Entries by Etienne Hoekstra

The Dirty Water Dilemma

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Etienne Hoekstra
"We're Swimming in sh*t" was stated to indicate the massive amount of pollution in the oceans. We dive into the threads of sewage and chemical pollution to understand the challenges facing our waterways today.

How the EU is Revising its 2040 Climate Targets amid Farmers' Strikes

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Etienne Hoekstra
Behind the EU's ambitious 2040 climate targets lurks a controversial omission of agricultural emissions and a heavy reliance on unproven carbon capture and storage technologies.

Sustainability Implications of Dutch Far-right Victory

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Etienne Hoekstra
The far-right victory of Dutch populist Geert Wilders fits into the growing right-wing sentiment in Europe. GreenMarked explored the implications of this election result for sustainability in the Netherlands.

Dutch Cities to Hit 50 Degrees?

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Etienne Hoekstra
The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) has released new climate scenarios that provide insight into what weather changes await the Netherlands in the coming decades as a result of climate change.

EU Takes Decisive Action Against Greenwashing and Misleading Environmental Claims

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Etienne Hoekstra
The EU started to tackle greenwashing and increase consumer awareness. This follows a trend of growing environmental awareness to ensure that ecological claims match genuine efforts to protect our Planet.

Extreme summer heat as the 'new normal'?

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Etienne Hoekstra
Never such a hot day. Never such a hot week. Never such a hot month. Chances are that 2023 will be the warmest year on record. Forest fires, tourist evacuations, crop failures and floods are the "new normal" you will hear people say. We show you why it's not.
Hand Robot Human

The Dark Side of AI

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Etienne Hoekstra
We are slowly becoming familiar with the possibilities of artificial intelligence. We ask Siri about the weather or have ChatGPT type our work emails. But what lies behind the innovation? This article sheds light on the dark sides of AI, revealing the potential dangers, ethical dilemmas and societal consequences of the widespread use of AI. Is it worth the price?

Even the Netherlands Faces Imminent Shortage of Drinking Water

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Etienne Hoekstra
The Netherlands is renowned for its water management. Drinking water flows from the tap, but not for long if no immediate action is taken. What is happening in the water country per excellence?

What are Companies’ Green Claims Built On?

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Etienne Hoekstra
You have most likely seen internationally renowned companies’ claims that their products are “carbon neutral”. But what are these green claims built on?

The EU Climate Agreement: Making the Polluter Pay

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Etienne Hoekstra
Towards a more ambitious European climate policy: To achieve a 55 % emission cut by 2030, the EU wants to make the polluter pay for its emissions.

Who Compensates for Forest Fires?

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Etienne Hoekstra
Many companies and countries offset their greenhouse gas emissions by planting trees. But are forest fires included in national carbon budgets?

The Aftermath of Exceptional Droughts

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Etienne Hoekstra
This year’s exceptional drought caused such a dramatic reduction of groundwater levels that it will be hard to recover. Water scarcity might become a real issue also in Germany and the Netherlands.

Creating Water in the Desert: An Innovation to Fight Water Shortages in Extreme Droughts

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Etienne Hoekstra
A solution to fight severe droughts and water shortages might come from a Dutch Artist: SunGlacier, the first water multiplier that uses the sun to make ice and water.

Climate friendly post-COVID traveling

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Etienne Hoekstra
Now that many countries are slowly readapting to a post-Covid era, will people’s travel habits change? Will environmental unsustainable cheap flights still exist?

Transparency in the Voluntary Carbon Market

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Etienne Hoekstra
The voluntary carbon market offers compensation for carbon dioxide emissions. To work properly, however, it must be more effective and transparent.

How much water does your 24-hours day consume?

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Etienne Hoekstra
How much water do we use every day? Understanding how we use water is crucial to tackle the water crisis and sustain the freshwater demand of all beings.

An increasing blue risk - The Netherlands and the rising sea level

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Etienne Hoekstra
Although Dutch people have excelled their ability to live below the sea level, their sea defense system may not be enough to contrast the growing sea level caused by the climate crisis.

Future-proof Dutch agriculture

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Etienne Hoekstra
Besides devastating extensive monocultures, can the Netherlands hope for a future-proof agriculture?

Carbon banking to tackle the climate crisis

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Etienne Hoekstra
Rabobank and Microsoft join forces to help achieve the climate crisis targets.

Applying the European Green Deal. Is the Netherlands Fit for 55?

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Etienne Hoekstra
The new "Fit for 55" legislation aims to reach 55 % net emissions reduction target by 2030, making Europe the first emission-neutral continent. Is the Netherlands ready for “Fit for 55”?

Royal Dutch Shell forced to drastically reduce CO₂ emissions

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Etienne Hoekstra
Shell lost the trial against Friends of the Earth - Netherlands and will have to drop their CO2 emissions by 45 % by the end of 2030. For the second time, a Dutch Jury has charged an oil company for climate responsibility.

Climate Justice as a Human Right

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Etienne Hoekstra
The new frontier of environmentalism is making climate justice be recognized as a human right. Environmental NGOs are making transnational corporations liable for climate change damages.

The Interest of Fossil Fuel Corporations and Agribusiness Enterprises in Climate Policies

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Etienne Hoekstra
Corrupted project collaborations between environmental NGOs, governments and fossil fuel corporations and agribusiness enterprises can tamper meaningful climate policies and secure business-as-usual profits.

A case study on the success of The Ocean Cleanup

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Etienne Hoekstra
In 2012, he had the idea to clean up the plastic waste of the oceans. In 2017, his idea gathered more than 31M$. Read the business review of The Ocean Cleanup case study.

Life on Land

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Etienne Hoekstra