365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge

  🥤 Did you know that all kinds of techniques have been developed to remove plastic from rivers and oceans? 🌊 The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a stark reminder of the harm plastics can cause to our environment and marine life. Although preventing is better than solving this issue, we have solutions to capture plastic that has already been littered: 🚀 Large-scale booms, river booms, waterway litter traps, robots, boats, wheels, and beach cleaners are among the creative methods employed to combat plastic pollution. From capturing trash in floating pipes to using AI-powered robots that specifically target plastic, these technologies are making a difference. 🔍 Want to learn more about these fascinating plastic removal techniques? Dive into the details here: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-plastics-can-be-removed-from-our-rivers-and-oceans-4ce575978bf1 ✉ Subscribe here to receive email notifications for future science communication articles: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/su...

 🌍 Did you know that simply presenting facts about the benefits of new behavior may not effectively promote climate action? 🌱 Many environmentalists and climate activists assume that people will change their behavior when informed about the advantages of sustainable practices. However, humans are not solely rational beings, and other factors like values, attitudes, and social norms play a significant role in decision-making. 🔍 The key lies in effective framing of the message. By strategically considering the audience, choosing the right wording, referring to social norms, changing psychological distance, and leveraging useful biases, we can enhance the impact of climate action communication. 🌟 📢 Let's create powerful messages that inspire positive change! Together, we can build a healthier planet for generations to come. 🌎💚 🔗 Learn more about effective climate action communication strategies here: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/5-ways-to-make-climate-action-communicat...

  🦷Going to the dentist is not my hobby. 🪥But I did anyway today, as it is part of taking care of myself. 🔧And it prevents all kinds of problems down the line, 🌎saving costs, time and earthly resources. ❤️What would be good for you do to as part of taking care of yourself? (credit:  bbernard  on Shutterstock )

  ☘ “Humanity either manages the transition to temperature stabilisation or nature does it for us by depopulating and deindustrialising the planet.” - Paul Ekins , Dimitri Zenghelis Do you agree? 🌍 I'm afraid these scientists are right, as #climateChange , #pollution , and #biodiversity loss are pressing issues that demand our attention. Without significant changes, these crises will worsen, affecting our future generations. 🚀 But there is good news: by embracing an environmental protection mentality we can make many changes for the good: - it stimulates and empowers innovation, driving the development of environmentally sound alternatives - it fosters the creation of new industries and technologies, opening doors to a green economy - it influences our decisions and behavior, encouraging choices that benefit not only ourselves but also the well-being of our planet. 🔗 Want to learn more about the advantages of an environmental protection mentality? Check out my article here: htt...

🌍 🎮By incorporating gamification and fair competitions into educational programs, we can engage students in saving energy and fostering sustainable habits. These methodologies trigger intrinsic motivation, boost self-confidence, improve social bonding, stimulate creativity, and make implementing energy-saving solutions easier. 💡 🔗Discover more about the impact of competitions on energy-saving behavior here: https://medium.com/greener-together/why-taking-part-in-a-competition-makes-energy-saving-behavior-more-rewarding-202e088e93a8 ✉ Subscribe here to receive email notifications for future science communication articles: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/subscribe 🖊 Please reach out when you need support with communicating scientific research results. Taking part in a competition with others makes energy-saving behavior more rewarding (credit:  ZouZou  on  Shutterstock )

  🌊This is devastating as this means billions of kilograms, because the production of plastic has skyrocketed over the past four decades, reaching a staggering 438 billion kg (966 billion pounds) in 2017, equivalent to 76 million Great Pyramids of Giza!  🧪However, there's hope! Enzymes are emerging as a promising solution to tackle plastic pollution. These remarkable substances can break down complex plastic molecules into simple building blocks, paving the way for recycling and the creation of new plastic products.  🔬 Discovering and using these enzymes involves analyzing a lot of DNA data, employing machine learning, and identifying microorganisms that have adapted to degrade plastic. 🔗 Join me in taking a step towards a cleaner and more sustainable future by finding out more about the fascinating world of plastic-degrading enzymes and their potential to revolutionize plastic recycling: https://medium.com/the-environment/how-we-can-find-and-use-new-enzymes-to-i...

  🌱 Did you know that alfalfa is a game-changer for a sustainable future? 🌿This is because alfalfa has a positive impact on soil quality. Unlike single-season crops that require tilling and contribute to soil erosion, alfalfa's multi-season growth helps reduce this problem.  💚Also, alfalfa requires fewer chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides compared to other plants and uses atmospheric nitrogen to enrich the soil with a vital nutrient. This both benefits future crops. 🔗Learn more about how alfalfa ensures a greener future for all: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-growing-alfalfa-contributes-to-a-sustainable-future-cdd844f5471c ✉ Subscribe here to receive email notifications for future science communication articles: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/subscribe 🖊 Please reach out when you need support with communicating scientific research results. Alfalfa (credit:  Suto Norbert Zsolt  on  Shutterstock )

I'm back and had an awesome adventure: I visited Croatia with my partner and traveled there by (night) train instead of flying for environmental reasons. It was a great experience because the joy started already way before having reached the final destination! 

Someone said to me recently: "Take a little rest Doc. Mom PLANET EARTH needs you to be in top form for the next 40 + years." How kind! I'm taking a break until May 29th at the latest. And while I'm away: a nice view for you on Fort Bokarm Dubrovnik, Croatia so that you can explore the world without having to travel.

Did you know that some fungi release toxins? You can find these fungi for example on food that has gone off. These toxins are called mycotoxins and can cause health risks when consumed, including cancer and immune system suppressing diseases. And as wasting food also causes many issues, it is helpful to save food by removing these mycotoxins.  In this article, I explain why doing this using bacteria is a good idea: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-biological-detoxification-improves-sustainable-food-supply-710e82e3c4b9 Fungi in corn (credit:  KOOKLE  on  Shutterstock )

Pirate attacks something from the past? Unfortunately not. They are still one of the challenges the fishing industry has to deal with.  As this and other challenges can cause all sorts of problems such as environmental pollution, and safety and communication issues, addressing them is critical for sustainable development of the fishing industry. In this article, I explain how artificial intelligence (AI) can help make this industry more sustainable: https://medium.com/@ErlijnG/6-ways-artificial-intelligence-can-make-fishing-more-sustainable-b3835026f041 Fishing practices can be improved using new technologies (credit:  Aerial-motion  on  Shutterstock )

I love this: The Ocean Cleanup is an initiative that aims at putting themselves out of business: once they have completed their  project, their work is done. Their goal: getting rid of ocean plastic.  And the good news, other project have the same goal. In this article, I explain how plastic can be removed from rivers and oceans and share further projects. https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-plastics-can-be-removed-from-our-rivers-and-oceans-4ce575978bf1 And in this article, I explain how plastic can be prevented from reaching oceans on the first place. This is helpful as prevention is easier than cleaning up: https://medium.com/climate-conscious/how-to-prevent-plastics-from-reaching-rivers-and-oceans-5fe862dd2bfa   It is estimated that in 2016, 150 million metric tons of plastic are littered in marine environments (credit:  chaiyapruek youprasert  on  Shutterstock )

Did you know reconnecting with nature makes it more likely that we make environmentally friendly choices? This is because reconnecting with nature makes it more likely that we only use what we need, we care well for nature, we are able to act in an environmentally friendly way, we protect what we love, and we recognize the importance of our actions. Learn more about how this works and examples of how to put this into practice in daily life: 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 )