The corona virus: A lot is already being written about it and you may wonder what the topic is doing in a blog about Tiny Houses. After reading this article by trend watcher Lidewei Edelkoort you may see the connection, just like I did. It is about the consequences of the corona virus outbreak that […]
Youth and the future, part two
The reactions to my blog from last Tuesday call for a new blog as a response. Some people heavily agree with me, but others are outraged that I put all the blame on the older generations (in which I include myself). I would like to say something about that. First of all, this is my […]
Youth and the future
‘Youth has the future’. A (Dutch) saying I’ve heard all my life, but now I’m not so sure it’s true. Does our youth have a future left? And if so, what will it look like? We, the adults, are trying really hard to make that future less and less bright, with all our greed, with […]
Tiny House TEDx talk
Monday January 21st was the day, finally. After months of preparations, the very first TEDx event of Alkmaar took place in a sold-out Grote Sint-Laurenskerk. The crowd listened carefully to no less than 18 inspiring speakers, including yours truly, alternated with music and theater. It was an incredible day! The talks are now online on […]
Water, the big picture
Although we’ve barely had any winter so far, I’m already longing for spring. Even more so now that I’m lacking running water because my water pipe has been frozen solid for a week. Showering isn’t a big problem; I just take a shower at a friend’s every now and then. But having to use a […]
I have a dream
I am experiencing a growing sense of anger, sadness, powerlessness and frustration inside of me about our failing system. And I want a revolution. So many things in our society are wrong and I wonder more and more why we aren’t taking a stand. Why do we put up with so much? Because in our […]
Global is fatal, time for local
I’ve finally started reading the book by Naomi Klein: ‘This changes everything’. It came out in 2014 and concerns climate change. She writes about the causes and the solutions, although I haven’t gotten to the solution part yet. But boy, does she paint a gloomy and frustrating picture. Enough to leave you feeling hopeless. But […]
The Young Climate Movement
Yesterday I attended the climate dialogue of the Young Climate Movement (Jonge Klimaatbeweging) where I was asked to speak as an expert on the subject of residential living. This was a great honor for me. I really think the youth has the future, but only when we give it all we’ve got to build a […]
Is there any hope for us?
This week I saw a few messages on my Facebook timeline that left me angry, down, and made me feel like there is only a small group of people calling for help while the big masses keep on living like there’s no tomorrow. All the while, the people who can actually make a difference in […]
Energy for two
Of course it’s wonderful when you’re able to live off-grid in a Tiny House, and generate and store your own energy. I think it might be the best way to become aware of your own energy consumption. And changing your consumption pattern starts with awareness. But, not everyone has the ability to live like I […]