People of ‘green’ action
story by: rutger mazel (rotary Nederland)
“Everyone can do something to improve our environment. It’s very easy; small steps help,” says Rebecca Siebinga, of the Rotary Club of Leefklimaat (Living Climate) in the Netherlands.
Marielouise Slettenhaar-Ket, of the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group, adds that protecting the environment, Rotary’s newest area of focus, is of great importance and well aligned with Rotary’s other causes. “Climate action must also be done locally,” she says. “Rotary clubs play a facilitating role in this.”
The editor of the regional Rotary magazine for the Netherlands interviewed both women on a video call. This way no one needed to drive, avoiding carbon emissions. That’s a small contribution to a better environment. And there are many other small things you can do as individuals.
“I put a filter in my washing machine to filter out microplastics,” says Siebinga. “Saving water, bringing your own reusable bag when you are grocery shopping, installing an insect hotel in your garden, or riding your bike more often — all these actions help. The important thing is to get the message across in an enthusiastic way. Discuss it with friends and family and brainstorm how you can contribute.”
“Act and talk about it, but in a personal, not a dogmatic, way,” adds Siebinga, who two years ago had the idea for a new cause-based Rotary club.
That idea has grown into the leefklimaat e-club, which has 25 members. Why she founded this club is clear: As Rotary modernises and adapts, many members are paying more attention to the environment and climate.
“We need to take climate-friendly actions on an individual and a club level. We have to act together.”
“If this planet becomes uninhabitable, everything will end,” she says. “We have to make sure our children and grandchildren have a chance on our planet. It is necessary to think about that together and do something about it together.”
There are many wonderful green initiatives within Rotary. Check out what activities will suit your club. Just start; you don’t have to be an expert.
“At our club, we invite speakers to talk about different aspects of sustainability and climate,” Siebinga says. “And we roll up our sleeves. We clean up plastic at roadsides and in forests. On the island Texel we had a nature excursion and together we visited the company Save Plastics in the city of Arnhem where they produce new products from waste plastic.”
The Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group is a global organization within the Rotary family that advances and promotes environmental projects.
“We try to form alliances with others who also think protecting the environment is important. We share knowledge, conduct webinars, and help clubs apply for global grants,” says Slettenhaar-Ket, a member of ESRAG Europe’s management team.
“Going green together over and over again, that’s what it comes down to. We need to take climate-friendly actions on an individual and a club level. We have to act together. Let education, culture, and sustainability come together.”
Rebecca Siebinga founded the Rotary Club of Leefklimaat (Living Climate) to address increased concerns about the environment
Rotary is ideally suited for this, Slettenhaar-Ket believes. “With the Rotary Club of Voorburg-Vliet, we supported a revegetation project called Molenwei, a nature and recreation farm. It is close by and well-known locally, and works with several partners apart from Rotary. Together with school children we planted a tiny forest there.”
Rotary members play a facilitating role. With their enthusiasm, they inspire the people in their communities to get involved. “Our 1.4 million members make us a reliable and credible partner,” Slettenhaar-Ket says. “People see that Rotary helps even with protecting the environment.”
Four of the seven Dutch districts have an environment/sustainability committee where they share knowledge, ideas, and tips. At the international level, Rotary’s newest area of focus is also gaining traction.
The Dutch initiative End Plastic Soup has grown from Rotary members in Amsterdam into a network of clubs around the world. Rotary International was represented for the first time last year at the United Nations Climate Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. And this August, RI Director Hans-Hermann Kasten’s Rotary Institute/European Summit in Bonn, Germany, will be devoted largely to protecting the environment.
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