutterstock )

Humor can be used to raise awareness about environmental issues. It can be helpful as alternative to a doom and gloom type of communication. But be careful: use of humor can be counterproductive when it causes serious issues to look trivial. Learn more: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/thats-not-funny-how-to-use-humor-to-raise-climate-change-awareness-fbca0e8cb414 Humor can be effective when communicating environmental issues (credit: image by  Infinity Eight Productions ; published with permission)

Did you know 1 wax worm can eat 1.84 mg (0.000064 ounces) of plastic per day? To digest plastic, their salivary first transforms plastic into other materials, which later can be degraded by microorganisms in their gut. More about plastic-eating worms: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/5-plastic-eating-worms-3eace65e4bce A wax worm is between 0.5 and 2.5 cm (0.2–1 inch) long (credit:  murat photographer  on  Shutterstock )

I was worried yesterday, because the free-range chicken in my neighborhood have been stuck inside for at least a week now. The farmer told me because of the bird flu. Caring for other animals is important, as biodiversity keeps us alive. Learn why: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/why-is-biodiversity-important-for-our-health-7d55ff2c2b3c

A difference between #bees and wasps is that wasps often don't survive winter. Bees do, but interestingly, summer weather is crucial. For example with too hot/cold summers, fewer flowers grow, so they can't collect enough nectar for winter. Learn about more reasons why summer weather is crucial: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-summer-weather-conditions-impact-honey-bees-survival-in-winter-78ce5f7e918 Credit:  PollyDot  at  Pixabay

Solar energy everywhere? That is possible, as solar panels are becoming more and more efficient. My partner and I now have one we can fold: we can use it on the balcony so that it can give us electricity ever day. Here is explained in easy to understand language how different technologies work: https://medium.com/the-environment/how-solar-energy-technology-is-becoming-more-efficient-239fb681c07

How fascinating! Beavers' teeth are orange so this picture isn't photoshopped: they contain iron to make them very strong and need them to build their dams. And did you know these dams have a huge impact on the environment? Learn how: https://medium.com/the-environment/4-ways-beaver-dams-influence-the-surrounding-watershed-ecosystem-54baceaad922 Beavers were hunted for their pelt. They have orange teeth because they contain iron, which makes them extra strong (credit:  Vlad G  on  Shutterstock )