Grand Rapids green tech

While Grand Rapids has been known for some time as being an example for its municipal-encouraged green practices in both city life and sponsored business initiatives, determining the actual environmental impact is a bit more complicated than recent press releases would suggest.

For example, while Grand Rapids currently has the most LEED certified buildings per capita of any city in the United States, LEED certification has come under fire for being more focused on generating jobs and revenue for LEED certification specialists and siphoning funds from the U.S. Government for projects that have little actual environmental impact. While it is undoubtedly good for businesses to explore and implement ways to save energy or generate through passive or green technology, the prevalence of actual green practices as well as the outcome for the bottom line is yet to be determined, certainly as far as the overall picture is concerned.

And then there are cases of outright green tech fraud such as LG Chem which received $150 million in Economic Recovery Act funds in order to manufacture lithium-ion batteries for use in the greening auto industry. When the Inspector General for the Energy Department investigated and discovered that instead of producing 60,000 batteries, employees of LG Chem were playing cards, watching movies, and volunteering in the community, there was significant outrage at this waste of taxpayer funds.

Of course there are significant successes as well, large and small. Metro Health has shone as a leader in composting and recycling programs and installed a nearly 50,000 square feet of green roof. Spectrum Health and the Grand Rapids Public Library have partnered with local organic farms to offer employees and residents opportunities to purchase reasonably priced and healthy vegetable options.

Grand Rapids has a strong philanthropic and mentoring culture within its business community, and it has helped to launch small businesses that can make a significant local impact. Young entrepreneurs in the area seem to be passionate about green living and have combined it with another passion: for beer. Seventeen area breweries have partnered with Friends of Grand Rapids Parks to help fund brewers' groves in area parks, and three breweries have joined a national clean water movement. The only certified organic brewery in the state is Grand Rapids Brewing Company.

Another strength is the partnership between the business community and high education in the area. Aquinas College recently received a $385,000 grant to develop an online clearing house of information and resources on green chemistry to better encourage design, development, and use of less toxic, environmentally friendly chemical use.

While strictly government sponsored ventures have not always had success locally, the cooperation of government bodies, the business and philanthropic communities, and local colleges and universities have generated a number of new ventures that look promising for both micro and macro-level green business.

Saving the Trees, One Ash at a Time

Usually non-natives are welcomed with open arms to Grand Rapids, but in previous years our city has had to deal with one specific unwelcome guest: the emerald ash borer. These invasive insects were found in southeast Michigan in 2002 and have since infested millions of ash trees in our fair city.

Photo credit: Mlive.com

Since 2009, emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation has occurred in numerous spots all over Grand Rapids. The insects lay their eggs on all species of ash trees and when the eggs hatch the larvae feed just underneath the bark of the tree, which cuts off essential water and nutrients for the ash. In the past several years, you may have noticed ash trees lining the streets that were marked for removal. These were dead ash trees affected by EAB. Last December, 31 Fuller Avenue ash trees were removed due to infestation; just one example of the city’s removal of dead trees.  Fuller does not look the same.  Parks all over the city have received similar haircuts.  It's been hard on tree lovers to see so many beautiful and useful trees gone.

In the early years of infestation, there was little evidence to draw on concerning any type of successful treatment plan for the city’s nearly 5,300 ash trees. Also, treatment prices were quite high for each tree. The city’s initial plan in 2007 called for massive removal of infected ash trees over a period of ten years. Approximately 1,600 trees were removed between 2007 and 2010. In 2008, citizens responded to such drastic removals and an alternative treatment plan was tested. The following year, the Urban Forestry Committee collaborated with the city of Grand Rapids and launched a new plan to treat our ash trees with a compound called TREE-Age, which has become more affordable over time. This solution prevents EAB infestation for up to two years.

Photo credit: Mlive.com

By 2011, close to 1,000 ash trees were treated with the preventative medicine. The future looks far more promising for Grand Rapids' ash trees. The city plans to treat 1,400 trees each year and assess 5% of the previously treated trees annually. Only dead ash trees will be removed, with the goal being to save as many as possible from EAB infestation before the EAB population declines or treatment decreases it even more. Ash trees that are dead need to be removed; if they are on private property it is the responsibility of the homeowner to eliminate the tree before it becomes a hazard.

Grand Rapids hopes to sustain the lives of our ash trees with joint efforts from the city staff, volunteers, Parks and Recreation Department, Urban Forestry Committee, and the EAB Task Force. Our trees add to the splendor of Grand Rapids and we are lucky to have people that are working hard for their preservation.

Grand Rapids is Making a Push for Public Transportation

Most great cities have a comprehensive public transit system. New York City has its iconic subways, Chicago has its color-coded lines, and Washington, D.C. has the Metro. In these cities, owning and driving a car is typically more of a hassle than it's worth. This isn't the case in most Michigan cities though and many have blamed the motor vehicle industry for this. But in past years, the Motor City has shifted its focus from building cars and trucks and has begun putting its eggs into different baskets. Because of this, Grand Rapids may be able to craft a convenient and well-used public transit system, and it seems that the city is trying to do just that.

Officials expect that the Silver Line will be completed by the end of next summer. According to the Rapid's website, service for the Division Avenue Bus Rapid Transit--another name for the Silver Line--will begin in August 2014. There will be more than 30 stops in three cities: Grand Rapids, Kentwood, and Wyoming. Residents in each city will be able to make use of the BRT line, allowing them to leave the car at home when they commute to work. This could lessen the parking problem that has plagued the downtown area for years and will certainly save money for individuals who have a single-occupant commute. In addition, this option will be more environmentally friendly.

A BRT system is different from the traditional bus system in many ways, but the one detail that is most important is that there is often a dedicated lane for the bus. This means that during peak traffic hours, the bus system will usually have an open lane, allowing its expected arrival and departure times to remain both constant and reliable. There are many successful BRT systems throughout the U.S. as well as many more throughout the world. For instance, MetroBus--the BRT system in Istanbul--is reportedly used by 800,000 people each weekday on a 45-stop route that covers a 50-kilometer stretch.

This is the planned route for the Silver Line,
also known as the Division Avenue Bus
Rapid Transit. | Courtesy of the Rapid

Many people say that the success of a BRT system relies on the flexibility that is inherent in the idea.
BRT combines the best of a traditional bus system with the efficiency of a rail system. The infrastructure and subsequent upkeep for a BRT system is much cheaper than a rail system, and this is quite advantageous, especially for a city the size of GR.

But the BRT system is still a year away. In July, city officials including city planning director Suzanne Schulz and director of the Downtown Development Authority Kristopher Larson were hoping to shift a considerable portion of annual revenue from six of the city's parking lots to the DDA so that the funds can be used to design and implement a plan to get more people to walk, bike, carpool, or bus to their downtown workplaces. The details are still hazy but it seems that the idea is to help employers create programs that will influence their employees into using more sustainable forms of transportation. Ideas include a monthly payment of $60 to employees who do not drive to work, discounts on bulk purchases of bus passes, and bike-to-work days. Such programs would certainly contribute to the success of the Silver Line and turn Grand Rapids into a better city than it already is.