Sustainability - Our Green Health

Sustainability Sucks when Embedded in a Growth-Driven Economy

15/10/2021 by Hannie Mommers

Through discussions, much reading, and writing, I sharpen my mind about the state of the earth. More and more I come to the conclusion that it is almost impossible to be sustainable.

In other words, sustainability sucks when embedded in a growth-driven economy.

But as one of my current sources of inspiration Thomas Rau says: “Let’s do what is necessary, not what is feasible.”

This article is a bit more negative in tone than my other articles but is a way to deepen my thoughts, and hopefully yours, and to keep or regain hope.

Can Technological Innovations Combat Climate Change?

11/10/2021 by Hannie Mommers

Al Gore was laughed at, at the time when he presented An Inconvenient Truth. If more politicians and engineers had taken him seriously, we would have had fewer problems with the climate today. In the case of climate change, prevention is also cheaper than a solution.

But with a despondent attitude, a turning point has never been achieved. Perhaps technological innovations can combat climate change?

Recently I watched some documentaries by and about Greta Thunberg. Her strongest comments were: “Don’t listen to me, listen to science” and “Stay hopeful, because from hope comes action”.

Why is Digital Sustainability Important? 11 Conscientious Tips to Help You

08/10/2021 by Hannie Mommers

For a long time, I thought that working digitally was not polluting and therefore to be welcomed. It has now become clear to me that there are different ways of working digitally. Digital sustainability is not something that can be taken for granted.

An immense solar energy park is being built in the Netherlands. The residential area next door will unfortunately not receive any of it because the entire capacity has been bought by Microsoft that needs it for its data center.

Why does Alternative Agriculture Come in So Many Unique Varieties?

04/10/2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

To understand why alternative agriculture comes in so many unique varieties, it is good to review some of the most prominent practices.

All alternative agriculture practices have one thing in common: the drive for sustainability.

This drive is no simple feat because it includes the balancing of totally different and seemingly opposite concerns, such as the supply of sufficient human food, and valuable biodiversity.

Despite the fact that there are still too many people who do not have enough food, and there are still way too many people who eat far too much food, not very much is required to restore the human food balance.

Basic Principles of Sustainability: What Should we Pay Attention to?

29/09/2021 by Hannie Mommers

How do we distinguish the basic principles of sustainability? Sustainability can be divided into subtopics in various ways.

Tom and I usually keep it at 3: planet, people, profit. And those 3 can also be subdivided.

Recently I found a list that seemed very interesting to me: social, economic, cultural, and environmental, each of which is subdivided into 6 principles.

This article gives an overview of all our articles that belong to such a subtopic.

What is a Sustainable Home and How Can We Develop One?

22/09/2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

The question – What is a sustainable home and how can we develop one? – requires an answer from 2 perspectives.

The first perspective is that of the current state of the environment and the circumstances in which our home exists.

The second perspective is that of the design and the construction of the actual home. What materials are used or do we want to be used? What are the esthetics? How much space do we desire?

What is a Sustainable Lifestyle and How We Can All Achieve this

20/09/2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

The question of what is a sustainable lifestyle precedes our knowledge of how we can achieve such a lifestyle. We need to agree on some notion of what sustainability is before we can actually make an effort.

Often to our frustration, we’re all aware that the scope of our sustainable actions is limited. However, by taking all individual actions together, we can make a substantial difference.

At the core of this effort is our understanding that moderation is the key to a sustainable lifestyle. Less is more. Being aware of this saves the environment and when we’re lucky also our health, our time, and our money.

Is Burning Wood Sustainable or Bad for the Environment?

17/09/2021 by Hannie Mommers

From a young age, I have hated fireplaces and open fires. Probably because my bronchitis often made it difficult to breathe freely and because I didn’t like the smell.

Until I was 15, my parents had a coal stove. It partly had the same disadvantage as a fireplace: if you stand in front of it your face burns and at the back, your tushy freezes off. I thought the central heating that we had, later on, was a lot more pleasant.

For many, a fireplace represents coziness. But is burning wood sustainable or bad for the environment? And if it’s the latter, are there sustainable alternatives?