365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge

Food security is a huge issue, with 828 million people being unsure what they will be able to eat next. This is especially bitter considering an estimated 14% of the world’s food is wasted between harvest and retail, and an estimated 17% is wasted in or after retail.  One source of food waste before retail are by-products: leftovers from the growing and processing of harvested food.  44% of these by-products consist of vegetable and fruit by-products. These by-products have many beneficial properties, such as being able to prevent cancer and diabetes, and having great nutritional value. So, it would be great if we could use these byproducts too. And good news: we can in many ways! In this article, I explain how: https://medium.com/the-environment/4-examples-of-putting-vegetable-and-fruit-by-products-to-good-use-86b1fae88fbf Vegetable and fruit by-products can be put to good use in many ways, for example for ice cream (credit:  Rimma Bondarenko  on  Shutterstock )

I remember giving a talk about how art can be used to teach about environmental issues and asking the audience at the end to draw their most important take-away. One of the artists in the audience shared how excited he was to use this method to express himself and was sure he would apply this more often. I wasn't surprised, as creating art allows us to not only listen but also interact with the learning content. This helps to get a deeper understanding, so that we can develop solutions and take action beyond the presentation. Learn more about how art can be used to teach about environmental issues: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-can-art-be-used-to-teach-children-about-climate-change-5fbbb9cc641b Art is a way to teach children about climate change (credit:  Benjavisa Ruangvaree Art  on  Shutterstock )

What an excellent idea to solve two environmental issues at once: 1. Due to the huge amount of sand we use in construction, coasts are eroding and we are losing our beaches! 2. At the same time, we have a huge pile of glass waste on landfills that are causing environmental issues as well. So, by using crushed glass waste instead of sand, we solve these issues both at the same time. This is very clearly explained in this TED talk 👇 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbdbK5Du7wk&t=2s

Often, the doom-and-gloom side of artificial intelligence ( AI ) is stressed in the media and the benefits neglected. This is a shame as AI can be put to good use in many ways that helps make our world a better place. For example, AI can be used to make recycling a lot easier. This is possible, because a machine can also be taught to identify objects and materials. And after proper training, can become even better than humans. In this article, I explain how a machine is trained to deal with our waste and improve recycling: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-artificial-intelligence-makes-recycling-easier-bc56f7ba138a Artificial intelligence can help us recycle waste (credit:  ProStockStudio  at  Shutterstock )

The goal of waste water treatment is improving the quality of waste water so that it is clean enough to go back into nature. But once it's cleaned, it doesn't mean all substances are removed. That is why it still has an effect on the environment. For example, remaining nutrients can cause fish to go big: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-waste-water-can-make-fish-go-big-c6c3cb632e19 A blue gill fish, which can go big in waste water (credit:  RLS Photo  on  Shutterstock )

Do you agree that the only way we should shoot wildlife is with a camera? Unfortunately, trophy hunting and poaching is still done. Illegal hunters are for example after elephant ivory and lion fur. That is why protecting for example elephants and lions is important. One way to do this is with well-placed fences around protected areas, such as parks and refuges. This is helpful because they reduce access for illegal hunters. Here I explain further reasons why well-placed fences protect elephants and lions: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-well-placed-fences-help-elephants-and-lions-survive-7ef0858d0edc Elephants and lions sometimes visit villages (credit:  Everett Collection  on  Shutterstock )

Did you know concrete that heals itself can be produced? This so-called bioconcrete contains bacteria in the form of spores. When these spores get into contact with water, because water flows in a crack, they become active and produce crystals until the whole crack is closed. As this causes concrete to last longer, this makes concrete more environmentally friendly . Learn more: 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 current environmental crises is loss of biodiversity . Especially insects are heavily affected. To be able to restore their populations, it is important to learn more about current insect populations. Remote sensing technologies can be used to gather data using satellites, high-flying airplanes, and drones to gather information. In this article, I explain how remote sensing technologies can be used to detect insects: https://medium.com/the-environment/how-insects-can-be-detected-using-remote-sensing-technologies-847d09008e31 The presence of insects can be determined using remote sensing technologies (credit:  jaroslava V  on  Shutterstock )

Synthetic materials have been developed to create materials with beneficial characteristics, but they also have disadvantages such as not being biodegradable and being difficult to recycle. To use earthly resources more sustainably, the focus is shifting back to natural materials, such as bamboo and hemp. Bamboo and hemp are great sustainable materials, as they benefits the environment throughout its lifespan and can be used for many purposes: More on bamboo: https://medium.com/the-environment/3-reasons-why-bamboo-is-a-great-sustainable-material-94c746b38734 More on hemp: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/6-ways-hemp-can-be-used-as-great-alternative-to-conventional-materials-ed1279a5d528 Bamboo (Bambusa) is a great, sustainable material (credit: Sofiaworld on Shutterstock)

Many people wonder why we are not doing more toward a healthier planet. I believe one reason is that it is tempting to believe that our behaviors are caused by social pressure or are being dictated by others, instead of being responsible ourselves. The consequence of not feeling responsible is that we see our damaging behavior as morally acceptable and don't change our behavior. So, please take responsibility for your actions instead of waiting for others to go first. Thank you! Learn more: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/why-high-moral-standards-dont-always-trigger-climate-action-52fa477e1d9a Credit:  Golubovy  on  Shutterstock

Did you know that the amount of rain in the summer impacts the survival of honey bees’ over the winter? This is because less rain leads to less nutritious food. When bees don’t grow enough by the fall, they may not survive the winter. Also, too much or little rain can cause flowers to be smaller or fewer in number. This also causes problem with gaining enough weight. Learn more about how summer weather influences bees' survival in winter: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-summer-weather-conditions-impact-honey-bees-survival-in-winter-78ce5f7e918 Credit:  PollyDot  at  Pixabay

Humans are sometimes very good at overengineering, meaning we use overcomplicated solutions. For example, when we try to improve our health we often use pills. Of course, sometimes pills are essential to get better but in other cases a good night sleep, love or a good laugh can help as well. This is also more environmentally friendly. Here, I explain why a good laugh is a great medicine: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/why-is-a-good-laugh-a-great-medicine-a8e287bad87 A good laugh (edit:  santypan  on  Shutterstock )

Cutting down the Amazon rainforest is having a broad range of consequences. One of the consequences is that eagles lose their homes: harpy eagles stay their entire life close to their nest. And when the tree they used for their own chicks is cut down and they can't find a new tree, they are unable to raise new chicks. Here you can learn about further consequences of cutting down the rainforest for harpy eagles: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/how-is-deforestation-of-the-amazon-affecting-eagles-9ef800f52725 Harpy eagle protecting their chick (credit:  feathercollector  on  Shutterstock )