Interesting stuff

  1. The Dutch face water scarcity
  2. This NYT article on water scarcity is not news (you heard it here first!), but it’s well written. It also linked to a fun (and useful) national competition to remove tiles (typically 40cm square, cement) from streets and gardens, as a means of reducing runoff and increasing groundwater recharge. This website (in Dutch) shows how cities are performing (the KPI is TPI, or tegels per inwooner), and I am glad to see Amsterdam outpacing Rotterdam (although I suspect A’dam has a larger supply 😉
  3. Watch: Harry Mack, one of the world’s best freestyle rappers, comes to the Netherlands!
  4. Watch: Wanna know how much energy we use? How about an olympic cyclist trying to make toast?
  5. Read: Ukrainian women go to war with their laptops, documenting Russian violence and crimes
  6. Read: Amsterdam is talking tough with Airbnb, as I recommended 5 years ago.
  7. Listen: Malcolm Gladwell is angry with billionaires giving money to rich schools (e.g., Stanford) that already have too much. He also levels much needed criticism at the tax breaks LA golf courses get (99% discount!)
  8. Watch (in Dutch): Time to give up cut flowers; they use too much energy and chemicals, and contribute to worker abuse.
  9. Read about the small but passionate community of female boat builders
  10. Read: What happened to the thieves when the theft economy collapsed?

H/Ts to DL and PB

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Author: David Zetland

I'm a political-economist from California who now lives in Amsterdam.

3 thoughts on “Interesting stuff”

  1. DZ, am I understanding correctly that you like the option to be able to Airbnb your place, but think it is net negative for A’dam, & advocate for limits, against your personal interests? What civic-mindedness!!

    1. Nope. Read my op/Ed. There I discuss how Airbnb should “share the wealth” with neighborhoods.

      I’ve not rented my place since then as I disagree with Airbnb’s impacts.

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