"I assume Wim is concerned about our over-populated planet. We reached 7 billion recently. In 2050 there will 9 billion of us feasting on the limited resources. Right now there are more people on Facebook than there were on the planet 200 years ago. Nevertheless I am convinced that we could solve that problem differently than "removing ourself from the gene pool" entirely. (and yes, Maarten is a dear person and if he really does want to have children I am sure it wont be more than two;-))"June 22 2012 on Remove yourself from the global gene pool.
"It sounds like a nice idea. But I agree with Joan. It seems more like a survival experiment and not so much like a realistic step towards a more sustainable future. If Maarten (and who ever goes with him;-)) can reduce his electricity consumption let's say by 10% or 20% and than maintain that preferably for longer than one month he might set an example many of us could follow without moving back into a cave. It sounds a little less exciting but the environment probably gains more by changing habits than going extreme for a limited period of time..."May 22 2012 on challenge yourself: try to live for one month without using...
"Amnesty International is digging into injustice in the world such as suppression of minorities because of race, religion or sexual preferences, denial of fair trials, denial of basic human rights, death penalty, abuse of power etc One of the things many volunteer of amnesty international do is to write letters to governments that for example detained people without giving them a fair trial. Just by the (hopefully) huge number of letters those governments and embassies suddenly receive those unjust governments become aware that their actions are not unnoticed. I once read a letter from some political prisoner somewhere in the world that had been in prison for many years. This man had given up on any hope for a long time until he heard that amnesty international made his case global. He wrote that in this moment (it still took some time to free him) he found his strength to live again. The thought of tonnes of letters arriving at the government every week all asking for giving him a fair trial gave him his hope back. What I like about it is that it's a peaceful action (you just write letters) but it has proven very successful for many many times."April 2 2012 on Join AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL and follow their campaigns by writing...
"@maarten: sorry, didn't see that your was ecological. @sara: ok, now it's getting really complicated. Probably first choice should be not to use any detergent and second to use ecological ones. Besides anything in large doses does harm, doesn't it? Generally I would assume that companies such as Albert Hijn have less interest in sustainability than Ecover, the one Bart suggested."March 16 2012 on Live during one month without producing any garbage.
"...just because it's in the picture: Using dishwasher is most of the time not necessary because of it's atomic structure plane cold water is such a great solvent in itself. However, if dishes are oily and even warm water wont help please use bio degradable dishwasher. The Albert Hijn stuff you were holding in you hands seems far away from that.;-)"March 13 2012 on Live during one month without producing any garbage.
"nice film! "March 12 2012 on Live during one month without producing any garbage.
"I know. It feels very lame to post the same idea again. It's just if don't do it now I can't try again late this year cause than the period to spread seeds is simply over. And I do like the idea to much to just throw it away... "March 7 2012 on Buy lots of seeds from local flowers and spread them on any possible...
"I know that Maarten is already with Triodos Bank (one of the good ones). I just voted on it to give it more recognition. I think changing your bank to a more sustainable one is definitely a very important step in the good direction. One which is often underrated. Too many people are still not aware that their money is used to produce weapons, exploit the environment on a massive scale and support injustice in the world. I just like the idea of visitors getting inspired..."March 2 2012 on Change your bank. Go with one that invests your money in a 'better...
"@ Bart & Verena: I agree this idea would be more complete if it would have a communal aspect to it. Seams like there are already initiatives (very impressive Verena!) coming up. I came up with the idea because in modern cities green 'patches' are anyway rare and the ones that exist are so organized that there is not much natural about it. It's a monoculture which means all the grass is basically just one cloned species. Simple ecosystems, like monoculture lawns, support very few other species. In fact, lawns have been called biological deserts because of the lack of other species they support. So spreading local seeds preferable of wild flowers will improve the habitat of insect. Insect are very important for a healthy environment not only because they are the base of any food chain. Another aspect is the beauty of it. I think there is no human being that does not enjoy a blossoming flower. Maybe people even become more aware of the little nature that surrounds them. I read an article recently which claimed: "Residents living in “greener” surroundings report lower levels of fear (...) and less aggressive and violent behavior." (Does Vegetation Reduce Crime? FRANCESE.KUO and WILLIAMC.SULLIVAN) This is all aiming very high. Probably the cities maintenance team will destroy it too quick for any insect come or flower to blossom but maybe not. It's an experiment. "February 28 2012 on Buy lots of seeds from local flowers and spread them on any possible...