By Olivia Pulsinelli | Business Review West...

May 27, 2010, 12:00PM

By Candace Beeke | Business Review

May 13, 2010, 8:04AM

For Christina Keller, sustainability means far more than encouraging businesses to go green.

Factors like the relationship between social justice and sustainability have marked her journey from a childhood in the home of West Michigan renewable energy pioneer Fred Keller to college on the East Coast to mission trips in developing countries.

On her first such trip, Keller traveled to Uganda for some semesters during college as part of a program called Solar Light For Africa. She brought with her images of a poverty-stricken nation, devastated and brutalized.

“They were actually quite happy,” Keller said. “I remember that being very influential. In fact, one person I know from there traveled to DC, and said, ‘I’ve never seen such poverty. They have no community.’”

Keller, now head of the HydrAid(r) BioSand water filter project for Cascade Engineering, which her father leads, came back to America with an understanding that improving the lives of others is not a simple mission.

“Say you give someone a computer you’re not using. It’s not necessarily improving their life. Maybe you create a culture of dependency … or make them feel lesser than you,” she said.

“How systematically can we create change and make sure that it’s positive change? What does ‘better’ mean? What does ‘good’ mean?”

Keller, the keynote speaker for the upcoming sustainability forum at Aquinas College May 25, spoke with Business Review Editor B. Candace Beeke about the realm of sustainability and how it further will impact West Michigan.

In working on sustainability outside West Michigan, how does our community compare or differ in how we approach this industry?

If you’re authentic and you’re real, which is what the consumers of tomorrow really want, … it’s not necessarily your ability to broadcast and promote. You really have to do.

You look at the companies that do sustainability — you’ll find West Michigan.

Some examples from the region are Steelcase and the Think chair — 99 percent recyclable, it’s their top-selling chair. We have a sustainability goal of zero landfill at Herman Miller. Meijer has put in a zero-emission truck fleet — they’re realizing green equals good business. They’re reducing the cost of fuel.

There’s a lot of examples from the region, and a good example from Cascade. We have the HydrAid(r) BioSand water filter and Goodbyn lunch box. Cascade’s manufacturing it. That product came to us (from Seattle) because they Googled online to find a U.S. company with a commitment to sustainability.

When people want to see an example of my bottom line and return, they’re probably not doing it for the right reason, and let them fail.

Turn up the volume, listen to your customers. Right now, sustainability is a whisper, it’s not a scream. It’s about looking to the future trends and where those are going to be coming from.

You may not want to see it, but sustainability is where the next iteration of business is.

What about the naysayers who argue Michigan shouldn’t focus incentives and economic development attention on this emerging industry?

It’s really difficult to say making the world a better place is a bad thing.

One of the things that is polarizing and is unfortunate, and I hope we’re overcoming that, is the Democrat-Republican thing. I feel politics has almost become like Michigan-Michigan State. You choose one or the other and cheer them on whether they’re right or wrong.

Green and sustainability has been painted into the Democratic camp. A lot of the underlying Republican views really gel with the concept.

What about the financial feasibility, the argument that the industry will never produce the number of jobs Michigan needs?

This is a walk, not a run. Nothing’s going to repeat the auto industry tomorrow.

This is a walk, and walking is healthy. You need to take steps in the right direction for the future. Innovations will position us well, and customers will say, “I want something better for the environment,” and, when they look around, they’re going to find West Michigan products.

We’re going to be much better positioned for the market of the future.

How does Michigan play into the sustainability picture worldwide?

Worldwide, we’re behind. For the states, we’re ahead, but, worldwide, we’re behind.

A lot of places in Europe are doing better than us. For example, the wind industry coming out of European countries, solar is large in China. We’re still catching up. We’re not so far behind.

If we can focus on sustainability …, we’re going to come up with these new things. Cascade has new things we’re going to introduce.

What is West Michigan’s next opportunity in green?

This is your moment in time. We’ve wiped the slate clean. There’s nowhere to go but up. Sustainability is in our DNA.

Growth drives our economy, innovation really drives growth, and sustainability drives innovation. Not only that, it attracts talent.

The next step for our region is to re-embrace innovation, risk failure, innovate, and do it sustainably. Celebrate our success; we’ve done a lot as a region.

Let the rest of the country know that.

View original article here.

WEST MICHIGAN -- Grand Valley State University and University of Michigan researchers are seeking a partner to help finance, design and build a wind research platform in Lake Michigan.

GVSU's Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center last week issued a "request for proposals" seeking a partner to construct the wind testing platform by September 2011.

MAREC officials and those interested in wind development in West Michigan will be at both conferences.

Those interested in partnering with the universities on the Lake Michigan wind platform must submit their proposals by June 10, with a final selection to be made by June 30.

GVSU and the University of Michigan's Phoenix Energy Institute have raised $3.1 million toward the effort through a $1.4 million federal grant obtained through U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, and a recent $1.68 million grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission.

How much the final project will cost will depend on the design and location of the platform, which would be used by the two universities for testing. With the federal money, MAREC Director Arn Boezaart has said the site will need to be off the shores of the Hoekstra's 2nd Congressional District -- roughly between Holland and Ludington.

The point is to gather wind data over two years to research the feasibility of offshore wind turbine development on the Great Lakes. One of the gaps in developing offshore wind projects is a lack of year-round studies of wind and other conditions on Lake Michigan.

"The project will contribute to developing a greater understanding of offshore wind conditions, wind-related technology and related offshore research on Lake Michigan," according to the request for proposals. "The principal objective of the project is to gain a better understanding of the challenges and costs of designing and constructing offshore structures in Lake Michigan."

Offshore wind turbine development has become a hotly debated issue since Scandia Wind Offshore proposed two large wind farms on Lake Michigan off Grand Haven and Pentwater earlier this year.

The partner -- likely to come from the private sector, either an offshore wind development or marine construction and engineering company -- would provide the final finances and expertise to get the platform operating. The partner would manage and maintain the platform and likely end up owning it after the two-year wind studies are completed.

The universities' work and other public research on the platform will result in data that will be made public. However, the partner would have the opportunity to conduct private research for its own benefit.

View the article here.

By Molly Waite GVL Senior Reporter

4/18/2010

At Grand Valley State University, there are hundreds of leaders in sustainability, steadily working to improve their communities without worrying about receiving recognition for their work.

One of those sustainability leaders, Bart Bartels, project manager of the GVSU Sustainable Community Development Initiative, was pleasantly surprised last month to find he had been named a sustainability champion by MiBiz, a publication company that follows business news and information for West Michigan.

The article featuring Bartels was printed in the March 29 issue of MiBiz's sustainability publication, Triple Bottom Line.

"I am surprised (to have been named a champion), actually," Bartels said. "I never really think about recognition, but with all the great things that are going on at GVSU, I was honored to be recognized as part of those efforts."

Bartels said he believes the GVSU community has many sustainability champions and that he considers himself to be very fortunately to be able to assist them in their efforts.

"Bart already was a sustainability champion in my eyes," said Norman Christopher, executive director of SCDI. "He has a real passion for helping students with sustainability projects and pulling other efforts together across campus."

Christopher also credited Bartels as having been instrumental in instituting the university's first Climate Action Plan in January.

Before coming to GVSU, Bartels served as the entrepreneurship champion at the University of Wales in the United Kingdom, which is where he first became involved with sustainability.

"I started with SCDI after moving back from Wales in the fall of 2009," Bartels said. "I wanted to continue my work with sustainability and in speaking with Norman Christopher about my interest in sustainability and my experience with putting together student projects; we found that I was a good match for a current need."

As project manager of the SCDI, Bartels works to facilitate cooperation throughout the community for large sustainability programs, providing support for student projects and creating efficiencies as GVSU.

One of the great aspects of his position is that students contact him every day with new and exciting ideas, he said. Bartels added he loves working at GVSU and sees his job as a different adventure each day.

"I think that we have a bright future and Grand Valley is poised as a leader in many important aspects of that future," Bartels said. "Long-term vision is often difficult, but it is required for the development of successful solutions. I am excited that I am a part of Grand Valley and am impacting the community in a positive way, not only for the betterment of our students - but for my own long term goals and my children's future."

mwaite@lanthorn.com

View article here.

Target wants to help.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day April 22, the retail chain has set up recycling stations in all of its locations across the country.

Four bins -- for trash, plastic bags, glass bottles/aluminum and small electronics -- have been set up since Monday near the entrance of the Target at the Waterfall Shoppes off 28th Street SE, said Brian Rodriguez, the store's team leader of logistics.

Many customers already are catching on, Rodriguez said. The bin for plastic bags has been consistently full, and on Wednesday afternoon, the bottle bin had many drink containers.

Even an old cell phone had been tossed into a separate bin for phone, MP3 players and ink cartridges.

All bins are emptied once a day, Rodriguez said.

The recycled cans, bottles and bags are packaged up and shipped to a Target distribution center, where they are baled and picked up by recycling vendors, said Amy Reilly, a Target spokeswoman.

Target has recycled internally for years, Reilly said. The public recycling program involved a significant investment from the company, she said. .

There isn't much concern for customers who might plan to bring in large loads of recyclables, she said.

The main idea is to create a convenient spot for customers to recycle, but it's too early to tell whether stores will be overwhelmed.

"There are no rules tied to how much you can put in," Reilly said. "We hope people respect it and know we're not a recycling center."

The program also will help Target expand its in-store recycling, said Jillian Weller, another team leader at the same Target.

Instead of throwing bags in a compactor, for example, the store can now recycle them.

"Even on a store level, it's awesome," she said. "It's exciting we can help out a little bit."

Target also has set up an "eco-boutique" online for the month, featuring Earth-friendly products, other green programs and a month-long sweepstakes for a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

View this article here.