sustainability
Independence in the kitchen: Q&A with food writer, researcher Ali Benjamin
by (Feeding America...)
Submitted 11-26-2012 under NONPROFITS
Ali Benjamin is a writer and documentarian working in the groove between sustainable food activism and anti-hunger advocacy. Her 2011 book, The Cleaner Plate Club, provides practical recipes for parents seeking independence from prepackaged...
Grand Rapids Urban League partners with DTE Energy to help residents save money on gas bills
by (shannoncunningham)
Submitted 11-21-2012 under NEWS
DTE Energy is working locally with the Grand Rapids Urban League to reach out to the GR community on their Free Home Energy Consultations (HEC). DTE launched their HEC program this year to work with their customers to save money on their energy...
Why you should vote yes on Proposal 3
by (Matthew Knaack)
Submitted 11-01-2012 under OPINION
The airwaves have been flooded with negative ads about Proposal 3. Due to this inundation, I am attempting to set the record straight by writing from the other side. First, the basics: Prop 3 is a ballot initiative that seeks to increase the state...
Goodwill Industries Eliminates Wastes, Benefiting Local Community
by (Allison Arnold)
Submitted 09-22-2012 under LOCAL LIFE
In Grandville, there is a warehouse with floor-to-ceiling cardboard crates filled with stuff. Lots of stuff: unwanted holiday sweaters, broken belts and old VHS tapes. It’s the stuff that gets thrown onto the doorstep of Goodwill Industries...
West Michigan beer makers "hop" up to the plate
by (Onawa Gardiner)
Submitted 08-01-2012 under NEWS
Michigan’s first annual beer month just came to a close and a look around area farms reveals a surge in growth for a key beer ingredient: hops. West Michigan is experiencing a renaissance in hops farming, with breweries putting their full...
Sustainable Business Forum to host scholarship golf outing
by (Jacqui DeFouw)
Submitted 07-30-2012 under LOCAL LIFE
On Monday, Aug. 13, the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum (WMSBF) will host a golf outing at Stonewater Country Club in Caledonia to raise funds for its annual scholarship. The group's members include small business owners,...
A Watershed Moment: Stopping stormwater runoff
by (Scott Kaplan)
Submitted 07-25-2012 under NEWS
Pop quiz: What’s the leading source of pollution in West Michigan? If you said stormwater runoff, you're right. Stormwater runoff is the leading source of water pollution in West Michigan and in the Great Lakes Watershed in general. ...
A Watershed Moment: Why Brewery Vivant uses cans instead of bottles
by (Scott Kaplan)
Submitted 05-23-2012 under OPINION
This week Kris Spaulding, Co-Owner and Sustainability Director of Brewery Vivant discusses the environmental merits of canning beer instead of bottling it – the method traditionally preferred by most micro-breweries. Since opening...
Treehuggers to add package-free bulk vegan food grocery store
by (stevendavison)
Submitted 05-10-2012 under LOCAL LIFE
There is a saying that goes, “There is no such thing as a free lunch," meaning that every meal costs something to make. This applies when one considers the amount of resources it takes to manufacture the packaging of a frozen pizza, for...
Local theater hosts international debut of next-gen, sustainable stage lighting
by (wealthytheatre)
Submitted 05-10-2012 under NONPROFITS
An American company has developed a protoype version of the most revolutionary stage lighting instrument in over three decades: an LED version of the Source 4 light, by ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls). And this weekend, with the support of the ETC...