When Ecologic Institute was founded in 1995, a group of passionate and committed experts invested the necessary share capital to get the institute off to its successful start. Over the years, our Board of Shareholders has grown and become more international while upholding this spirit. Our Board does not benefit financially from their investment.
Ecologic Institute has the pleasure of introducing our three newest Senior Policy Advisors. These exemplary individuals bring with them a wealth of national and international expertise as well as a prominent and diverse portfolio of experience. We are delighted to have them onboard to strengthen our work and thinking with respect to research with impact and innovative education.
Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, the issue of plastic waste was a hot topic and public pressure on policy makers to reduce levels of plastic in the environment was high. But now, sales of disposable products such as plastic gloves and masks are on the up. In light of the COVID-19 crisis, the benefits of (disposable) plastics in the healthcare industry are obvious. However, it's crucial that these products are disposed of correctly and do not end up on sidewalks and doorways, as can now often be observed.
The importance of urban green areas has gained increasing attention in recent weeks, providing a welcome refuge to many city dwellers in light of COVID19-induced lockdowns. For those without private gardens, natural areas such as parks, urban forests or riverbanks offer critical opportunities for relaxing and being physically active. These and the wider metal and physical health benefits generated from spending time in publicly accessible natural areas are well documented, but have won new importance in this crisis. However, urban nature is more than just a city's parks and squares.
The effects of the Corona crisis have massively changed the everyday life of citizens since February/March 2020. It is to be expected that this crisis and the associated drastic changes in everyday life will have a strong impact on perceptions, attitudes and patterns of interpretation of current political and social challenges. In the "Trend Radar" project, trends and opportunities for resource conservation relevant to the use of natural resources were intensively reflected in early summer 2019 in a qualitative-empirical online community with more than 100 participants from all social groups.