Tulip Time is Going "Green"

Viability, a Holland-based provider of sustainable business services, is performing an ecological impact assessment to help green Holland’s 2009 Tulip Time Festival. Along with Padnos and Chef Container, who are providing recycling services, Spurt Industries, who is assisting in composting, and the City of Holland, which is managing logistics, Viability is working to lower the environmental impact of the annual festival. The assessment will calculate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the Tulip Time Festival and its attendees. Emissions included in the calculation are derived from energy consumed and waste generated during the 8-day celebration. After performing the assessment, Viability will work alongside Tulip Time Festival organizers to reduce emissions by identifying areas where improvements can be made.

“This is a welcomed effort by the Viability Group” says Tamra Bouman, Executive Director of Tulip Time Festival. “We look forward to the assessment outcome and are committed to doing our part to affect any improvements.” According to Bouman, Dan Broersma, who has worked for Tulip Time over 20 years, has been the catalyst in bringing this issue to the forefront. He has been instrumental in forming the partnership and in identifying the initial steps of the assessment.

Viability has recently expanded their services to include carbon assessments for events such as the Tulip Time Festival. Typically these services have been provided to companies and organizations to assess their facilities. Ecological impact assessments are one part of Viability’s services, which also includes grant writing and carbon credit project development. For more information, visit Viability’s website at http://www.viabilityllc.com.