Saving the world a little

We do not become wise by remembering our past, but by taking responsibility for our future.

- George Bernard Shaw

I hate feeling helpless. I love our beautiful world. As I live on a houseboat, I am very connected to nature. Plastic and other rubbish flows past my boat almost every day. 

When I see how we are polluting and poisoning our environment, it makes me sad. And of course I do something. In summer, I jump into the water and get the dirt out. In winter, I use a quiver. 

Nevertheless, I feel helpless when political measures don't work or don't work fast enough. For example, when it comes to CO2 emissions. Germans consume an average of 11.1 tonnes of CO2 per year. Most of this is for consumer goods (3.7 tonnes), heating and electricity (2.4 tonnes), road traffic and flying (2.4 tonnes) and food (1.4 tonnes). 

No matter what you think of the whole climate debate, it is clear that all the CO2 that is being released into the air is not good for this world. 

I hate feeling helpless. So I get to work. With a double aim: 

  • Consume less CO2 
  • bind CO2 from the atmosphere back to the earth

Consuming less CO2 - a few practical ideas 

  • CyclingIf you cycle 3 kilometres once a week instead of taking the car, you save 50 kilos of CO2 per year. 
  • Outdoor fitnessIf you don't go to the gym, you save 150 kilos of CO2 and a few hundred euros. 
  • Home-grown or regional food: Herbs and vegetables from your own garden instead of tropical fruit: saves a lot of money and CO2. 
  • Lose weight: A crazy effective way to protect the climate: Thinner people need less food, less fabric for clothing and less energy for transport. 10% weight reduction saves several hundred kilos of CO2. 

Bind more CO2

The marvellous thing: trees bind CO2. Depending on the variety, a tree binds around one tonne of CO2 in the course of its life. I reckon 11-12 trees a year roughly balance out my CO2 consumption. 

  • Plant trees yourselfEvery year I plant trees where I live. Real fruit trees - on fallow land on an old industrial site. That doesn't work everywhere, but in some places. 
  • Have trees planted: I support reforestation projects in Afghanistan and Africa - there with FMNR efficient from Tony Rinaudo method that quickly grows new trees from the roots of burnt or felled trees. So far, in Niger alone 6 million hectares (!) of new forest produced. This has a positive impact on the climate and people's nutrition. We support these projects as Publisher every month and with a large Crowdfunding in which many people participate. 
  • You can also have trees planted if you Ecosia as a search engine If you use the Internet, about one tree is planted for every 10 search queries.
  • Trees as an investmentAs part of my pension plan, I invest in ecological forestry with a certified company - for me this is the best investment - money actually grows on or with trees. If you want to know more, please write to me.
  • Crowdfunding. FMNR for TanzaniaTogether we can help tens of thousands of people to regenerate their natural environment - I'm currently crowdfunding for this. And you can join in. You can find information on how to join in hereI was happy to leave my two travel reports Tanzania blog 1 and Tanzania blog 2.
  • I have more about other tree projects here written.

If you want to know the most important facts about environmentally friendly living in a nutshell, pick up one or more of our environmentally friendly and climate-neutral booklets:

  • Slim and fit
  • Effective ways to make your body leaner, more energised and more environmentally friendly.

Or quite simply: The box "Find meaning & do good

10 impulse booklets on the subject of meaning for only 20 euros, instead of 28 euros individually.

You save a whole 8 euros! 

I hope that I have been able to give you a few ideas to help you not feel helpless, but courageous, capable of action and confident - that's what I wish for you. 

I can also recommend from our shop:

I would love to know your best tips for saving CO2. Please write them in the comments.

This is a post from my inspiration mail. If you don't want to miss anything, then get it here.

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