Turning the tide.
From the awareness of urgency surrounding themes such as climate change, waste & resources, and loss of biodiversity, there are also enormous opportunities. Based on five powerful pillars, Reinier van den Berg outlines the main points that can enable us to realize the transition. These could and should be the foundations of effective policy. Then it becomes possible to turn the clock back from 5 past 12 to 5 to 12!
Plastic the future?
Plastic may have been one of the best inventions of the 20th century. A world without plastic would look different. Just think about how versatile the applications of plastics are. Could you imagine a hospital where no plastic can be used? Plastic is not the problem. It only becomes a problem when we dump the waste. Ultimately, eight million tons of plastic end up in the oceans each year. We will never get that out. What we can do is prevent more plastic from entering the environment. This can be done by giving plastic waste value. Reinier is closely involved with the startup company 'PyrOi'l that wants to show that plastic waste can be cleaned up. And that you can even make serious profit from it.
Climate change is hot. Literally and figuratively. The warming of the Earth is happening quickly, and the consequences are becoming increasingly clear and felt more intensely. Worldwide, but also in our own country. What will the consequences be? Is Amersfoort aan Zee really a scenario we need to consider in the long term? Or is drought actually the biggest problem, even in our seemingly wet little country? If you had to describe climate change in one word, it might indeed be 'water'. Besides threats, there are also opportunities. More than ever, in fact. Because the transition to clean energy does not happen by itself. Challenges and possibilities that can be summarized with 'being too green for the other'. Turn a crisis into a business opportunity.
In this lecture, he wants to look towards the future together and share his vision with the audience.
A current topic of his lectures is the threat of climate change. Is the soup really as hot as the climatologists serve it, or is it all not so bad? Will there perhaps be palm trees in Zandvoort aan Zee in 2050? Could the warming actually cause a massive cooling in Northwest Europe? Are we heading towards an ice age? Pressing questions with sometimes surprising answers. Reinier discusses the current state of the global climate in a clear manner.
Trees are invaluable. Yet, the forests on Earth are not doing well. That is why Reinier likes to use the slogan 'greener than a tree it won't get'. Trees capture the greenhouse gas CO2. They can provide cooling and counteract the heat island effect of urban areas. Stabilize or restore the water cycle. Stimulate biodiversity. Combat erosion. Provide usufruct, also in the form of, for example, building with wood. And not to forget: trees are simply beautiful and therefore play an important role in relaxation and tourism.
