By Emma Bright ’18, Community Member As I sat in the bay window of my Eighth Street apartment Friday, Sept. 20, I heard the clamor of voices from afar. As they drew closer, I made out the chant “We want climate justice!” being passionately yelled by a small but feisty group of youth climate protesters. …
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By Steven McMullen, Hope College There are many different ways in which most of us could change our lifestyle in order to do less damage to the environment and the ecosystems that support us. For most people in the United States, however, there are few changes that we can make that will have more of …
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By Evan Bright, Dec. 2019 Hope College graduate and intern with the Holland-Hope Sustainability Institute Volunteers around the world – and in Holland – will flock to streets, rivers, beaches, and forests this Saturday, Sept. 21, in a communal effort to rid our beautiful planet of litter and mismanaged waste. World Cleanup Day has become …
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By Michelle Gibbs, Office of Sustainability Glocal water. What in the world is that? The term glocal refers to considering a particular topic from both a global and local perspective. And, in our area, water certainly is a topic we should approach that way, thinking about how our choices are impacting our local water as …
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By Becky Huttenga, Ottawa County Economic Development When you boil it right down, the term sustainability really just means ditching the mindset of “there will always be more.” More fossil fuels. More places to put our trash. More safe water. More clean air. More abundant food. Let’s focus here on that last one: more food. …
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By Mary Huisman and Peter Boogaart, Creation Care Group The thoughts and works of Wendell Berry, among the greatest living American writers, will be the focus of two special events in Holland on Sept. 13 and 14. A writer of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction essays, Berry examines both community and nature, reflecting on their relationship …
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By Morgan Kelley, Holland Board of Public Works The Holland Board of Public Works partnered with the City of Holland this past April to provide the Energy-Saving Trees Program, a project that netted 300 new trees in the community. Developed by the Arbor Day Foundation, the Energy-Saving Trees Program educates homeowners about the energy-saving benefits …
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By Zoe Gum, Alec Berrodin and Katelyn DeWitt, Hope College Biology Students How much is that tree in your front yard worth? Sure, you might cash in once on its lumber value – or you could treat it as a long-term investment. In the latter case, the value will grow tremendously as the tree ages and provides …
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By Cait Seppo, Seppo Chiropractic Single-use plastic is an issue I’ve become extremely conscious about in my life. It didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t even start over a concern for our planet. It was, in fact, my passion for all things health and wellness that led me down this road. It all started with a reusable water …
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By Tom Bultman, Hope College Many of us enjoy a “cup of Joe” in the morning. For some of us, it’s a prerequisite for productive work. All total, over 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed in the world every day, mostly in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Many of us enjoy this daily ritual without much thought …
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