Below is a listing of some of the fun things happening around the greater Holland area that you can participate in to learn more about our Earth and how to protect it. Be sure to also check out the events on the calendars for the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, Outdoor Discovery Center, DeGraaf Nature Center, City Parks, and our county …
Continue reading “Spring into Sustainability this Earth Month!”
By Susan Ipri Brown and Shana McCrumb, Hope College “We need to have a vision of the world we want to create so that we can see ourselves as collaborators with future generations in the project of shaping it.” – Dr. David Grinspoon “Think of your kids and live sustainably.” How often do we hear such statements as …
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By Paul Sachs, Ottawa County One of Ottawa County’s most alluring features is its water. For as far as the eye can see, Lake Michigan’s crystal-blue waters lap up against our expansive sandy shoreline. Twenty-four miles of coastline provide the perfect backdrop for walking, swimming, kayaking, boating, and fishing. But what we can’t see, and something that is …
Continue reading “Living Sustainably: Water, water everywhere? Not so much, anymore”
By Dan Callam ’09, ODC Network How can you tell if a lake is healthy? It’s not as simple as what’s in its water and on its shores. Lake Macatawa’s watershed – the area that drains into it – comprises most of the greater Holland/Zeeland area and is made up of neighborhoods, shopping and business districts, and …
Continue reading “Living Sustainably: On-going study looks at improving Lake Mac health”
A properly planted tree can help a homeowner save up to 20 percent on energy use. And Holland Board of Public Works residential electric customers can reserve a free tree this spring to strategically plant in their yards to save energy and lower utility bills. From the Arbor Day Foundation, the Energy-Saving Trees program began in 2012, …
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By Hannah Gingrich, Living Sustainably Along the Lakeshore “Affordable housing is not a simple subject” might be the understatement of the year. Regular consumers of local news have undoubtedly noticed this topic repeatedly featured in recent city discussions. Housing issues affect everyone, though in different ways. Even the casually interested likely have heard friends or coworkers mention how difficult …
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Please join the Macatawa Creation Care Group on Thursday, February 21 in Graves Hall for a film screening of “Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution.” Doors open at 5:45, and the film starts at 6:00. The film will be followed by a panel of representatives from the City Of Holland, Holland Board of Public Works, and …
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By Sarah Irvin, Naturalist at DeGraaf Nature Center Climate is defined as the weather in a particular area over a large time period, which unveils patterns when recorded, allowing us to create models that mimic and make predictions. Unfortunately, climate trends will become increasingly more challenging to predict as temperatures and precipitation events shift; the phenomenon that we …
Continue reading “Living Sustainably: It’s all about global “weirding””
The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed Monday, February 11 as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. According to a UN study from 14 countries, the probability for female students graduating with a bachelor’s degree in science is 18 percent, while the male equivalent is 37 percent. This day is a reminder that …
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By Cameron Geddes, Hope College Markets & Morality The great specter of the modern age is shapeless, manifesting in a menagerie of forms: Fathers unable to keep a roof over the heads of their sons. Mothers having only empty pantries to offer their daughters. Neighbors squabbling over property that rises just above worthless. Poverty is the English word …
Continue reading “Living Sustainably: Film examines troubling issue of poverty”
