detroiters working for environmental justice southeast michigan sustainable business forum michigan...

Detroiters WorkingFor Environmental

Justice

Southeast MichiganSustainable Business

Forum

Michigan Green Jobs Conference

Southeast Michigan Leading the Way to A New Green Economy

Bill Stough, CEOSustainable Research Group


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A Bright Green Economy

1. DWEJ/SMSBF Green Economy Collaboration2. Detroit’s Bright Green Future3. Overview of the Proposed Detroit Sustainability

Center4. Leading by Example


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The Power of Collaboration

Southeast Michigan Sustainable Business

Forum’s Vision:

“To have a profound and positive impact on the

growth and prosperity of SE Michigan through

sustainable business practices .”


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SMSBF’s Strategic Purpose:

“Is to enable business leaders in Southeast Michigan to create long-term and sustainable value for stakeholders in a region and world undergoing fundamental and rapid economic, environmental, and social change”


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DWEJ’s Build Up Detroit Program Mission:

To catalyze a new development paradigm for Detroitthat will ensure lasting health and prosperity through:

– Green job creation and workforce development– Civic engagement and education– Sustainable development


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The Power of Innovation

Detroit’s History of Innovation:

• One of the first steamship manufacturing sites• Center for early American machine shops • The first modern manufacturing center for autos• Created the modern blue-collar middle class• “Arsenal of Democracy”


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The Need to Collaborate

• Detroit has more than 60,000 abandoned homes and businesses

• 40,000 brownfield sites that are available to be

redeveloped.

• Since 1999 the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopmentauthority has developed approximately 200 sites.


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The Power of CollaborationPoverty in Detroit:

• 236,000 individuals living below the poverty line (Census Bureau, 1999)

• Since 2008, the median household income dropped 24 percent over the last eight years to about $35,000, well below the $54,200 figure statewide

• 14.9% Unemployment Rate in Detroit (March 2009)


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Detroit lags behind the rest of the Nation and the restof Michigan in being organized aroundsustainable development principles.


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• Currently Detroit does not have a focal point for educating entrepreneurs and incubating businesses oriented toward sustainable development.

• A huge opportunity exists for Detroit to capture worldwide momentum for new business leaders and businesses whose purpose is to profit by delivering sustainable growth solutions.


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The core principles of the Build Up Detroit project is to demonstrate how a coordinated strategy using sustainable development principles, citizen engagement and new job development initiatives canlead to community redevelopment and establish Detroit as a national leader in sustainable development.


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The Detroit Sustainability Center (DSC) is an elementof Detroiters for Environmental Justice’s (DWEJ) BuildUp Detroit (BUD) Project.


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The vision of the DSC is to establish the groundwork for an environmental, social and economic paradigm shift for Detroit and Southeast Michigan, by providing an inspirational physical headquarters where coordination and training will occur to help develop safe and healthy housing, good paying green technology jobs and restoration of the environment through sustainable development practices.


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Short-term – Establish the DSC as the focal point for planning and collaboration for sustainable development advances and improvements in the City of Detroit and surrounding communities, and serve as the home for the environmental technology worker training program and business incubation.


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Long-term – Establish the DSC as the source of collaborative progress on improving community environmental health, social justice and community sustainable development.


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The Detroit Sustainability Center will provide:• job training in environmental remediation and

emerging green industries for displaced and unemployed workers

• resource center and networking hub for developers and contractors around green building


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• Community resources for sustainable living and environmental justice

• Community charrette space, with GIS-enabled computers, plotters, design assistance

• A center for community organizing and youth leadership in environmental stewardship


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• A health clinic for low-income citizens• Interactive exhibits demonstrating the advantages of

healthy and green building practices. • A high-performance environmental building site with

public access that will model Detroit’s unique opportunities for innovative retrofitting of historic structures.


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• A think tank for sustainable economic development - developing sustainable industries in fields such as deconstruction, energy efficiency, renewable energies, phytoremediation, recycling, green chemistry, green landscaping and community sustainable development policy coordination.


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• An incubator for small businesses pursuing environmentally sustainable practices

• Technical assistance to existing businesses that desire to reduce its carbon footprint by incorporating pollution prevention mechanisms and/or employing best practices in their supply chains to do the same.


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Summary – DWEJ/SMSBF Detroit Sustainability Center• Continue Detroit’s history of business & cultural

innovation• Have a brownfield, historic renovated high-

performance environmentally designed iconic building


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Summary – DWEJ/SMSBF Detroit Sustainability Center• Train leaders in green job skills and business

innovation (GHG, Material & Energy Efficiency)• Center to promote community environmental

health, sustainable development policy & planning

• Help Detroit Transition to a Bright Green Future


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Additional Information

Please contact:

Bill Stough, CEOSustainable Research Group

PO Box 1684, Grand Rapids, MI 49501616.301.1059

www.sustainableresearchgroup.com

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