The sustainable exploration of podcast creator Tess Schram
"I have no idea what sustainable living is like, I'm just going to discover it"
Together with our SUB Boosters unleash a sustainability revolution within organisations in the Netherlands. Who are these boosters, accelerators and quartermasters? We speak to journeyman podcast maker Tess Schram about her sustainable exploration and climate dilemmas. In the first episode of Tess to Sustainability she gives herself a 6. What grade does she give herself 2.5 years later?
By: Dominique de Groot
Climate dilemmas
Travelling is her joy and her life. A typical milennial she calls herself, who once dreamed of a big house and a passport full of stamps. But when confronted with climate change and environmental pollution on several levels, she decided to rearrange her life. "I went diving in Bali, but we were warned in advance that we could not dive everywhere due to a lot of plastic. That was one of the triggers for me: this is not right."
Tess delves more into the subject. She listens to a lot of podcasts but finds the topics heavy and loaded. "I don't want to live like that at all, but I can't look the other way either," she says. Recording her own podcast, that seems like the thing for her. Via Tess to Sustainability she takes listeners on her journey of discovery towards a more sustainable life. "I have no idea what sustainable living is like, but I'm just going to discover it. I'm open and honest about this." In the 2.5 years since she recorded the podcast, she finds that sustainable choices and breezy living still go hand in hand. "It's quite a lot of fun! You get more creative and learn to reflect better and better." In the podcast, she regularly interviews people who inspire her such as Elisah Pals on plastic-free living and Sara Dubbeldam of When Sara Smiles on slow fashion.
Eat plant-based and buy less
The podcast is not a paean to sustainable living, more an open and honest self-examination about trial and error. "Of course sometimes I don't do something right. We all do and that's okay." She now eats entirely plant-based, buys less stuff and lives surrounded by nature in Friesland. "I hope through this way to make others curious. That they think about 'what is my take on this' after an episode. Or that they take up a challenge themselves. By stimulating, I see a snowball effect."
That she is seen in the family as the "enduring type" does not bother her. "That doesn't break it for me. Of course, it is frustrating at times, because we all need to get moving. What I have learnt is that you shouldn't impose it on others, but rather show what you are doing. By doing so, you plant a seed. The other day a friend of mine had cooked vegetarian, another told me she set up a clothes swap."
The climate split
Flying to Aruba or taking the train to Antwerp, driving or cycling to work. We all have our sustainable dilemmas. Travelling is her middle name, but how does that relate to sustainable living? "My classic climate split! How does something you value so much, part of who you are, go hand in hand with your sustainable goal?" Travelling around South America for a year with her boyfriend, she thoroughly enjoyed the countries and cultures, but sometimes felt like a fraud. "I was looking at ways I could offset my travel by planting trees and recording podcast episodes along the way to share my lessons from these countries. It gnawed at me, absolutely. While I believe that one does not have to exclude the other: You can live sustainably and sometimes make unsustainable choices."
For 2023, she devised a new challenge: to discover Europe in the most sustainable way possible. As far as she is concerned, the plane stays grounded all year.
Rating
In the first episode of Tess to Sustainability, she gives her sustainable life a narrow enough rating. What grade does she give herself 2.5 years later? "Maybe an 8, but if I take off the year of travelling, then still a 7," she says, laughing. "The two biggest steps I have made are: eating completely plant-based and buying significantly less. If I buy anything, it's often second-hand."
A new job
Before travelling, she cancelled all security in the Netherlands. She is now settled again with her boyfriend and puppy in Friesland and looking for a new job. With her background in change management, she would like a job in sustainability where she can really make a difference. "When travelling, you spend so much time together. Then I realised: you don't live to work. A happy person can give so much more, so I think a good work-life balance is indispensable." Besides, she no longer dreams of a big house, but rather a smaller house with a big garden. "When you live from your backpack, everything is a luxury," she says.
In December, she rolls out season 6 of the podcast already. "I am again tapping into very different topics: From vegetable gardening and clothes-swapping to sustainable investing. It will be another very diverse season and I am curious to see what we will all discover."
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