Letters to the Editor: Who knew our redistricting process would be top notch? Climate crisis: It's time to act now or never

Who knew our redistricting process would be top notch?

Who knew Michigan would become “the star pupil, the poster child of what is possible" when it comes to the redistricting process?

As reported in a March 24 MLive article the redistricting process completed by Michigan's inaugural Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is being hailed as a model for other states across the country.

I encourage you to read that article. It gives an in-depth description of how the MICRC engaged Michiganders in the map-drawing process.

It also cites the assessment of redistricting experts who claim these new maps represent a "drastic improvement" and put our state "miles ahead of where it was last decade" in terms of fairer maps.

It was thanks to the grassroots efforts of hundreds of volunteers committed to collecting the number of signatures necessary to get Proposal 2 on the ballot in 2018 that gave Michiganders the opportunity to decide whether they approved of the citizen-led redistricting process.

It was thanks to a clear majority of 61 percent support — drawn from across the state and across partisan lines — that Proposal 2 was adopted.

It was also thanks to the willingness of several thousand Michigan citizens to apply to be part of the lottery from which the commissioners were randomly drawn that the MICRC came into being and collaboratively drew the maps on our behalf, giving Michiganders a better chance to elect representatives that are more reflective of and more responsive to us, their constituents.

Now it’s time for all of us to get familiar with our new districts. You can do that by visiting bit.ly/3wj0wOC.

Then get to know the candidates who will be courting your votes in the upcoming elections this year.

Here's to celebrating and engaging in participatory democracy!

Karen Obits

Spring Lake

Join no mow May!

As we watch so much of our local wild spaces — farmland, prairies, wetlands, forests — being developed here in West Michigan, one of the many losses we incur are the areas where wildflowers used to grow. These are the places where honeybees feed — the honeybees that pollinate our fruits and vegetables. The dying out of honeybees is one of the many parts of modern life that can feel overwhelming and depressing, especially for our young people.

I have been excited to read recently about a movement that encourages each of us to take one simple step that can increase the amount and health of honeybees in our community — No Mow May! Quoting from beecityusa.org.

“The goal of No Mow May is to allow grass to grow unmown for the month of May, creating habitat and forage for early season pollinators. Mowing your lawn less creates habitat and can increase the abundance and diversity of wildlife including bees and other pollinators.”

This website includes links to research done connecting the abundance and richness of flowers and bees in yards that weren’t mowed in May (when early, important wildflowers first sprout), to nearby parks that were mowed regularly, and the results are impressive.

It’s not often we can make a difference in our world that involves less work, rather than more. Many of us consciously sort and rinse our recyclables, maybe we collect certain difficult to recycle objects, and try to remember to bring them along on errands where they can be dropped off. All this takes energy and effort. But No Mow May? We can help get more wildflowers, more bees and a healthier ecosystem. There are also beautiful yard signs available to print, on the beecity.usa site, to inform your neighbors about your intentions.

Rhonda Sider Edgington

Holland

Climate crisis: It's time to act now or never

The newly released IPCC report says that it’s “now or never” if the world is to stave off climate disaster.

After a report like this, we cannot go on “business-as-usual.” Any policy that doesn’t include phasing out fossil fuels is not a real climate plan. “Net zero” pledges are not going to get the job done, we need Real Zero.

"Net zero emissions” does NOT mean “zero emissions.” In many cases, it means the exact opposite and is instead used as a polluter-driven green-washing scheme.

Instead of relying on unproven future technologies, we demand climate plans that radically reduce emissions to zero.

We must put pressure on our government officials to read the IPCC report and pledge your commitment to Real Zero emissions. Although the Federal government, the State of Michigan and the City of Holland have each implemented some actions to reduce emissions, we are not on course to reduce emissions to real zero. We must do more.

Robert Funicello

Holland

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Letters to the Editor: Who knew our redistricting process would be top notch?