Sustainability :
Featured Stories
Dennis Archambault
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Oh, the difference a couple of tern chicks make. For decades the Detroit River was a repository for industrial pollution and waste. Now, through both international cooperation and private-public partnerships the health of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is slowly but steadily rebounding.
Lucas Morrison, Ji Yoon "Amie" Gook, Mackenzie Carlsen
Thursday, January 17, 2013
It's said history repeats itself, but our legacy of burning fossil fuels for energy isn't renewable. A team of U-M students working with SolarYpsi, a volunteer-based solar power organization gaining national prominence, gets at the root of our conservation issues.
Natalie Burg
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Talking about climate change and doing something about it are two very different things. But for Southgate, Ypsilanti, and Hazel Park, community organizations and city leaders are turning such discussions into a joint committment to shrink their carbon footprint.
Natalie Burg
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Unlike most Michigan municipalities, Wyandotte provides power to its residents. You'd think in this age of ever-climbing energy costs that'd be a liability. Think again. Instead the community-owned utility has found creative ways to increase sustainability with both its businesses and homeowners.
Natalie Burg
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Unless you've been living in a cave you've probably heard the many green-minded arguments for why you should make your home more energy efficient. But what you might not realize is that there are compelling reasons beyond reducing the size of your carbon footprint. How about comfort? Better living has inspired one Ferndale resident to become an envangelist for Michigan's BetterBuildings program.
Tom Clynes
Thursday, April 26, 2012
David Berdish has been called the sustainability guru of the Ford Motor Company and, no, that's not an oxymoronic title. The car company's green advocate discusses why better public transportation leadership is needed in Metro Detroit and how a member of the Big Three can promote sustainable practices, champion mass transit, and still hold true to its business mission.
Kim North Shine
Thursday, April 28, 2011
New and better ideas. Innovation. These are the things we associate with our institutes of higher learning. So, now that green technology and practices are becoming a way of life, how do Metro Detroit's universities and colleges fare when it comes to sustainability? Metromode's Kim North Shine checks out who's doing what to reduce their collective carbon footprint.
Natalie Burg
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institute has strong opinions about what will help to push Michigan forward. Our colleagues at Lansing's Capital Gains chat with him about cities, transportation, and the strengths of manufacturing in the new economy.
Jeff Meyers
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Whole Foods CEO Walter Robb is an unabashed entrepreneur, a true believer that business is the ultimate engine for change. He also believes that corporations must have a deeper purpose than just profit. Metromode's Jeff Meyers chats with Robb about the way those seemingly disconnected impulses come together and why the next generation of business leaders should embrace them.
Kelly Quintanilla
Thursday, February 03, 2011
April Meyers is from here, wanted to stay here, and wanted to make a difference. But that's harder than it sounds when you're a recent college grad in search of work. Luckily, VISTA offered her an opportunity to do good and do it in Metro Detroit. Now, Meyers is helping establish a food pantry and community garden program at Schoolcraft College.
Jon Zemke
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Beer here now! If anyone knows the meaning of those word it's Mike Plesz. The serial brewpreneur has been launching local microbrew pubs since 1994. His latest endeavor --Rochester's Mind Body & Spirits-- is a successful sustainability-oriented restaurant. Plesz talks with Metromode about beer, local food production, green practices, and more beer. Bottoms up!
Nicole Rupersburg
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Let's spread the love and deliver the good word: Macomb County is no slouch when it comes to embracing new economy initiatives. From trade missions to China to the Education City Initiative to the Anton Art Center, the county that too often lives in Oakland and Wayne's economic shadow is no stranger to innovation.
Michelle Martinez
Thursday, June 24, 2010
If you want to know which way the alternative energy market is blowing consider this: wind power installations grew 40% last year. Canton-based Danotek is certainly paying attention. The clean tech company recently recruited a new CEO from Chicago and is aggressively developing, producing, and marketing its cutting edge turbine technology.
Michelle Martinez
Thursday, April 01, 2010
It's about innovation and invention, not stealing your credit card info. With a trio of open-source, boundary-pushing hackerspaces opening in the last year, Metro Detroit has joined the international ranks of hackerdom. More than gadget-obsessed misfits, these make-geeks are out to make our world a little bit better... and more interesting.
Kirk Vanderbeek
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Burning Man. Maker Faire. The Ford Rouge Factory. You might be saying to yourself, "One of those things is not like the others." Not if you're Cynthia Jones. Whether it's her job as manager for The Henry Ford factory tour or her role as a regional contact for the famed desert festival, Jones is one of Metro Detroit's more impassioned creatives.