Political leaders, media outlets and policy organizations are all
talking about the green movement and clean technology. From sustainable
practices to eco-sensitive urban planning to start-ups tasked with
making us more energy efficient, less polluting and healthier for this
great blue and green orb we call home, many see the trend fueling the
next great economical movement (and hopefully not a bubble ready to
pop).
So, how has Metro Detroit been faring in this slow
starting revolution? From green roofs
to eco-sensitive entrepreneurs to sustainable initiatives,
Metromode has looked over the stories we've
covered in the last year and come up with an encouraging snapshot of the people
and businesses that are helping to transform Michigan's rustbelt into a
greenbelt.
STORIESGoing Green On The Cheap: Low Impact DevelopmentSometimes it's the little things that count. What might seem like flower gardens or stretches of grass can be valiant guardians of the health of the
region's waterways. Low impact development uses n
ative
plants to minimize the impact of water overflow into lakes and streams -- a
nd looks pr
etty doing it.
Ethical Entrepreneurs
M
aking good and making a buck are not necessarily contradictory ideas. Here's a quartet of green collar companies who are
t
rying to do right by both Michigan's economy and the environment.
Making Water Work For Metro Detroit
Sometimes abundance rather than necessity is the mother of invention.
With our in
credible water resources and critical mass of world class
engineers, Michigan is poised to become the center for innovations in
hydro engineering and water management.
It's Not Easy Being Green
The economy is struggling. Real estate is in a spiral. How do you make
the case for green building when businesses are just trying to survive?
And what about those who want to go green but can't quite reach LEED
standards? Is there any consideration for their eco-friendly choices?
Metromode looks at how the future of sustainability is coping with the
challenges of today.
Green Up Top
It's the urban trend all the kids are talking about! Green roofs are
taking root in cities across America, reducing pollution and creating
energy efficiency.
Metromode looks at how Metro Detroit can emulate the
success of the Ford Rouge Plant and move up from the back of the pack.
PODCASTS & VIDEOSMETROMODE RADIO: Michigan's Power Grid's Command CentralIn February, Governor Granholm formed a wind advisory panel. It's a diverse group from industry, government, and academia. The group will tell the Governor that Michigan's power plants are old. They need replacing. But not with coal. Instead they're saying: "Go out onto the Great Lakes to look for wind."
Metromode Radio: Sustainable Energy In MichiganThe Michigan Sustainable Energy Coalition brought international experts to the state's capital this week to discuss the changing energy landscape. Only a couple of lawmakers attended and Michigan Now's Chris McCarus was the only reporter there. The event showed how hard it is to shift the focus from the old economy to the new one.
Ann Arbor's Veggie Fueled Party BusAnn Arbor's B2B Party Bus is everything sustainable new urbanist hipsters ever dreamed of: An entrepreneurial enterprise that runs small scale private transit on secondhand cooking oil in order to transport young party-goers around downtown.
URBAN FARMING OPEN HOUSEWe've covered Detroit's leading position in the national urban gardening movement, now here's your chance to see an urban garden grow. The Capuchin Soup Kitchen and its urban garden ministry, Earthworks Urban Farm, is hosting its Christmas Open House from now through December 18, 2009. The open house will include the opportunity to have lunch, tour, and learn about the work of the soup kitchen and its Earthworks gardens, including a new agricultural training program.
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen's Earthworks Urban Farm's three city gardens yield over 6,000 pounds of produce each season. Earthworks educates the community in regards to sustainable relationships between human beings and the earth.
The event will be held at the Meldrum Capuchin Soup Kitchen at 1264 Meldrum, Detroit. Tours are Monday through Friday from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.
Earthworks Urban Farm can be contacted at (313)-579-2100 x 204.
Read about Detroit's efforts to turn city waste land into food for the masses:
Metro Detroit Goes Slow and Tastes the DifferenceGrowing the City
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