Living Sustainably: Three’s not enough: The eight R’s of recycling

By Ken Freestone, GreenMichigan.org For those who think recycling is difficult – sorry, but I’m about to take you from the “Three Rs” of recycling to the “Eight Rs.” And for those who actively recycle, you are going to love that we have added  five more Rs. Earth Day’s beginnings in the early 1970s emphasized the message …

October 2017 Sustainability News

October 2017 Sustainability News October 31, 2017 – Letter: Opposition growing to Saugatuck development October 31, 2017 – Holland High launches student engineering pathway October 30, 2017 – Living Sustainably:  Healthy food sustains healthy living October 30, 2017 – Community Action House offers Thanksgiving baskets, seeks holiday donations October 30, 2017 – Corals eat plastic because we’ve made it …

Living Sustainably: Healthy food sustains healthy living

By Melissa Roessing, Community Action House Think of the words “food pantry” for a moment. What comes to mind? I’d be really surprised if anyone’s first response was “quality.” People usually think of macaroni and cheese and a place that’s a little dull and drab. We’re in the process of changing that assumption at Community Action House. We …

Living Sustainably: Social diversity enhances area’s sustainability

By Alice Jasper, Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance As we endeavor to build a sustainable Lakeshore community, we must consider all the elements of sustainability, including social diversity. When people hear the word “sustainable,” they most typically think of environmental conservation and advocacy. However, when business author John Elkington coined the term “triple bottom line” in 1994 – also referred …

Living Sustainably: Airport supports sustainable local economy

By Aaron Thelenwood, West Michigan Regional Airport Authority The West Michigan Regional Airport has been serving the Holland area for more than 50 years, and 30 years ago this month it became a public facility. Since then, it’s economic impact has been massive. According to statistics from the MDOT/Aeronautics Division’s 2017 Michigan Aviation Plan report, an estimated $164 …

Living Sustainably: Three Holland projects are finalists for state energy awards

By Anne Saliers, Holland Board of Public Works Holland’s leadership in energy efficiency could produce three winners in the Third Annual Governor’s Energy Excellence Awards that recognize people and organizations in Michigan that have taken firm, meaningful actions to improve energy efficiency. Sandra Keirnan is a finalist for Best Residential Project. She had already begun renovating her 1891 home …

Living Sustainably: Holland Energy Park – Resource, Destination, Gateway

By Michelle Gibbs, Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute Holland’s vision is to be a thriving, world-class energy efficient city that generates energy cleanly, uses it efficiently, and distributes it reliably and affordably. A cornerstone of that effort is the new Holland Energy Park, and a Living Sustainably Along the Lakeshore event offers the first chance for a public visit …

September 2017 Sustainability News

September 2017 Sustainability News September 29, 2017 – Part II: Armed with Science, Backed by Law, They are the Voices of the Water September 29, 2017 – Letter: Elementary conclusions on climate change September 28, 2017 – Local farmers say apples survived recent heat September 28, 2017 – Local Favorites: Ah, the crunch of a fresh Michigan apple September …

Living Sustainably: Fixing Four Problems at a Zero-Waste Business

By Matthew Scott, Lemonjello’s Coffee STOP! READ THIS NOW! If you’re reading this, that worked. But consumers don’t read signs. So, what do you do when you can’t rely on messaging to get sustainability results? At Lemonjello’s Coffee, we are committed to trying run a zero-waste business. In doing that, we’ve run into four big problems. Here they are, …

Living Sustainably: LED Technology Offers Bright Ideas for Saving Money

By Barry Rutherford, Holland Board of Public Works Like many small business owners, Joe Langejans, owner of Maplewood Auto at 242 East 26th St. in Holland, has to make every dollar count to stay in business. So, when he was approached by a salesman talking about new LED lights and how much money he could save, Langejans said …