Editor's Note: This story is part of our series, Sacred Earth which examines the intersection between climate change — and faith, worldview, philosophy, psychology, and the creative arts. This series is sponsored by the Fetzer Institute. This article also is part of a solutions-focused youth mental health reporting series of Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative, a group of 12 regional organizations dedicated to strengthening local journalism and reporting on successful responses to social problems. 

KALAMAZOO, MI — On a bright Sunday morning back in April, members of People’s Church gathered in one of their conference rooms after the service to listen to Justin Gish. Gish, the Sustainability Director for the City of Kalamazoo, presented the newly drafted 2022 baseline greenhouse gas report for the city. 

He was asked to speak by the Green Sanctuary Committee, a group within the church that seeks “to support the People’s Church community in our efforts to live in accord with our values,” as stated on their website. 

Gish’s presentation was one of two by sustainability speakers in the spring, the other being Kalamazoo County Climate Sustainability Coordinator Taylor Van Winkle.

Justin Gish, City of Kalamazoo Sustainability DirectorThese talks were set up to allow congregation members to engage with community environmental leaders on how to better abide by sustainable principles. 
 
Gish’s presentation ran for a comfortable hour, combing through the data and adeptly simplifying it for laymen’s ears. He provided digestible information on both the community (those within the bounds of the city) and the City of Kalamazoo’s emissions. Gish discussed how the data was collected and compared with other communities, what data should be included in future reports, and the steps the city needs to take to reduce emissions. 

Kalamazoo's carbon emissions exceed Ann Arbor's
 
For 2022, 83% of all emissions came from energy use, such as those used by factories, shops, and homes. Other sources include emissions from transportation services, solid waste treatment, and energy production. Gish further broke down the data, showing different emission sources in the three Kalamazoo zip codes and average emissions per person based on residential energy use in those zip codes. Not only were residents’ emissions discussed, but also industrial and commercial sectors, with industrial energy use releasing the most CO2 by a considerable amount. 
 
Another, lesser-known factor contributing to Kalamazoo’s emissions is solid waste. Solid waste comprises municipal solid waste (the stuff that gets thrown away), biosolids (the organic matter that is left after wastewater is treated), leaf composting, and a small amount of combustion. Municipal solid waste accounts for over half of the CO2 emissions related to solid waste. 
 
Gish then compared the emissions data for Kalamazoo with other, similarly sized cities. The community of Kalamazoo emitted 2.11 million metric tons of CO2 in 2020. Comparably, Ann Arbor released 2.04 million metric tons of CO2 in 2020. Data on other cities like Seattle, South Bend, and Lansing was also provided. While each city has multiple factors affecting energy usage, those figures are still useful as they provide context and a way to build strategies to reduce Kalamazoo’s emissions. 
 

Ways Kalamazoo can reach 'net-zero'

As gloomy as the data seems, Gish offered several different ways in which the community can go about reaching net-zero emissions. Net-zero emissions, simply put, is the point at which the CO2 emitted is balanced out by the CO2 that can be removed and stored. Zero carbon emissions would be added to the atmosphere. 

The next steps include educating the public about Kalamazoo’s current emissions, understanding current housing and building situations, and where efficiency can be increased. Promoting the use of public transportation, studying community solar options, and subsequently analyzing city codes that would be a barrier to solar installation are also options available. 
 
Not only did Gish address the overall Kalamazoo community, but also the CO2 emissions from municipal operations within the city. For the city, the greatest emitter is water and wastewater treatment, making up approximately half of the emissions from municipal operations. Other contributors include solid waste facilities, municipal buildings, streetlights and traffic signals, and the city’s vehicle fleet. 
 
Gish again offered ways to combat the city’s emissions. Such suggestions include ending the controlled combustion of organic woody debris, adding electric vehicles to the fleet, switching to biodiesel, finding sustainable biosolid disposal methods, reworking the idling policy for city vehicles, fostering energy-efficient behaviors amongst employees, and pinpointing which buildings would be suitable for energy-efficient upgrades. 

Kalamazoo industries are stepping up
 
The City of Kalamazoo is not in it alone. Zoetis pledged net-zero emissions by 2030. The city and Kalamazoo College vowed to reach net-zero by 2050 while Western Michigan University’s goal is by 2065. These efforts show that businesses and governments alike understand how their greenhouse gas emissions contribute to the climate crisis. 

Commuting understanding and action are key
 
While the presentation provided a comprehensive overview of the Kalamazoo community’s greenhouse gas emissions and offered sound advice on how to reduce them, it’s difficult to understand exactly what the numbers mean because it’s the first report of its kind. 

People's Church KalamazooFuture reports will likely show an increase in emissions as more categories are added. Upcoming reports will include emissions from airplanes and freight trains, as well as more in-depth residential data. However, Gish assured the crowd that the numbers could go down after they were refined. Community and city behavioral changes, carbon sequestration, and the addition of solar panels would all contribute to lower emission numbers.

Community understanding and contribution are key to fighting the climate crisis. The crowd had many questions and comments for Gish, proving that there are those in the community who do care. When citizens can comprehend the effects of their activities and the ways to go about mitigating them, they can take action. By inviting community leaders to speak on environmental and sustainable practices, People’s Church has facilitated the education of the community.
 
Peoples' Green Sanctuary Committee leads the way

Cybelle Shattuck, a member of the Green Sanctuary Committee and professor in both the School of Environment, Geography, and Sustainability and the Department of World Religions and Cultures
 at Western Michigan University, provided more information on what it means for the People’s Church to adopt practices recommended by the committee. 
 
Dr. Cybelle ShattuckShattuck has been involved since 2011 to “make the church as sustainable as possible.” She added that to “be a certified Green Sanctuary in the Unitarian Universalist Association, there’s a program that you have to go through,” that requires discussion about sustainability and “care of the earth” in worship services and children’s programs. Implementing energy-efficient systems and introducing energy-saving practices are also required. Shattuck commented that People’s Church has solar panels on the roof which “provide about a third of the energy” for the building. 
 
It’s important to note that while People’s Church has the word ‘church’ in their name, which gives a Christian connotation, they are not Christian. Shattuck explained that “Unitarian Universalists…have certain principles…and one is that human beings are part of an interconnected web of life.” The well-being of humanity is dependent “on the functioning of that entire system,” she adds, so it is “vital…it works well.” 
 
While respecting “the rights of nature and of beings other than humans” is critical, the very first principle is recognizing “the inherent worth and dignity of all people.” Acknowledging that climate change harms marginalized peoples with fewer resources to respond is key to rectifying the injustice. 
 
By bringing in speakers like Justin Gish and Taylor Van Winkle, People’s Church, and the Green Sanctuary Committee are helping the community combat the effects of climate change and providing knowledge on sustainable practices. Shattuck concludes, “The Green Sanctuary Committee is essentially walking the talk…even when it seems like it's just a drop in the bucket.”