Student - May 31, 2012

TEDxWageningen thinks about sustainability

The first TEDxWageningen held yesterday had 170 students, researchers and interested parties soaking up the inspiring talks and the sun.

Designer Joost Fluitsma uses a long cable to make a rewire work of art on the spot.
During the ideas conference, more than twenty speakers tried to 'sell' their ideas about a more sustainable future. They talked about using greenhouses for cultivating crops as in a small eco-system, or a plan to gather more knowledge on useful bacterial processes. In between talks, a band showed how noise pollution can be 'recycled' in compositions.
The conference took participants on flights of fancy and gave them a 'shot' of inspiration, a term often used. Cheers rang out from the hall instead of critical questions about workability or shortcomings. Everyone was still full of energy and excited even during break time outdoors on the grass. 'This is really interesting,' said Reinout Huisma, first year Environmental Sciences student. 'It's very encouraging to see so many intelligent people being involved in all these.'
Many of the speakers found the experience unique. 'I was extremely nervous,' said Professor Andy van den Dobbelsteen of Climate Design and Sustainability of TU Delft, who spoke about 'resilient cities'. 'If you can get this right, it may become the talk of the town; if not, it will probably sink into oblivion.' Although he 'preached to the converted', Van den Dobbelsteen stressed once more the urgency for change. 'During lectures on general topics, I still notice that people do not accept the idea that our lavish life style is coming to an end.'
During the event, there were also people outside the hall observing the proceedings. A 'live' broadcast in the Forum usually has an average of about ten students watching throughout the day.