Sustainability

Artist/Designer: Mahdi Hassnawi. Please see Artist's Statement below.

Voices of Youth: The price of fast fashion — Is it worth it?

“I think the metaphor that sticks with me is like if you buried it in the woods, would it be there when you came back 20 years later? I want my clothing to add to the planet and not take away from the planet, and so I try as much as possible to only sew with things that will biodegrade so that they are not going to follow future generations.”

Latest in Sustainability
Series Teaser: Green Burial. Artist's comment: "A body transferring energy back into nature, back to the stars, and roots of dandelions releasing seeds."
Green burial: An eco-friendly option increasingly embraced by families and faith communities

Considering a green (or natural) burial for yourself or a loved one? An eco-friendly burial is a way of caring for the dead that minimizes environmental impact. Learn what is involved, about local initiatives, and how faith communities provide support.

Refugia: How to find and create places of shelter during the climate crisis

“The refugia model calls us to look for the seed of life where we are, concentrate on protecting and nurturing a few good things, letting what is good and beautiful grow and connect and spread."

Root Solutions: Climate optimism over climate doomerism can inspire the changes we need to make

"And if we can incentivize enough choices towards sustainability, then we can cut back on air pollution and all these extra costs that everyone's paying. We can make our world more sustainable and livable and healthier and fun."

Grounded: How art, faith, and ecology unite to ‘touch the heart’ and inspire change

When it comes to climate change, science appeals to the mind, but art can touch the heart. To create change, we need both. The Westminster Presbyterian Art Festival unites earth care, art, and faith for its annual celebration.

One possible way the river could look if it were freed from its concrete channel.
Rising tide of optimism eddies around Battle Creek river naturalization project

Rivers are often urban areas' greatest natural resources. In Battle Creek, plans to restore, beautify, and re-imagine the Battle Creek River are taking shape, thanks to many partners.

Local synagogues and churches rewilding to welcome migratory flocks and other creatures

“One of the reasons I enjoy doing native planting is because it sequesters carbon and helps the ground absorb more water. If we’re taking care of the planet, we need to take care of the soil and the creatures on the planet, and native plantings are one of the most immediate visible ways to do that."

Beyond belief: How faith communities are lighting the way on climate change

In this first installment of our Sacred Earth series, we speak with Dr. Cybelle Shattuck, whose combined interests in sustainability and religion have helped her identify how faith institutions engage, support, and undertake earth care.

Voices of Youth: Plans for a sustainable Battle Creek

Voices of Youth Pablo Camargo Tang believes climate change is one of the most pressing issues of today. He wanted to find out what his community, Battle Creek, is doing to address the crisis.

Voices of Youth: State’s largest high school Climate Symposium hosted by Calhoun County students

Calhoun County students are hosting Michigan's largest high school climate symposium. Representing seven school districts, these climate activists spent after-school hours organizing the event that features "Braiding Sweetgrass" author Robin Wall Kimmerer, among other climate standouts.

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