Living Sustainably: Traffic safety awareness needed by all

By Kerry Irons, Pedal Holland As people look for socially-distanced recreation close to home, the growing numbers of families and individuals out for walks or bike rides makes this a good time to review bicyclist and pedestrian traffic awareness. The safety of active transportation users depends on traffic awareness by all involved. Bicycle and pedestrian …

Living Sustainably: Families are helping families with #StayHomeFightHunger

By Mike Goorhouse, The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area I am inspired by all of the quarantined individuals seeking out opportunities to connect and support one another during this time of social distancing. People are engaging in impromptu concerts on balconies, coordinating two minutes of applause for those on the front lines of the …

Living Sustainably: CareOttawaCounty.com highlights hope, positivity

By Mike Goorhouse, The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area Life can change so fast. Just two weeks ago, local school districts closed and people began to self-isolate amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Earlier this week, Gov. Whitmer issued the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order which suspended activities that are not necessary to sustain or …

Living Sustainably: Book project empowers, uplifts children

By Zahabia Ahmed-Usmani and Erin Davison, Diversity Rocks the Book How do we empower and uplift children of all identities and backgrounds? How do we help children understand their peers’ experiences so they grow up empathetic to experiences outside of their own? The City of Holland’s Human Relations Commission took up this charge through a …

Living Sustainably: Holland can “carbon fast” faster

By Anne Saliers, Holland Board of Public Works Many schools, churches, and community groups encourage people to use this time of year to look more closely at their consumption of energy and carbon. The term “carbon fast” has become popular as a way to highlight practices that conserve energy resources. Using less energy means your …

Living Sustainably: It all starts with a turn of a page

By Beth Peter, MD, Ready for School If you’re reading this, you can read a book to a child. Look around you at the children in your life and consider your big hopes for them. Now consider this: Making reading a part of every child’s day is your way to start simple and build toward …

Living Sustainably: Investing in sustainable economics benefits people, profit and the planet

By Ken Freestone, Holland Residential Energy Advisor In any conversation that I have about “sustainability,” I can bring attention to benefits for corporate systems, environmental stewardship, and social equity. It is like a dial on an appliance where all the subjects can be separate but yet all connected. We can turn the dial depending on …

Living Sustainably: Film will explore science misinformation campaigns

By Jerilynn Tucker, Sustainability Film Series What happens when the masters of spin, of the distortion and misrepresentation of information, go to work on public threats like toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, or climate change? Confusion and doubt. And that’s the point, as explored in the film “Merchants of Doubt,” set to screen Tuesday, Feb. 25, at …

Living Sustainably: Reconsider the disposable culture for Lent

By Peter Boogaart, Macatawa Creation Care There was a time when grown men rhapsodized over “that new car smell.” Ahh, the ambrosia of success! The experience went unchallenged. Nobody asked where the smell came from, or why it went away. Likely, it came from off-gassing of the plasticized interior components. Could this be a problem? …

RecycleMania 2020 – Hope vs. Kalamazoo Game 3pm

The Hope College Advocates for Sustainability present RecycleMania 2020 February 15 at 3pm Hope vs. Kalamazoo RecycleMania’s GameDay Basketball Competition compares schools based on recycling and waste minimization efforts made during a single home basketball game. Schools plan outreach and education activities, and report the corresponding weights for recycling, food organics and trash generated during …