A number of stands where you can cook your own organic food, learn how to do a compost, make bike bags out of old fuel containers, try a washing machine or a mixer that works with an old bike instead of a motor, learn how to make a van that is not polluting… even knitting, making your own orange juice and making a wallet out of old juice cartons was on the menu.
I spent a very nice afternoon together with all the other curious people and I enjoyed watching grown-ups turn into children when they started making their own creations in the middle of Brussels’ central shopping area. An easy model: Volunteers that give workshop, some sponsoring and a bit of project management. The result – good vibes, a day full of eye-opening ideas and inspring people.
This simple concept is worth replicating in other parts of the world!
Hope you feel inspired now…
I’m speaking to more and more people that are trying to make sense of what they do and how it can benefit society & the environment as a whole.
It always starts with a dream, a broad idea of how it could look like in practise and lots of passion that gives people the drive to make things happen. More and more people do dare to make the step and create a business around these ambitions. Dreamers transform into entrepreneurs and suddenly become part of a genre that is accepted and increasingly admired by society.
What people seem to lack and look for is very human support:
- A person that gives feedback like a mirror
- Some guidance in creating a good sales pitch
- Some ideas to complete the story
- Help with finance and getting the right people on board
- A well thought through and tangible Marketing plan
…and last but not least: Confidence
I find it personally very inspiring to listen to people’s ideas, help them develop their business model and help them to market their concept. I’ve now decided to help members at The Hub develop their ideas and explore the world of online Marketing. I look forward to exciting new ideas, people with big dreams and enough courage to make them happen.
The sun is out, it’s getting warmer and lots of things are happening around bikes. Not just that I’m getting in the hot phase with planning a 7-day cycling adventure in France… all Brussels seems in cycle mood these days. Here a short overview of what is going on:
1. Velo-city 2009 May 12th – 15th
Velo-city is one of the world largest conferences on cycling taking place at tour & taxi. It includes a number of conferences, exhibitions and lots of entertainment activities around cycling.
2. DringDring 2009 May 11th – 17th
Simultaneously, DringDring is organizing breakfasts for cyclists and bike excoursions for schoolkids this week.
This weekend there will also be a second hand bike fair and several other activities worthwhile joining.
3. Bike to work
Have you ever thought about taking your bike to work? Bike to work is a project that supports and encourages employees and businesses to take the bike to work. This initiative is part of the European project LifeCycle. Besides the simple committment it offers also a number of contests that will be carried out throughout the year. Companies that support their employees, can also gain financial advantages.
4. Dynamobile 2009 July 17th -26th
If you haven’t got any summer holiday plans for July yet, you should definitely consider this one. Dynamobile is a bike tour for families and individuals. During one week you get to see some of the Belgian nicest spots, you eat organic food and get to know like-minded people. Here some details on this year’s programme in French.
“All this talk about dirty energy?! In my house the energy comes from the power plug and there is no mess at all!”
Great! But how does it get into you power plug?
I live in Brussels, Belgium. Now, the energy market is open and you can choose from several providers, such as Belpower or Lampiris? There is also still the only former provider Electrabel, which claims they are green, but are they really? I found this nice URL that gives an overview of what energy provider options we have here in Belgium. Money talks and if we give it to the right solution..
I switched to Lampiris right after the markets were opened, they were not just alot greener than Electrabel, but also cheaper and it was real easy too, all I had to do is to sign up for Lampiris and they did all the rest!
If you know of a similar site for other countries, please do post them.
About half the worlds population needs to battle with Red River Indians each month – some turn moody, some schedule vacations around it others just have a little bit less energy. You still don’t know what I am talking about? Maybe monthly flow, period or menstruation mean more to you.
Now why exactly would this be a topic for a blog on mainly environmental issues?
Unless you use washable towels, having your period produces waste: pads, tampons. Also these things can be quite pricy and when travelling to certain countries your preferred choice might not even be available. So when I heard about this thing called mooncup, I really liked the idea and thought maybe you would be interested in hearing about it as well!
What is it?
“The Mooncup is a reusable menstrual cup around two inches long and made from soft silicone rubber.” (Mooncup UK)
It claims to be better for your health as well as it does not introduce any chemicals or will leave fibres behind. Personally I never had this problem, but glad to hear it! Anyway, so you buy it once, use it for up to 15 years, you need to clean it, but this can be done with toilet paper and water and once in a while boiling it in water might be a good idea.
Here is a list of some companies where you can buy this product. Note it comes in different prices, but some will last longer than others: Mooncup, Keeper, Divacup, Lunetteinfo
Savoir-Fair is a platform (in form of a fair) for people to exchange know-how on how to create & make things that are not just beautiful but help us diminish our impact on the environment (by using natural or recycled material). Topics can be anything from nutrition, mobility, gardening to well-being and games. This year’s event will be on the 20th of June.
…if you find all this inspiring and have some tips & tricks to share yourself: The team is still looking for people that would like to participate at the fair. Proposals will be accepted until May 15th. To find out more visit the Ideaplants discussion forum here (info in French).
Have you ever dreamt about an ecological neighbourhood where you can easily park your bike? A place where you can let your children play outside without bigger worries and where neighbours share more than just the usual small talk?
In a place like Brussels this may seem utopian – or do we just need to wait until someone makes the first step to make this happen?
Last week a group of people that has this vision met for a first brainstorm. What are you hoping for, what are your fears and how do we overcome these? A ‘soft’ session for a first get to know each other and see where one can take this project from there.
In Germany green housing projects are well established (I actually grew up on one) whilst this is still new in Belgium and so far brussels has never seen a project realized by individuals as the initiators. This may change very soon it seems when looking at the group of motivated people that I met last week.
The next meeting will be in 2 weeks time. For more info visit our group:
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