Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

The aim is to increase the utilization of the CO2-binding mineral Olivine in public places and spread awareness about the powerful mineral in order to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This CO2-removal process is natural and the Earth has been doing it for millions of years. It is called enhanced weathering and is based on the reaction between the mineral Olivine, water and the CO2 gas. By replacing CO2-positive crushed shells on existing seashell paths with CO2 negative crushed Olivine, we can create sustainable Olivine paths on Schiermonnikoog that permanently capture CO2, reducing its amount in the atmosphere.

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The climate crisis is not only about global warming but it also constitutes a leadership crisis. Decision making and power in climate movement on both local and global level is still traditionally dominated by white male voices. Accelerating the success and speed of climate movement requires a transition and diversification in leadership. Women are important agents when it comes to achieving impactful positive changes for the Earth. The best example is an 18-year-old environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who is constantly pressuring politicians and decision-makers to take action and to actually treat the climate crisis as a crisis. She has initiated change and severely impacted our society at such a young age. greenSand aims at actively contributing to this transition in leadership by pursuing the mission of natural CO2 removal with a diverse team. It is a small yet extremely diverse team, consisting of members from different cultural backgrounds such as Dutch, German, and Ukrainian. The team also represents various generations since the age of greenSand team members ranges from 19 to 70 years old. Moreover, there is a disabled member in the greenSand team and there is a balance between males and females. The Schiermonnikoog project is led by women, with the Business Development Manager Liselotte ten Bosch at the forefront. Realizing this project would constitute a huge step towards greenSand‚ goal of increasing the awareness and utilization of Olivine, and creating a greener future by collaborative community work. Additionally, it would empower women and young adults, who are traditionally underrepresented in the leadership of climate movement, by leading impactful and effective changes in the region of North-Holland, and other regions in the future. Especially young people should be empowered since they are the ones most affected by climate change. Developing and leading a community climate movement in the Netherlands is important in order to accelerate the transition towards a CO2-neutral future, especially considering the fact that the Netherlands is performing quite badly in the green transition compared to other EU countries. The Northern islands belonging to the Netherlands attract a large number of tourists and would be the perfect place to utilize and increase public awareness about the natural CO2 cleaning capabilities of the mineral rock Olivine.

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