Our visit with Bob Lilienfeld, publisher of the "Use Less Stuff"newsletter, and sustainability consultant to WalMart, was one of our best events from an interaction perspective. Though our turn out was a little light due to snow, we were able to assemble a very vocal, well-informed crowd.

Bob talked to us about the tendency of so many of us to "use a lot of stuff."  Ranging from multiple automotibiles in a household, to multiple products that do the same thing, to an overadundance of packaging,  Bob presented us with the idea that tangible goods, or "Stuff" can't substitute for the experiences and memories we have as people and families.  Bob talked in detail about the growing trend to acquire and use multiple types of personal technology and the impact that has on personal and family relationships. In many situations, Lilienfeld asserted, we are increasingly drawn to forms of media that we consume alone and in virtual situations, avoiding the need to communicate directly with other actual human beings.  If we "Use Less Stuff", we might have to learn how to actually interact and cooperate mure successfully

Lilienfeld also spoke to us about his work with WalMart, assessing sustainability claims for products that WalMart may market in their stores.  Many kinds of claims are critically evaluated, ranging from packaging content, to types of testing, to product lifecycle impact.  Much of what passes for "sustainable" products truly stretches the truth, and WalMart has laid down the challenge to its suppliers and to itself to reduce the total impact of its operations and the products it sells.

Check out Bob's blog at www.use-less-stuff.com.

Ever heard the statement that "you cant throw stuff away; there is no away"?   Ever thought about why we seem to feel good about "recycling", all the while continuing to consume unparalleled levels of virgin natural resources?   Have questions about an American culture built around continuously increasing levels of consumption of products, goods, services, and materials that support our American Lifestyle?   Wonder what we can do to break the "waste habit" that is so ingrained in our culture?

EcoTuesday and Rick Bunch, Managing Director of The Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, a partnership between the Ross School of Business and the School of Natural Resources and Environment at The University of Michigan.  The Institute’s large MBA/MS program prepares students to lead sustainable enterprises by pairing management training with environmental science and policy knowledge.  

Rick’s EcoTuesday talk will lay out the education and research agenda for the next generation of sustainable business leadership, describing programs and strategies of the Erb Institute and how the Institute can work with business, non-profits and governments to advance sustainable enterprise.  He will address the proposition that Michigan should strengthen its economy through a focus on green manufacturing, while also exploring what additional competitive advantages the state might realize from its long history of addressing social sustainability issues in business.

Rick has 15 years of global experience leading development of business education and research programs around issues of sustainability and corporate social responsibility.  Previously with the Business and Society Program at The Aspen Institute, he launched a new program for education and research on business-and-society topics in Chinese business schools. 

Rick's diverse background has included an assignment with the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, near Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2002, BGI's mission is to be the leading values-driven business and management school that prepares individuals to transform the world of work and to help create sustainable, socially just economies and healthy environments.

From 1996 to 2003, Bunch served as director of business education at the World Resources Institute (WRI). He produced training conferences for business school faculty and program staff in North and Latin America and China. He also oversaw the development and publication of business-school curriculum, and developed and co-authored the Beyond Grey Pinstripes MBA program rankings.

Bunch holds an MBA and environmental management certificate from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Yale University.

Green Building at the Ross School of Business

The Ross School is among the world leaders in research and academic programming devoted to sustainable enterprise. The Ross building is an example of that commitment. Incorporating many architecturally innovative and environmentally responsible features, the building was designed and built in accordance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. The building features cutting –edge energy conservation features and technologies, green roofs, water-conserving fixtures, sustainably harvested and renewable materials and extensive recycling and reuse of demolition and construction waste materials.

Please join us and RSVP today!

Dana Sevakis, Michigan representative for the Apollo Alliance, spoke at EcoTuesday Southeast Michigan   as a member of our regional roundtable on sustainability.   Dana’s discussion centered on how important collaboration is for driving policy to support developing green markets in Michigan and nationwide.  Dana emphasized collaboration as the key for building policy to create market demand, as well as the infrastructure for creating efficiencies among OEM suppliers.

 
Participants agreed that coherent organization is still lacking among suppliers and creates confusion that stymies immediate and meaningful collaboration.  Dana (and the Apollo Alliance) encourages eligible businesses to join the Apollo Alliance Directory of Green Businesses, and to take advantage of the Michigan Public Benefits Fund that helps small businesses retool for the green economy.  

Overall, she encouraged unity among the business community to channel their objectives into policy making. Many participants agreed, and overwhelmingly believe the state should take a bigger role by creating a national leadership council here in Southeast Michigan.  

Among other concerns expressed that day was the lack of a national green energy policy, much like that being discussed in Germany and in other parts of the EU.  Carbon trading in its infancy in the US, and is an essential component in letting the open market helping to regulate energy use.  Developing national policy will provide major carbon emitters, like utility companies, with a market-based incentive for addressing overall carbon output.  

EcoTuesday Enthusiasts:

 
Please join us for a very special EcoTuesday event in October.  For the first time, EcoTuesday will employ an interactive panel format -- with opportunities for you to interact with each of our four distiguished panel Speakers in addition to the usual great networking!

WHEN:

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 5:30 - 9:00 p.m.  (Due to the interactive

panel format, EcoTuesday will be kicking of one-half hour earlier than

the normal 6:00 p.m. time slot.) 

WHERE:

Shields Pizza

25101 Telegraph Rd. (North of 10 Mile Rd.), Southfield

Ph: 248-356-2720

OVERVIEW:

Comprising four of Southeast Michigan’s most prominent leaders, drawn

from academia, business, labor, and government, this unique event will

feature a roundtable approach, with professionally facilitated

interaction between participants and speakers.     Incisive commentary

and thoughtful debate will be encouraged.  Compiled input and

recommendations will be summarized and discussed by each of our

invited leaders, and a summary of the event will be forwarded to

participants and press, and socialized to a diverse audience.

GUEST PANEL SPEAKERS:

Thomas Anderson – Senior Director for Automation Alley

Rick Bowers –Attorney for the President,  Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr.

Detroit City Council Green Initiatives

Dana Sevakis – Michigan Coordinator for the Apollo Alliance

Rebekah Warren – State Representative for the Michigan 53rd district,

and Chairperson of the Great Lakes and Environment Committee

MORE INFORMATION:

Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, Michigan House of Representatives

State Representative Rebekah Warren represents the 53rd district,

which is made up of almost the entire city of Ann Arbor and includes

the University of Michigan.  She is currently serving in her second

term in the Legislature, and acts as Chair of the Great Lakes and

Environment Committee, and a member of the Judiciary Committee, Tax

Policy Committee, Oversight and Investigations Committee, and the

Government Operations Committee.

 
Rick Bowers, Esq.,,  Attorney for President Ken Cockrel , Detroit City

Council

Rick has worked as a staff member and attorney for the Detroit City

Council President, Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr., and was formerly Director

of Mayor Cockrel’s Office of Energy and Sustainability.  Currently he

is the point person for the Council President Cockrel’s Green Task

Force. Despite some obstacles to be overcome along the way, the most

exciting prospect for Rick Bowers is that he knows- this is only the

beginning for a better Detroit and a better nation, which is now

embracing sustainability principles.

Tom Anderson.  Thomas E. Anderson, PhD, MBA

Tom is currently Senior Director and Director for Entrepreneurship,

Automation Alley, a membership consortium for technology focused

companies. As Director for Entrepreneurship he leads the business

accelerator for small companies and educational programs for

entrepreneurs, and manages a $6M seed investment fund.       His

experience base includes 4 years of independent strategic consulting,

plus over 20 years experience leading technical research teams at

General Motors Research and Development Center, from fundamental

biomedical research to technology development. He has a PhD in

Neuroscience from University of Michigan and an MBA from Michigan

State.

Dana Sevakis,  Michigan State Coordinator Apollo Alliance.  

Dana serves as the Michigan Coordinator for the Apollo Alliance, and

is active in environmental policy development and legislation

advocacy.    After graduating in 2000 with a B.A. degree in

environmental studies, Dana joined the Chicago Recycling Coalition to

improve the city’s “Blue Bag” recycling program. She also worked for

Chicago Jobs with Justice, a labor-community coalition engaged in

strengthening worker’s rights.  In 2004, Dana, a Michigan native,

returned to the Detroit area as a member of the political and

communications staff for SEIU Local 3, a Midwest regional “Justice for

Janitors” local.

Panel Speakers include (from left to right): Tom Anderson, Rebekah

Warren, Dana Sevakis and Rick Bowers (not shown)

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Announcements

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ECOTUESDAY IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

Due to the holidays, EcoTuesday meetings in November and December will

be held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month (rather than the 4th).

Therefore the events will occur on November 17th and December 15th.

More program details will be forthcoming.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY EPPRENTICE™ EXPERIENCE

On October 15, 2009, the Environment & Energy Epprentice Experience™

will be at Next Energy, Detroit, and presented by Paragon Leadership

International. The event develops leadership skills through real-time

coaching as participants work with non-profits WARM Training Center,

Michigan Municipal League, Michigan Wind Institute and Global Wind

Systems. Team projects will be around Energy Efficiency, Environmental

Sustainability, Energy Economy and Alternative Energy.

Judges for the Environment & Energy Epprentice™ are Steve Armstrong,

Sr. VP/General Manager, Kelly Services; Nancy Bacon, Sr. VP, Energy

Conversion Devices/Uni-Solar; Gilbert Borman, Executive Director,

Michigan Wind Institute; Kate Brass, Sr. Exec, GE Energy;  Mark

Brucki, Executive Director,  Economic Development and Government

Relations, LTU; Bob Chapman, Executive Director, WARM Training; Liesl

Clark, Deputy Director, Michigan DELEG; Nick Flores, Capital Access

Program Manager, Green For All; Joyce Hayes-Giles, Sr. Vice President,

Customer Service, DTE Energy; Sam Hogg, Market Analyst, Next Energy;

Sue Jeffers, Associate General Counsel, Michigan Municipal League;

Curt Lalonde and Jeremy Eckhous, Principals of element-e and

EcoTuesday Ambassadors; Chris Long, CEO, Global Wind Systems; James L.

Newman, CEM, LEED® AP, ASHRAE OPMP, Owner, Newman Consulting Group;

Mary Templeton, VP Sales, Wind Energy Consulting and Contracting,

Inc.; Filza Walters, Facilities Director WSU and LTU professor,

ASHREA; Dawn White Ph.D, President, Accio Energy.

Andrew Humphrey, Detroit WDIV Channel 4, will be Master of Ceremonies

for the award presentation.

Participation starts at $111. For information  call 877.264.6200 or

register online at www.paragon-lead.com.