With an early wake up, the entire Plus3 group headed towards the world’s largest flower auction at the Royal FloraHolland auction on the third day of the trip. Following the auction markets established in the Netherlands during the mid 1600s, this auction house sells flowers to buyers all across the globe. The auctioneering model follows the ideas of Laissez-Faire economics, which can be seen all across the Netherlands and the United States fiscal and social policies. The markets open promptly at six in the morning till eleven, with trades happening at every moment. As part of the social sustainability efforts, the auction markets are open to anyone interested in engaging with the auctioning system. Furthermore, by operating with such short hours, pesticides are not needed to keep produce fresh. By eliminating the need for pesticides, no harmful runoff gets created from the warehouse. The United States often stockpiles large amounts of produce within silo, which requires heavy pesticides and preservatives. By changing to shorter and more efficient trade models that follow seasonal produce schedules the amount of pesticides and preservatives within the United States agriculture can dramatically decrease.

Later during the day, a group of us ventured towards the grand and dazzling Rijksmuseum. The art varied between detailed sculptures to immaculate models to fine paintings. The diversity of art displays connected chronologically, with later pieces appearing towards the top of the museum. Beyond the stained glass windows and decorative pieces laid around, the story of freedom of expression grew apparent. By traveling upwards to more modern time periods, the Laissez-Faire art themes grew alongside the impressionism of the art. While older pieces focused heavily on realism, the style did not allow new artists to easily enter the scene. However, following the resurgent popularity of pieces like Van Gogh, later paintings and sculptures experimented with more diverse interpretations. A piece that truly captures the diversity of perspectives and freedom given to artist representation can be seen in the painting of the Square Man by Karel Appel. The painting represents the freedom to paint whatever artists can imagine following the freedom from the end of World War II. With several interpretations of the painting flourishing under the Laissez-Faire artistic interpretation. While not directly an example of sustainability, the rise of “freedom” within art represents the diversity that flourishes alongside sustainability ideals. The art history reflected in the Rijksmuseum highlights the continued strides towards greater diversity within art throughout the Netherlands. Differing ideals and interpretations are crucial for allowing a sustainable future where all people can cohabitate with shared resources. To ensure a prosperous and green future, showcasing developments towards social freedoms are crucial for conveying the rapid changes of societal ideals.