We have only one planet.
Let's take care of it.
About Me
Hi and welcome to my personal website! My name is Michael and I created this site to spread the word about creating a more sustainable future for generations to come. A little bit about me: I’ve built a career in growth marketing, leading teams to drive measurable business outcomes across various industries and countries. Not all my jobs contributed to making the world a better place from a sustainability standpoint, and as the years went by I realized I’d like that to change. I’m deeply passionate about transitioning society to a sustainable future and will put my skills to use to help achieve that vision.
The effects of climate change in particular have hit close to home for me. I am from the Netherlands (or ‘low countries’) and grew up in a society acutely aware of its dire and worsening situation. The Dutch have been fighting to keep water out for eons. Although in the Netherlands the ongoing struggle isn’t exclusively due to climate change, the conversation there has changed the past few years as a direct result of climate change. When I was younger the conversation in the Netherlands centered around keeping the water out. This has now morphed into ‘the water is here to stay. How can we work with it rather than against it?’ I subsequently moved to Miami, Florida and saw first hand how flash flooding has increasingly made parts of the city inaccessible more frequently. Living there, climate change and its effects on people were an undeniable fact of life. Earlier this year I moved to California, where the opposite is happening: record droughts contribute to more frequent and larger wildfires. This topic has just kept on chasing me. We find ourselves facing an enormous challenge. I truly believe we can rise to the occasion and build a better future. I hope you share this view and look forward to collaborating!
Sustainability in a Nutshell
The world as we know it is at a turning point. We have so many people that we cannot sustain the existing way of life of even the current rich world. We have arrived in what’s known as the anthropocene. This means we now find ourselves in a reality in which we as humans can determine the fate of the planet, with all its beautiful flora and fauna, rather than it dictating our fate. As a larger share of the world population gets lifted out of poverty and looks to obtain and maintain a similar quality of life to that of the current developed world, we have no choice but to change the way we do a few things around here. From how we source the food we eat to how we live and move around, to the energy sources that power it all, humanity will need to make some changes to ensure our survival and indeed that of the planet as a viable habitat. This seems like an insurmountable task for any one of us to tackle individually. And it is. But together we can make a difference. We can make a difference through the products and services we buy or don’t buy, through our investments, through our political votes, and through the stance we take in everyday conversations with friends, family, colleagues and anyone else we encounter.
The solution lies in making changes to our economy and society at large that will enable our planet's resources to provide the energy and nourishment we need for not only the current generation, but an indefinite number of future generations. How do we do this? And what sacrifices do I need to make as an individual? Although sustainability has often been associated with limitations, in actuality it is the embodiment of relative abundance for all. Yes, we’ll want to change the way we currently do things in some areas of our lives and we’ll want to be more careful about how we use resources. It is my belief that if enough of us use our ability to create change just a bit better, we can become stewards of a wondrous planet that will continue to thrive and provide a place to live a quality life for generations to come.