Posted: Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Source: Great Lakes IT Report
by Matt Roush

Around 200 people who want a cleaner, greener Michigan gathered at Lawrence Technological University Tuesday night for a Great Lakes IT Report - LTU "Unwired" evening event.

Two Lawrence Tech faculty members, a green architecture expert and a green building owner all presented their perspectives on why buildings must soon get much more green -- and why it doesn't have to hurt that badly.

Glen S. LeRoy, dean of architecture at Lawrence Tech, said peer-reviewed science shows the surface of the Earth is warming, and at an increasing clip. That means more intense precipitation, a sea level rise of seven to 32 inches by 2100, and the potential displacement of 100 million coast-dwellers worldwide.

February 13, 2009

Green groups are embracing the White House's motto that a new day is ahead. But if their clean technologies are to spur the nation's economy, they say they need practical tax breaks so that the current demand remains steadfast.

Rather than using production tax credits at a time when most businesses will owe the government substantially less, green developers need the cash now. By making the current tax credit refundable, those advocates say that it will have an immediate effect -- and all in keeping with the Obama administration's stated goal of creating 3-4 million next-generation jobs. Legislation is now floating on Capitol Hill to do exactly that.

February 16, 2009

Hard times are hitting the ethanol sector. But such short term distress will eventually give way to economic prosperity. Industry assets will then operate at capacity and boost ethanol production in the process. That, in turn, will push this country toward energy security while helping to serve the overall environment.

That's the view from one top company official, who adds that the law set in 2007 requiring ethanol production rates to increase from 6 billion gallons a year to 36 billion gallons a year by 2022 is doable. The government has pursued such a policy because it has reasoned that ethanol could alleviate oil supply crunches while diminishing carbon dioxide emissions tied to climate change.

by Christine Ferretti
The Detroit News
 

PLYMOUTH -- Detroit may be the land of the automobile, but the rising cost of gasoline and state emphasis on eco-friendly technology has some Michiganians investing in a two-wheeled, rechargeable means of transportation -- the electric bicycle.

It may be the dead of winter, but this battery-powered ride is getting a warm reception here, turning the heads of preteens, 30-somethings and seniors alike who are looking for a cost-effective alternative that'll get them to school, work or the corner store.

The outlook is good news for eCo Wheelz, a new electric bike retailer in downtown Plymouth that's hoping to carve its niche for what they believe is an untapped market in the tri-state area. Experts say their timing is right: More Americans are looking to pinch pennies, do their part to promote green technologies and do away with the rigorous physical demand of conventional bikes.

"Anything that gets Metro Detroiters out of cars and trucks and into more efficient modes of transportation is encouraging from both an environmental and road congestion point of view," said Hugh McDiarmid Jr., a spokesman for the Michigan Environmental Council. "If this shop is unique and one of the first of its kind, it might represent a niche that Michigan companies and workers can fill as part of diversifying the state's economy."

Two alternative energy-related projects were advanced by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority this morning.

A startup company was given a tax abatement for a facility to manufacture towers for wind turbines and a real estate development consulting firm was given an incentive to grow its green consulting practice.

Great Lakes Towers L.L.C. received a 10-year tax abatement for a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Monroe. The company plans to start construction in the spring on the $20 million project, said CFO Ian Charles.