When A Teen Goes Green – Eco-positive living: a blog about among other things: zero waste, veganism, minimalism, vintage fashion, feminism, volunteering and other sustainable and social subjects

All the stuff I’ve bought new in 2020

Since 2017 I calculate every year in September whether I’ve lived within the earth’s capacity. One category of this equation is the new stuff I’ve bought. I discuss that bought briefly in those posts, looking at the period from September to September. But, every full year from Januari till Januari I also start the challenge of buying nothing. And then at the end of the year I evaluate. I did it in 2018 and 2019 already. Today I’m doing that again. Today I am sharing all the stuff I’ve bought new in 2020.

News + what you can do about it | December 2020

Mainstream news in The Netherlands is depressing. It has to be shocking, sensational and topical. Because of this news gets negative and people who only follow this news feel like the world around them is changing in a bad way. They lose trust in people and companies and they lose hope. Besides that, it makes people feel powerless. Yet, it has been scientifically proved that the world gets better every single day for humans. And so, I share 7 news-article once a month in these posts. A mix of positive and bad news, but mostly positive, to make sure that positive news has the upper-hand. Along, I share a practical tip on what you can do to change that news. This could be a lifestyle change, a petition to sign or a social media campaign to support, anything. To make you feel in power, because we are! This way you’ll know about the positive news, how to keep it that way, the negative news and how to change that!

My Positive Impact in 2020

The year is over! 2020 is past us, luckily. Time for 2021, in which I hope that the pandemic of COVID-19 will end. In September of 2020 I evaluated on my negative impact, had I lived within the earth’s capacity from September 2019 till September 2020? I was very close to the goal and I am sure I’ll make it this coming year. However, it made me think about the other side of the story. When I finally live within the earth’s capacity, I also want to maximize my positive impact. That’s essentially what an eco-positive lifestyle is about. And since I am very close to living within the earth’s capacity it is time to reflect. What positive impact have I made in 2020?

Saving money on health insurance costs without changing anything

I have to say: I am just in time with this post. In The Netherlands you can change your health insurance for 2021 only until the end of 2020. You always have to do it before the new year starts. That means you have 4 days left when you read this. But I am still posting this today because I know 4 days is more than enough to do it still. Today I’m sharing about a way to save money on your health insurance without actually having to change it.

All the shoes I own as a minimalist

The past few months I’ve had the feeling of wanting to analyse my closet. I’ve gotten rid of a lot of items this year, one by one. And so, I want to see where I am today. Do I have double items or things I don’t wear? There is one specific category of clothes which I’ve made conscious choices about the past months: shoes. And so, before I analyse my closet I am going to analyse my shoes first in this post. How many shoes do I own and how do I evaluate on the things I have?

Sletvrees by Sunny Bergman (Dutch)

Intersectional feminism. Equality for all, that’s what it comes down to. It’s what intersectional feminists want. But aren’t all people already equal? That’s a question I get asked a lot. People get angry at feminists. Womxn can work, get into politics and do what they want. Well, not exactly. There are so many subjects to tackle, so where should I begin. Today a book about appearance, sexuality and culture and how these things are different for all sexes. Sletvrees (Slutfear) by Sunny Bergman.

Why overpopulation is not a problem

It’s a dead end. A discussion killer. When I have discussions with people about sustainability I hear it all the time: ‘the are just too many of us on this planet’. It simplifies the problem we face and I think that’s unfair. We give up and say that overpopulation is the problem. The only solution therefore is to do nothing if you ask those people. And so, that argument makes us passive. Today I want to share with you that this argument is not true.

News + what you can do about it | November 2020

Series about diversity and taboos: Sex Education

This show isn’t exactly about diversity itself, more about subjects that are considered taboo. However, it’s not build to be informative. It has a narrative and in that way it is just like any other series on Netflix. But then again it isn’t alike others at all. This is a series that shows what a series is supposed to look like. The cast is so diverse and so are the characters. The story is diverse and the entire show is just amazing. I’m talking about Sex Education, a series on Netflix.

Recognizing system change for self-love

A while ago I wrote about how we need both system change and individual change if we want a sustainable future (or a future at all), you can read that here. It’s important to recognize that not everything is up to us individuals. But the past few months I realized that this isn’t just the case for sustainability. It’s the case for everything. Today I want to talk about recognizing system change when it comes to self-love.