Hope College Sustainability Institute

By Mara Gericke, Macatawa Area Coordinating Council
Green Commute Week is an annual event designed to promote awareness about green transportation options that benefit the environment, the budget, and both personal and community health.
If you regularly participate in Green Commute Week, you may have noticed that spring came and went this year without mention of the event, which is usually held in spring. Most things look a lot different these days, and this event is no exception.
For the health and safety of our participants, the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council made the decision to postpone the event until fall and modify the structure to focus on active and socially distant forms of green commuting including walking, biking, telecommuting, driving a fully electric vehicle, or any other type of green transportation that involves physical activity like rollerblading, skateboarding, or even kayaking.
Here’s how it will work: Green Commute Week will be Oct. 5-9. Unlike previous years, no registration is required, and all participants will participate as individuals. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t form your own teams within a workplace or other group and hold your own in-group challenges. We encourage it!

There will be five commute categories including walking, biking, telecommuting, driving a fully electric vehicle, and other (including any other form of active transportation). Participants will log each commute trip throughout the week on the MACC website at www.the-macc.org/green-commute-week.
This year’s commute challenge is based on participation:  Each trip logged equals one entry in the corresponding mode category. The more trips recorded and the more modes you choose, the higher your chances are of winning. At the end of the week, there will be a random drawing for $50 West Coast Cash within each commute mode category.
We hope you enjoy this opportunity to get outside, soak up the beautiful West Michigan fall weather, and contribute to the improvement of our health, our air, and our community!
 Mara Gericke is assistant planner at the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council.

This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme
Transportation: The movement of people, goods, and services within the area is an evolving system that links us to our regional, national and global networks.

ABOUT THIS SERIES  
Living Sustainably is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. It is presented by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, a joint project of Hope College, the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. Go to www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute for more information.

By Kelly Goward, Macatawa Area Coordinating Council
The urban environment is dominated by buildings, pavement, lawns, and other non-natural elements.
We constantly struggle against nature to maintain our built environment, especially our lawns and gardens.
This can include the use of fertilizers and pesticides that, if used improperly, can cause environmental harm. Our built landscapes can also be very water intensive, which can lead to high demand on our public water utilities.
However, there are ways to work with nature to create an attractive, low maintenance landscape that will help protect the environment, conserve water and provide places for urban wildlife.
Gardening with nature starts with careful planning. Take an inventory of what you already have.
What are your soils like? Are they dry and sandy, or wet and clayey? How much sunlight does your yard get? Are there problem areas where plants struggle to grow? These are a few questions to get you started.

Next think about what your goals and objectives are for the property. A goal is what you want to achieve, such as, “I want to create a water efficient landscape.” Objectives are what you will do and when to meet your goals, such as, “Reduce my lawn and plant a butterfly garden next spring.” It helps to write down your goals and objectives, because from there, you can outline the steps necessary to bring your goals to reality.
There are some specific things you should think about when gardening with nature. They include selecting the right plants for your soil and sunlight conditions, minimizing pesticide and fertilizer use, and conserving water.
Using native plants can help with all of these as they are adapted to local conditions, do not require fertilizers or pesticides, and should not need to be watered once established.
Also, look for alternatives to fertilizer, like compost or compost tea. Not only does compost add nutrients, but it also supports healthy soil biology, which can help plants take up nutrients and fight off disease.
Water conservation can be achieved by first selecting the right plant species, but also by adding mulch to reduce evaporation from the soil. Also, consider installing a rain barrel to capture rain water for irrigation.
The Sept. 22 Living Sustainably Along the Lakeshore Virtual Event will explore some of these ideas and more. The event will discuss gardening practices that help manage stormwater on your property as well as tips for conserving water. We will also hear about some work the City of Holland is doing to manage community stormwater.
The online program, “Gardening with Nature,” will be Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Register at https://libcal.herrickdl.org/event/6876773.
Speakers will include Kelly Goward, environmental program manager at the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council, and Emily Damaska, conservation program specialist at the Holland Board of Public Works.
Kelly Goward is the environmental program manager at the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council. She works with the local communities to improve, restore and protect Lake Macatawa and the surrounding landscape.

This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme
Environmental Awareness/Action: Environmental education and integrating environmental practices into our planning will change negative outcomes of the past and improve our future.

ABOUT THIS SERIES  
Living Sustainably is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. It is presented by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, a joint project of Hope College, the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. Go to www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute for more information.

By Regan Corum and Sarah Estelle, Hope College
Environmentalists and economists agree: Sustainability of natural resources is an important, timely issue. It’s worth our best efforts now to conserve and wisely utilize society’s scarce resources.
This Labor Day, Hope College’s Markets & Morality program is hosting a virtual event on stewardship, environmental health, and markets featuring economist Dr. P.J. Hill. Hill is a senior fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center in Bozeman, Montana, and professor emeritus of Wheaton College.
His lecture “Stewardship for Everyone: An Economist’s Proposal for Environmental Health” will consider effective strategies for reaching our environmental goals. In the process, Hill will draw on three distinct but complementary perspectives – conservation, Christian thought, and economics.
Economics is, at its core, a science of resource allocation. The economist’s toolkit is designed to consider competing uses of society’s limited resources. Basic economic principles, therefore, readily apply to issues of environmental degradation in ways that account for the full cost of natural and environmental resources.
Hill is likely to discuss the relative strengths and weakness of private initiative, market mechanisms, and government regulation, both in theory and as born out in practice. Environmental economists have had notable success in facilitating resource conservation with practices and institutional structures that are “incentive compatible.”
Put simply, people have greater incentives to conserve what they have a stake in. These stakes should be protected by a rule of law characterized by broadly held and legally enforceable property rights.
Recent examples of the success of property rights can be found in emissions trading, riparian water rights, fishing and aquaculture, and megafauna conservation.
What is especially promising about the economic way of thinking as applied to the environment is that it only complements stewardship efforts motivated by otherwise sincerely held environmental concern. By focusing on and implementing effective strategies for resource conservation and environmental sustainability, economists provide a practical toolset of value to environmentalists of all stripes.
Community members from Holland and beyond are invited to the online event, cosponsored by Hope’s Department of Economics and Business, Hope College Green Team, and the Acton Institute. Hill’s lecture will begin at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7 and will be followed by time for audience questions.
For more information on this public lecture event as well as a link to register for free online access, visit the Hope College’s calendar at https://calendar.hope.edu/event/stewardship_for_everyone_with_dr_pj_hill or email
marketsandmorality@hope.edu.

 Regan Corum is a junior business and economics major at Hope College where she is a member of Markets & Morality. She attended the selective PERC Student Summit in 2020. Sarah Estelle is the director of Markets & Morality and associate professor of economics at Hope College.

This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme
Economic Development: Businesses and the local consumers are driving engines that generate capital for growth and development. We want to be a location of choice for new business and industry.

ABOUT THIS SERIES  
Living Sustainably is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. It is presented by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, a joint project of Hope College, the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. Go to www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute for more information.

By Mia Lindberg, Ready for School
They say sometimes you just need to talk to a 4-year-old to understand life. For me, this could not be more true. I chose my career path of public health over lunch with a 4-year-old.
My relationship with Ready for School began as a volunteer the summer before my senior year in high school. We worked each day addressing gaps in access to nutrition and early learning opportunities.
My specific contribution was working at a Meet Up and Eat Up site.
Traditionally, these federally funded Summer Food Service Programs give daily meals to children in areas of greatest need. In Holland, we decided to build upon this existing program. Ready for School led a community collaborative incorporating reading and educational activities to fuel children with both food and a love of literacy.
That’s the summer when I had that eye-opening conversation with a 4-year-old. Sitting on striped beach towels laid out in the grass, I joined a group of children taking turns reading to each other. With a grin on her face and nachos in her hand, one young girl turned to me and explained why this was the best part of her day. Between bites, she told me she loved coming since her mother could not feed her at home.
Even now, I feel the weight of that statement.
Growing up in Holland is a very different experience for each child depending on many circumstances far beyond his or her control. I have been blessed to receive adequate nutrition, healthcare, learning materials, and guidance on how to take advantage of the resources in our community.
However, this isn’t true for every child growing up in Ottawa County. I learned at Ready for School how, “Potential is evenly distributed across a population. Opportunity is not.”
Ready for School taught me that high-quality early education sets the course of a child’s life and benefits the community as a whole. This realization led me to pursue a degree in public health to gain the knowledge and skills needed to address similar situations.
Distinguishing kindergarten readiness as a public health necessity unifies multiple sectors to rally around families with young children. Working with the medical, educational, public health, and business communities, Ready for School provides scholarships, a summer kindergarten readiness boot camp, books and learning materials, professional development for early childhood educators, and more.
These combined efforts have increased the measure of school readiness from 49 percent in 2009 to 70 percent in 2019. Yet, 30 percent of our incoming kindergarteners are still in danger of not reaching their full potential.
Three years later, I am back with Ready for School as a summer intern preparing for my junior year at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health. I am so grateful to live in a community where our youngest members are valued and supported.
Using my degree in public health, I will follow the lead of Ready for School and its mission to help create systems in which everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential. I will be forever changed by my time serving nachos with a side of literacy.

 Mia Lindberg is a junior at the University of Michigan studying Community and Global Public Health. She grew up in Holland and has enjoyed giving back to her community this summer as a research intern at Ready for School.

This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme
Community Knowledge: The collective knowledge and energy of the community is an
incredible resource that must be channeled to where it is needed.

ABOUT THIS SERIES  
Living Sustainably is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. It is presented by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, a joint project of Hope College, the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. Go to www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute for more information.

By Barry Rutherford, Holland Board of Public Works
We all like to get value out of our hard-earned dollars. Whether we are buying groceries or data plans for our phones, or even determining whether to buy a daily or annual pass to a park, we are constantly calculating the best value.
Value calculations can change over time, and we are not always aware of the impact of those changes. When electric cars were introduced, the cost was high, the mobility was limited, and the convenience was limited. Now, however, those values have changed.
Let’s compare today’s electric car to a gas car powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE).
Cars and trucks powered by the ICE have been the workhorses of the transportation industry for a century. The ICE got us off the horse and buggy, and it serves our transportation needs well as we drive about.
The ICE, however, has a big drawback. Vehicles with the ICE are about 20 percent efficient, meaning that only 20 percent of the fuel actually goes to power the engine. The rest, or 80 percent, is burned up as heat. It does not help move your car down the road. What happens to that 80 percent? So much heat is made that cars need cooling systems (radiator) to remove the heat. Most us have seen a car on the side of the road with steam coming up from under the hood from a failed cooling system.
Until recently, there haven’t been any viable options to the ICE. Today’s electric vehicle’s (EV) motors are about 80 percent efficient, a huge improvement over an ICE. EV motors are more efficient because there are fewer moving parts with less friction giving off heat. This also means less maintenance because of fewer parts and no cooling system to break down.
In addition to the mechanical advantages, the price of electricity to fuel an EV is cheaper than gasoline to fuel an ICE. According to energy.gov, the average price of a gallon of gas in Michigan is $2.09 and the equivalent for electricity, the eGallon, is $1.47. It should be noted that electricity prices do not fluctuate like gas prices do, depending on global politics. When gas prices were over $4 per gallon, electricity prices barely moved.
Changing from an ICE-powered vehicle to EV supports the vision of the 40-year Holland Community Energy Plan, which envisions that 7 percent of our local transportation fleet will be EV by the year 2050.To encourage residents to adopt EVs, Holland Board of Public Works offers a $300 rebate for a home charger and a discounted rate for charging your EV at night and weekends.
In summary, the value of an EV over an ICE are: They are cheaper to fuel, they are cheaper to maintain, and they are more convenient to fuel (you can charge an EV at home). EV prices keep coming down and more models are becoming available every year.
Go to https://hollandbpw.com/en/electric-vehicles for more information about EV, rebates for EV chargers, and discounted rates for EV charging. Also, look for Holland BPW’s new Facebook group dedicated to all things EV.
 Barry Rutherford is Holland BPW’s energy efficiency engineer. He develops customer education and energy savings programs.

This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme
Transportation: The movement of people, goods, and services within the area is an evolving system that links us to our regional, national and global networks.

ABOUT THIS SERIES  
Living Sustainably is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. It is presented by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, a joint project of Hope College, the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. Go to www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute for more information.

By Esther Fifelski, City of Holland
The Constitution requires that every person residing in the United States and U.S. territories be counted every 10 years though a Census.
The data derived from the Census determines how billions of tax dollars are distributed to states, cities, and local organizations and individuals. Michigan also uses the data to distribute sales tax revenue to communities. More importantly, the population numbers determine the number of representatives our state has in Congress and is used to set congressional and state legislative districts.

Why participate? The Census impacts every person, every day.
Locally, Census numbers direct dollars toward roads, schools, healthcare, and many other areas.
Businesses use local demographic information to make the best decisions for their companies. The data help determine location, market size, and other demographic information to put them in the best spot to succeed. Developers use the data to determine housing and economic development needs. Employers use Census data to look at the local talent base.
Census figures even impact grants that fund everything from critical research to special initiatives serving the most vulnerable populations.
We take for granted the many services available in our community for residents, from the moment we rise in the morning to the moment we go to bed. Throughout our life, we benefit from Census data dollars. If you are interested in learning more about Census dollars, visit George Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy site that has an abundance of information.
Because it is used in so many ways, a complete Census count is important. As of Aug 3, the national participation rate was 63 percent. Michigan’s self-response rate was 68.8 percent, and Allegan and Ottawa county’s rates are 70.5 and 77.2 percent, respectively.
And the City of Holland’s participation rate was 74.6 percent – a higher level than the national and state counts; Holland is competitive! We understand the reality of what these dollars mean for our community.
In that competitive spirit, I challenge Holland city residents to have a 100 percent participation rate. Now more than ever, we need to be counted!
Census workers will start knocking on doors of those who have not responded in mid-August through Sept. 30. Remember, the Census will never ask for a Social Security number, bank or credit card numbers, or anything related to politics, and it will never collect money. While statistical data is shared, such as the number of people in a town, each individual’s response is confidential for 72 years.
Today, we have the luxury of speed, efficiency, and a more sustainable practice in doing the Census.
This year all residents in the United States and U.S. territories can submit their Census online or by phone. I encourage on-line participation, which creates less waste and reduces the impact on forests, energy use, climate change emissions, and air and other pollution.
To avoid knocks on your doors, save taxpayer dollars, and promote sustainable practices, complete the Census on-line at https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond.html.
 Esther Fifelski is human relations director for the City of Holland with responsibilities including the city Human Relations Commission, International Relations Commission, and youth services.

ABOUT THIS SERIES  
Living Sustainably is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. It is presented by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, a joint project of Hope College, the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. Go to www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute for more information.

This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme
Community & Neighborhood: The places we live and the individuals we interact with support the development of our personalities and perspectives on life. Encouraging vital and effective communities is essential.

By Elizabeth Merrit ’20, Hope College Green Team
What you spend your money on says a lot about what you value. Yet, many people do not think of their purchases in this way, especially when it comes to apparel. Although there are some very conscientious companies, many supply chains trace back to unethical practices, human trafficking, and environmentally harmful production processes.
The way we produce our clothing can be very harmful to the earth and to other human beings. In an effort to fully understand the weight of this, we first need to understand the terms associated with the making of clothing. 
“Fair trade” means that the current seller is the original buyer who purchased goods from a producer, usually in a developing country, at a fair living wage. The goal of fair trade is to focus on income stability, empowerment for the producers, and environmental stewardship.
For example, The Bridge, a store located on Eighth Street in Holland, is dedicated to fair trade. An outreach of Western Theological Seminary, The Bridge strives “to provide clothing that is fair trade and sustainably made.” Suppliers provide information about the materials and processes used in producing the clothing and also the artisans who make the fashions.
As Sara Schipper Russell,, manager at The Bridge puts it: “One of my favorite quotes about fashion comes from Vivienne Westwood: ‘Buy less, choose well, make it last.’ ” 

“Sustainable” means maintaining and preserving natural resources now so these resources are available in the future. When apparel is made sustainably, it is not done with harmful chemicals but instead focuses on renewable, clean, water-conserving methods.
“Ethical” is an umbrella term covering issues of fair trade, humane working conditions, sustainability, exploitation, and labor trafficking. Ethically-made clothing is produced by companies that aim to mitigate issues among clothing production, so they are especially conscious of who makes them and how. 
“Conscious fashion” is another catch-all phrase that encompasses eco-friendly and sustainable efforts. This is a common term used by companies that are greenwashing. 
“Greenwashing” describes a company that claims to be sustainable or environmentally friendly, but further investigation reveals this is false or exaggerated. 
The “transparency label” exists so that we can ask questions of large corporations and their extensive supply chains. Don’t be mistaken, though – transparency does not mean the same as ethical or sustainable. Transparency metrics are used more in addressing factory conditions and exploitation. This should not be where you stop your research.
“Cruelty-free” means that no animals were harmed in the creation or testing of the product. 
“Organic” means that the clothing was made from only natural fibers that were produced without the use of highly toxic chemicals.
“Slow fashion” means that instead of focusing on 52 clothing seasons a year, like fast fashion does, it focuses on classic pieces that aren’t trendy. 
The clothing industry alone accounts for 10 percent of annual global carbon emissions. This is more than the carbon emissions emitted each year from both international flights and shipping combined.
Beyond this, it is estimated that around the world only 2 percent of fashion workers make more than a living wage. The startling statistics go on and on for the fashion worker industry.
Knowing these terms will help you research who and what goes into the production of your clothing.
Start giving your business to companies that support values important to you and missions that you align with, such as safe factories, responsible environmental stewardship, and ethical practices.
 Elizabeth Merrit is a senior at Hope College, graduating in December of 2020. Elizabeth has worked with the Hope College Green Team since August of 2019. This summer she is conducting marketing research and content creation for the Office of Sustainability.

This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme
Environmental Awareness/Action: Environmental education and integrating environmental practices into our planning will change negative outcomes of the past and improve our future.

ABOUT THIS SERIES  
Living Sustainably is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. It is presented by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, a joint project of Hope College, the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. Go to www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute for more information.

By Jenny White, Velo Kids
I scream, you scream we all scream for … a bike ride! Ok, ok, we can’t forget about the ice cream, too – evveryone’s favorite part.
For the last six years Velo City Cycles, Velo Kids, Hudsonville Creamery, and the Holland Police Department have partnered in hosting a community Ice Cream Bike Ride around downtown Holland. The ride historically starts at Velo City Cycles and is led by members of the Holland Police Department and Velo Kids coaches. Cyclists of all ages ride around Windmill Island and back to the bike shop where everyone enjoys free ice cream.
We were uncertain how and if we could possibly hold a bike ride with the current COVID conditions, but are so excited that, yes, there will be a DIY (do-it-yourself) Ice Cream Bike ride on Wednesday, July 22.

Instead of riding together as a big group, we are encouraging cyclists to do their own bike ride around Holland. While out on your ride, stop by Moran Park (515 Maple Ave., Holland) anytime between 6:30 and 8 p.m. on July 22 for free ice cream, thanks to the Holland Police Department Polar Patrol.
All ages, all speeds and all styles and brands of bikes are welcome to ride. There will be a bike obstacle course for kids to practice their cycling skills. Velo Kids coaches will be handing out bike safety booklets to all young cyclists. Helmets and closed-toed shoes are recommended.
“I have been able to participate with the Ice Cream Bike Rides for the past couple years now,” said Holland Police Officer Adam Sokolove. “The ability to connect with people and promote law enforcement on a different level and show the community that we are human beings also has always been a benefit to these rides.
“To see the love for exercise and bike riding along with fellowship at the same time is what makes these Ice Cream Rides necessary regardless of the situation. Being able to still do the ride and be mindful of social distance guidelines adds another small sense of normalcy in today’s time.”
Social distancing will be practiced at the park, and all coaches and volunteers will be wearing masks.
It has been incredible to see how cycling has emerged to a new level during the pandemic, nationwide and also here in Holland. You have probably noticed the increased number of cyclists. We encourage you to explore your local roads, paths and parks by bike.
“Beyond owning a bicycle, the next most important factor to feeling comfortable with commuting by bike is gaining first-hand experience on your local roads, bike paths and trails,” said Martin Harris, a Velo Kids coach. “Exploring casually with your family is a great way to get that familiarity and have fun at the same time!”

Dig out those bikes from your garage and let’s ride and eat some ice cream!

 If you’re looking for a good route around downtown Holland, this seven-mile route highlights Kollen Park, Windmill Island and many of the bike lanes around town:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33383664
 The City of Holland bike network can be found here: https://www.cityofholland.com/227/Maps-Resources
 The Macatawa Area Coordinating Council non-motorized transport infrastructure is also a great resource: http://www.the-macc.org/transportation/nonmotorized/
 Or discover off-road trails in Ottawa County Parks: https://www.miottawa.org/Parks/recreation.htm#bike

 Jenny White and her husband, Brad, have been the owners of Velo City Cycles since 2013. She, along with other kid-loving, bicycle-riding friends started Velo Kids in 2017. Jenny and Brad have three kids, who also now love riding their bikes.

This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme
Transportation: The movement of people, goods, and services within the area is an evolving system that links us to our regional, national and global networks.

ABOUT THIS SERIES  
Living Sustainably is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. It is presented by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, a joint project of Hope College, the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. Go to www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute for more information.