Welcome visitor, to Sustainable Susan!

My name is Susan Overakker. I was born and raised in the Netherlands, the country below sea level, have lived in New York City for a year and now living in the middle of the Netherlands again . I have beenworking at the Donella Meadows Sustainability Institute and New Earth.

I’ve been interested in the environment ever since I was a little girl and walked with my parents and sisters through the lovely ‘Corversbos’ close to our home. Learning about the environment and spending time in nature makes me feel grounded and connected to our host named earth, the earth that we are all only visitors of.

The dalai lama himself once said: ‘If we make a mess of our visit to this earth, our live on earth is senseless, but if we live in peace, help others or at least doing no harm to others, then our visit has succeeded.’

I believe that everyone has an enormous drive to do good, to spend your live on earth with purpose and rather in harmony with oneself and each other than in total disarray. If we listen to the news and hear about climate change or organic food or air pollution, it is all very overwhelming. It is easy to hear only the negative messages, become confused and stop making positive contributions to a more sustainable world for all and generations to come.

Please, don’t feel agitated. Every one of us may only be a living creature, but together we can surely make a difference. Take for example your groceries: with everything you buy, food, clothes or other products, you make a choice, you vote for that company, for a production process, for equal treatment of people, for your own health. I never doubt that we, consumers or even just a small group of thoughtful committed citizens, can change the world. I hope this website contributes to some of the positive change we need and gives you some idea of what we can do to pursue a more sustainable life on this planet, our home.

Enjoy, be inspired and make your choice! A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Here’s to sustainability!

Susan Overakker