Tom van Oosterhout - Our Green Health

What is Sustainable Energy and Why Must We all Convert to it

28/07/202119/07/2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

What is sustainable energy? The common, yet rather simple definition is that an energy source is sustainable when it does not jeopardize the energy sources of future generations. Fossil fuels are an example of an energy source that will not be available for future generations.

Since March 2020 we have 8 solar panels on the south side of the roof of our house. The computer of the system informs us that we saved 3,4 tonnes of CO2. Moreover, we saved almost 800 euros on our energy bill. The excess energy we produce with our solar panels is transferred to the national electricity grid, for which we get a fee.

Water Conservation Management is Crucial for a Sustainable Agriculture

28/07/202114/07/2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

Water conservation management is, of course, not only crucial for sustainable agriculture. Any agriculture needs proper water conservation management. However, for various reasons, with sustainable agriculture, water conservation management requires much more skills and attention. Even our kitchen gardens require water conservation management.

Today it is 37 Celsius. The sun burns all day. There is hardly any wind. When the sun no longer shines in the kitchen gardens, our irrigation system waters the plants for 10 minutes. First, the one where the herbs grow, next, the one where we try to grow tomatoes and zucchini.

Sustainable Agricultural Practices Prevent Excessive Soil Erosion

28/07/202107/07/2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

We support sustainable agricultural practices, such as ecological and biological agriculture and permaculture. Many farmers oppose sustainable agricultural practices.

They argue that sustainable agricultural practices are unable to feed the world population. Even though they are never able to back up this claim.

Fortunately, there are many ways to counter excessive soil erosion. It is no surprise that sustainable agricultural practices are at the top of the prevention and restoration list.

Working from Home is more and more Favored as Essential

28/06/2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

Working from home wasn’t exactly how my paid career started. At the age of 15, I delivered the local newspaper to people’s homes. The day started at 06:00 hours. Through rain, snow, and sometimes sunshine.

I very much enjoyed the freedom and the exercise. In fact, I never stopped walking after that. Never stopped working either.

In those days, my newspaper route was just the beginning of a very long day. First the newspaper delivery, a quick breakfast at home, to school for the remainder of the day. Back from school, homework until late at night. At 06:00 hours the routine started all over again.

What are Personal Risk Factors and how to Cope with them?

21/06/2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

What are personal risk factors and how do I cope with them? This is a recurring question in most comments people write in response to our articles. When someone asks what personal risks are, the word virus does wonders these days.

However, in our articles, we often write about totally different risks. Most of us are very familiar with these risks: the pollution of the air, the water, the soil, our food, and the destruction of biodiversity and ecosystems. Unfortunately, not everybody understands the link between these so-called impersonal risks, and the risks we think are more personal, such as a virus.

Did the Virus Come from a Lab or is this Just a Conspiracy Theory?

14/06/2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

Did the virus come from a lab? Although hacking computers with digital viruses is far less messy, in love and warfare all is possible. This must have been one of former US president Trump’s murkier thoughts: in love and bacteriological warfare all is possible. Now he is not a president anymore, it’s a bit of a surprise the question is on the political agenda again: Did the virus come from a lab, or not?

Nobody, I in the least, believes to possess predictive gifts. However, on Monday, April 27, 2009, I wrote an article about the Mexican flu. In the article, I stated that the virus causing the flu had escaped from a laboratory of a Mexican pharmaceutical company.

Lifespan and Nutrition, an often Neglected Partnership

14/11/202104/06/2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

Lifespan and nutrition are an often neglected partnership. This partnership had a huge impact on the way we live today. Why do we consistently neglect the impact of this partnership? This needs some serious discussion.

In the eighties of the last century, as a communication expert, I designed a circular policy decision-making model. I used this model to explain to civil servants and politicians how their decisions transformed into the actions that were supposed to materialize their intended goals. The goals were always aimed at changing citizens’ behavior.