Video lecture Jan Willem Bolderdijk: can you save the world on your own?

We all know that we should act more environmentally friendly. However, does it actually matter if you single-handedly give up your steak and stop flying? In this video lecture (in Dutch), Jan Willem Bolderdijk explains that you should by no means underestimate the power of your personal contribution.

Jan Willem Bolderdijk, associate professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business, focuses on climate change, overconsumption, and the exhaustion of natural resources. In his research, he examines the psychological barriers that prevent ‘green’ intentions from actually turning into ‘green’ behaviour. We know the task ahead of us (e.g. drastically reducing carbon emissions), we are equipped with the means to accomplish it (e.g. energy-neutral technology, extensive consumer policies), and still, change proves to be difficult. Jan Willem Bolderdijk is particularly interested in the role of social interaction and the human tendency to copy each other’s behaviour. It is essential to normalize ‘green’ behaviour in order to bring about change.

Universiteit van Nederland

Through the Universiteit van Nederland, inspiring academics share interesting and new insights from their fields of research by means of short lectures. They bring science to life for a young and wide-ranging public by answering provocative questions in various formats. From dark matter to animals’ experiences of love: just about everything is covered.