I interviewed computer expert and sustainability campaigner Dr Erlijn van Genuchten, who writes easy-to-understand books based on science full of practical suggestions for planet-friendly living. Dr Erlijn is an expert on cybersecurity who advises the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe task force on digitalization in energy.

Leslie: How did your passion for sustainability begin, grow and develop?

Erlijn: I’ve always been very eager to learn, although some of what I’ve studied has been down to coincidence. For example, I remember a friend taking a course on building websites, but as she found it very hard, I joined to support her. That’s how I got into my first IT course and building websites. And I think my love and respect for nature has always been inside me due to visits with my parents. (Thinking about it now: that may be one of the reasons why I believe so strongly in setting a good example to inspire others – and why I try to ‘walk the talk’).

My passion for sustainability started in earnest in 2019. Back then, I worked for a company that set up a challenge: all employees were asked to hand in ideas about how the company could operate more environmentally. This inspired me to brainstorm ideas. I came up with something I could do in my personal life. So I set myself a 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge, with the goal of making my life more environmentally friendly every day for a year.

Soon after I had that idea, I got started sharing my ideas on social media as others might be interested in putting some of them into practice. Because my project was not only very important but also developed very rapidly, I decided to quit my job in 2020, in order to dedicate myself to sustainability full-time. That was an excellent decision, which I haven’t regretted for a second, even though my journey from there wasn’t as straightforward as expected.

Being self-employed and growing a project like this required new skills and a partly-different mindset. This has meant that on the way, I have reflected a lot on my thoughts and beliefs. Fortunately, it showed me which thoughts helped me to progress (empowering beliefs) and which held me back (limiting beliefs). By taking action, learning from the results, and coming up with improvements, I have been able, step-by-step, to overcome these limiting beliefs. I explain this never-fail cycle in more detail in the conclusion of my book A Guide to a Healthier Planet volume 1.

Leslie: Your work includes practical, down-to-earth ‘small steps’ advice; educational initiatives; and major strategic thinking at a business and international level. What’s the story behind these three intiatives:

Leslie: Your litter-picking and Nature Notebook?

Erlijn: When we want to make a difference to our planet, just talking about issues and solutions is not enough. We can only trigger real change when we take action in the physical world. That is why I not only write about what we can do in daily life to live more environmentally, but also put this into practice. Litter-picking is one example, but many of the ideas I came up with during my 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge are now part of my daily life.

I created this notebook for myself as existing notebooks don’t fit my requirements. As the same may apply to others, I have decided to share it.

Leslie: Your cybersecurity work?

Erlijn: I was working as a cyber-security consult before I started my 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge (see also my book “365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge: 365 ideas to live more sustainably”). As an ethical hacker, I am invited by customers to test the security of their web applications. The goal is to report security issues so that they can be fixed before hackers come along and steal data. As I only apply my skills for good purposes, it supports companies to defend themselves. I also share my knowledge in this field through teaching so that more and more people will be able to contribute to a more secure digital world.

And interestingly, the skills needed to perform such security tests also helped me finish my 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge! During this challenge, these skills helped me to identify sustainability issues in my daily life.

Leslie: Your work for the UN, EU, Asian & business sectors?

Erlijn: Because I have a strong background in cyber-security and environmental sustainability, I have been asked to join the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) task force on digitalization in energy. In this role, I share my knowledge with policy makers so that I don’t only inspire change bottom-up (starting with individuals) but also top-down (starting with governments).

This collaboration has led to further engagements, for example for the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). In this case, I provided feedback on a report about how to use digitalization in energy in the Asian region. Again, combining knowledge from both fields turns out to be very important and impactful!

Leslie: You have a passion for converting scientific publications into easy-to-understand articles for the general public. How did you develop both your (multi-lingual?) language skills and your capacity to summarise complex science without losing important detail?

Erlijn: From an early age, I enjoyed sharing my knowledge with others. At first, I supported children in the same class which, over time, developed into sharing knowledge with adults. I also completed a Masters in educational sciences. So I’ve always loved making learning as easy and enjoyable as possible. To achieve this, it is important that texts are easy to understand and to read. That is why over time, I have learned about leaving out unnecessary words, making transitions between paragraphs very clear, and using simple language. As I’m a linguist as well and love ‘playing’ with language, I work on my texts until I’m pleased with the result.

My multi-lingual skills have developed because I lived for a short time in the UK, and have never stopped using the language after that. The same applies to German: by living in Germany and being eager to learn the language of the country, I have been able to practice a lot. Also, in case of German, I wrote a book during my early years in the country about so-called “false friends”. False friends are words in Dutch (my mother tongue) and German that are the same or similar, or have a completely different meaning. By diving deep into these 400+ words, I learned an awful lot of German as well. (See also my book: Alles kla(a)r?: valse vrienden tussen het Duits en Nederlands [false friends between the German and Dutch languages])

Leslie: Tell us about your business and your books. How do you go about writing in different genres and how do find the time and appropriate writing mood to sustain your best work?

Erlijn: Writing in different genres is possible for me because I have a clear audience in mind. Knowing who my work is intended for helps me find the right voice and content level.

Whether I’m able to maintain a writing flow depends for me on many other activities, but what tends to work well for me is to write a little bit every day. I wrote 2 books using this strategy! If I don’t write, and have difficulty resuming, I set myself a small, easy-to-finish task. Once I have completed my task, I’m in the flow and can easily continue with the next step.

Leslie: How do you prepare for TV and video appearances? Tell us about your learning experiences working on screen and with podcasts.

Erlijn: I prefer to receive questions in advance so that I can go through my thoughts and make sure my answers suit the audience. If this is not possible, I think about what might be relevant to mention, but otherwise I just “go with the flow”. If a question pops up that I am unable to answer, I have no problem admitting this. This allows me to be relaxed during a TV show or video appearance and enjoy the conversation. Having said that, the first time on TV was of course very exciting and I was shaking a lot afterwards. But as this is also a skill, I know I need to practice and just do it – even when I’m a little scared. So if I see in retrospect what I could have done better, I learn my lesson and move on to the next opportunity.

Leslie: For many people, IT work is stressful. How do you offset the ‘mentalism’ that comes with high-powered debate/committees, writing books & being online?

Erlijn: For me, work is currently a great joy, as being self-employed allows me to decide which jobs/projects I take on – and which I don’t. Of course, I have a lot of projects I’m juggling at the same time, but I have learned to listen to my body to tell me what to work on and what to leave. To be able to hear these messages, I also take time to relax, for example by playing sports, and spending time with people who are dear to me.

Also, I’m involved with a lot of personal development – and have done so for many years – which has given me a broad “toolkit” to deal with different situations. This makes me very resilient and allows me to be relaxed, even in situations that used to be very stressful. And as new skills and knowledge develop in new situations, the cycle goes on, allowing me to continue learning and sharing again with others.

Next week I interview Bertin Kalimbiro about his work in the Democratic Republic of Congo to grow food safely and help people threatened by civil war, climate change, foreign exploitation and the 2021 volcanic eruption.

ABOUT LESLIE TATE’S BOOKS:

1. Love’s Register tells the story of romantic love and climate change over four UK generations. Beginning with ‘climate children’ Joe, Mia and Cass and ending with Hereiti’s night sea journey across Oceania, the book’s voices take us through family conflicts in the 1920s, the pressures of the ‘free-love 60s’, open relationships in the feminist 80s/90s and a contemporary late-life love affair. Love’s Register is a family saga and a modern psychological novel that explores the way we live now.
   • A signed copy of Love’s Register is available in pounds sterling here.
   • The paperback in other currencies is available here.                                                 
   • Ebook for Kindle in £s here and in $s here.                                                           
   • For other ebook reading devices here (all currencies). 
2. Heaven’s Rage is a memoir that explores addiction, cross-dressing, bullying and the hidden sides of families, discovering at their core the transformative power of words to rewire the brain and reconnect with life. “A Robin Red breast in a Cage / Puts all Heaven in a Rage” – William Blake. You can read more about/buy Heaven’s Rage here.
3. The Dream Speaks Back, written by Sue Hampton, Cy Henty and Leslie Tate, is a joint autobiography exploring imagination and the adult search for the inner child. The book looks at gender difference, growing up in unusual families and mental health issues. It’s also a very funny portrait of working in the arts, full of crazy characters, their ups and downs, and their stories. You can buy a signed copy of The Dream Speaks Back here.
4. Ways to be Equally Human tells the inside story of coming out as a non-binary person, from being ‘othered’ in gendered toilets to stepping up on stage & radio and taking action with Extinction Rebellion. Full of lyrical writing, humour and quirky insights, this is a book for lovers of language, nonconformists and passionate thinkers. You can buy a signed copy here.