WMCAT – Restoration and Rehabilitation of The Highlands

The Highlands can be remembered as a pesticide and fertilizer-filled golf course. “It was a very manicured land with short grass just over two years ago,” said the Stewardship Director at the Land Conservancy of West Michigan, Justin Heslinga. Over the course of two-and-a-half years, the Land Conservancy has focused on renewing the land back to its original state and giving way for wildlife and habitat to flourish.

Joe Engel, the Executive Director of the Land Conservancy of West Michigan said: “Not every day you get an opportunity to have a ‘redo’ on a piece of land that once was a 100-year-old golf course.” He shared that it will be a laboratory for today’s kids and for generations to come.

During the end of phase one, which was restoration, community members came to speak about the process and how it has benefited them, as well as the overall community. One community member, Bill Faber, shared that he runs on the property a lot. The Highlands provides access to the community for exercise purposes as well as educational purposes for students.

The Highlands is the Land Conservancy’s first major project in the City of Grand Rapids. The majority of their projects are in rural areas that are not accessible by public transportation. However, now, one can simply take The Rapid’s Route 7 bus line to The Highlands.

Not only is The Highlands accessible to the whole community but it is now a home for wildlife. Mary Jane Dockeray, the founder of Blandford Nature Center told how she can now hear the bird songs that she once could not hear in her own backyard.

Phase one is only the beginning of the restoration of The Highlands. It has already been a big accomplishment and future phases promise an even greater benefit to the whole community. More importantly, it will benefit the environment.

Highlands Project Student Names

  • Article by Arieal Jackson
  • Photography by Dagan McClure-Sikkema
  • Videography and editing by Tris Cunningham, Micah Garmon, Arieal Jackson, Elias Vandyke-Titus, and Mike Saunders

Wege Prize 2019 Winners

Now in its sixth year, Wege Prize is organized by Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University’s (KCAD’s) Wege Center for Sustainable Design with the support of The Wege Foundation. Beginning in August of 2018, Wege Prize 2019 challenged participating teams to develop a product, service, business/nonprofit model, or other solution that could help spur a transition from our current linear economic model—in which we take, make, and dispose—to a circular economy, an economic model that’s restorative and regenerative by design.

The five finalist teams in Wege Prize 2019 presented their solutions to a judging panel of leading practitioners and advocates of design thinking and sustainability at the 2019 Wege Prize Awards, held on May 31 at KCAD in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Teams’ solutions were evaluated on factors such as depth of research, technological and financial feasibility, alignment with circular economic principles, and potential for successful real-world implementation.

Winners:

1st Place – $15,000
Team name: REDENT

  • Priscilla Oluwakemi Badusi – Chemistry, Wellesley College
  • Aisha Muhammed Balogun – Computer Engineering, University of Wyoming
  • Mukhtar Hamzat – Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Ashesi University
  • Fatimah Owolabi – Entrepreneurship, African Leadership University
  • Ohagwu Collins Patrick – Agricultural Sciences, EARTH University

Solution: Redent proposed a system in which cocoa pod husks, a byproduct of cocoa bean production, can be upcycled into organic fertilizer. The system, designed to be waste-free and both economically and environmentally sustainable, also aims to inspire cocoa farmers toward sustainable farm practices while giving them access to additional income streams.

Currently, many cocoa bean farmers in the team’s native Nigeria leave the cocoa pod husks in their fields to rot, which not only gives rise to pests and disease but fails to extract any value at all from the waste. At the same time, the low annual supply quantity and high cost of traditional fertilizer in the country poses significant cost and yield challenges for farmers. Redent’s solution addresses both issues by transforming the crop’s waste byproduct into powerful and affordable organic fertilizer.

“The judges were very impressed by how, in the midst of a large systemic issue such as waste, Redent honed in on a specific waste source and a specific solution for extracting maximum value from that waste; the elegance of that is very commendable,” said judge Alysia Garmulewicz, an associate professor of high tech entrepreneurship at the University of Santiago in Chile and an associate fellow at Oxford University and the Institute for Science Innovation and Society.

Moving forward, the members of Redent plan to continue refining their product through further testing and engaging potential customers through demonstration plots where farmers can see the performance of the fertilizer firsthand.


2nd Place – $10,000
Team name: CONSIDERED FURNITURE

  • Jack Cottrell – Biology, University of Toronto
  • Joe Dunaske – Collaborative Design/Furniture Design, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University
  • Kate Hyman – Furniture Design, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University
  • Sydney Johnson – Architecture, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University
  • Lindsey Maner – Furniture Design, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University

Solution: Considered Furniture proposed a service model furniture company that shifts end-of-life responsibility of bulk furniture waste from the user to the manufacturer, responding to a need for effective waste return channels, capturing waste value, and directing that value towards new revenue streams.

The company targets cost and environmentally-conscious millennials with low-cost furniture that’s designed for disassembly and re-use. Once furniture reaches the end of its life cycle, Considered Furniture’s business model enables it to be returned to the company for remanufacturing into smaller piece of furniture or, ultimately, conversion into sawdust that can be combined with other organic materials for agricultural use.

“Considered Furniture developed a sophisticated solution that requires sophisticated thinking and problem solving,” said judge Michael Werner, an environmental program manager and lead for safer chemistry at Google. “The team had to deal with raw materials, distribution, reverse logistics, waste in supply chains, and more; that’s really complicated. We appreciated the lengths they went to in prototyping potential products, securing customer validation, and entering a market that deals with emotion and style in addition to other factors.”

Moving forward, the team plans to continue developing furniture prototypes, refining its business model, promoting its company through social media channels, and securing relationships with material suppliers, storage and transportation companies, and furniture retailers.


3rd Place – $5,000
Team name: WET TECHNIK

  • Melissa Mukama Buzabo – Industrial and Fine Arts, Makerere University School of Art and Technology
  • Mark Musinguzi – Mechanical Engineering, Makerere University School of Engineering
  • Emmanuel Musumba – Mechanical Engineering, Makerere University School of Engineering
  • Shatsi Mwebesa – Quantity Surveying, Makerere University School of Built Environment
  • Dennis Ssekimpi – Civil Engineering, Makerere University School of Engineering

Solution: Wet Technik proposed to a solution to address Uganda’s water shortage and wastewater treatment issues by designing a system that can upcycle grey water using a mix of constructed wetlands and filtration bio carriers made from repurposed plastic bottle caps. The system aims to reduce the costs of water usage while minimizing environmental pollution from hazardous wastewater.

The team conducted extensive research on-site at two boarding schools in Uganda, identifying key sources of grey water as well as potential uses for the grey water once treated, such as cleaning floors and flushing toilets, that currently require use of expensive fresh water from municipal supply lines. In addition to reducing overall water usage, the team’s solution also mitigates the risk of disease from improper wastewater disposal.

“Wet Technik impressed the judges with the low startup costs of their idea and the solid field research that underpinned it,” said judge Christopher Carter, an educator, a seasoned animator/story board artist, and a nationally-known and highly regarded sculptor of reclaimed and re-purposed found materials. “They clearly illustrated how this idea could work in the real world, and beyond that proved that they have what it takes to follow through.”

Moving forward, the team will undertake a three-month internship that will enable them to deepen their research while continuing to develop a fully functional prototype of their filtration system.


The other two finalist teams—Nkunim and Norena Group—were each honored with a $1,000 Finalist Award.

Nkunim, comprised of students studying at different universities in Ghana, addressed Ghana’s widespread plastic waste problem by designing a sanitation-focused mobile application that integrates with a circular economy-inspired plastic waste management system.

Norena Group, a team of students from Ivory Coast, Gabon, and Togo studying at universities in Costa Rica, Kenya, South Korea, and the United States, proposed a solution to upcycle food waste into multiple useful products for consumers, including animal feed, plant fertilizers, clothing and other goods.

“The leadership, passion, and insight displayed by Wege Prize 2019 teams have been both remarkable and inspiring,” said KCAD President Leslie Bellavance. “By empowering both current and future generations of problem solvers to explore new ways of thinking, seeing, and working with one another, this competition proves that when we strive for collective intelligence, shared value, and social equity, we can solve any problem, on any scale, anywhere in the world.”

Wege Prize teams are required to represent different institutions of higher education and different fields of study, giving them an intentionally broad perspective with which to address the kinds of layered and systemic “wicked” problems perpetuated by a linear economic model. Nine teams entered Wege Prize 2019, representing 14 countries, 21 academic institutions, and 40 unique academic disciplines while including both undergraduate and graduate students.

Wege Prize was conceived as a regional competition before rapidly expanding to a national, then international level, with the field of teams growing significantly in geographical diversity each year. In 2017, the competition was opened up to graduate students, having previously only been open to undergraduate students.

Thanks to the continuing financial support of The Wege Foundation, Wege Prize 2020 will again be open to any undergraduate or graduate student in the world and will be focused on developing a circular economy.

Team registration will open in August 2019, but interested faculty, students and professionals are encouraged to begin now by signing up for the Wege Prize mailing list, following Wege Prize on Facebook, and connecting on the Wege Prize Facebook Group. More details about Wege Prize 2020 will be revealed in the coming weeks on wegeprize.org.

NO VICTORY WITHOUT OPTIMISM

*Above photo: Christiana Figueres, the moving force behind the Paris Climate agreement, delivers the 2019 Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability at the University of Michigan. 

Christiana Figueres, the woman recognized worldwide as the “architect” of the Paris Climate Agreement, gave this year’s Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability at the University of Michigan March 14. What this enthusiastic Costa Rican calls her own “stubborn optimism” enabled her to bring leaders of 196 countries together for the Paris Climate Conference in 2015. The outcome was the Paris Climate Agreement to keep global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius.

Disappointed as Figueres is that President Trump has announced the United States’ intent to pull out of the Paris Agreement, this dynamic leader remains hopeful. “Climate change must be approached with a positive attitude,” she told the full house audience in the Michigan League’s auditorium.

This daughter of a former Costa Rica president supported her optimism by noting that while China often gets blamed for its air pollution, the fact is the Chinese government has already exceeded its promised Paris Agreement goal. And India, with the world’s second highest population, has committed to having all electric vehicles within three to five years.

Figueres noted that the patent office is a good place to look at the future. And new patents applications are coming in for innovations related to electric and solar energy, not fossil fuels. As for America’s expensive electric Tesla cars, the 2019 Wege Lecturer said the company “is on the right track.” But the need is to build more affordable electric automobiles.

She offered five easy things all Americans can do to fight climate change. Cut back on eating beef. Buy local foods that don’t require fossil fuel to transport. Sell any high-carbon stocks you own and use the proceeds to buy into renewable-energy companies. “For heaven’s sake VOTE!” And support the student strike that happened the next day on the Michigan campus as they did around the world to support global carbon neutrality.

Friday March 15 young students in some 100 countries around the globe left their classrooms in a common march to save their futures from the disastrous consequences of climate change. These protesters on the Diag at the University of Michigan were some of the 300-plus people who joined the Ann Arbor protest.

The speaker with the bullhorn in this photograph from the protest on the Diag against climate change confirms the youthfulness of this global movement on March 15. It was started by 16-year-old Swedish student Greta Thunberg. One of their signs reads: Why Go To Class When The World Is Burning?

– All Photos Credited to: Dave Brenner

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE & CLIMATE LEADER MUSTAFA SANTIAGO ALI TO PRESENT AT ANNUAL WEGE SPEAKER SERIES

The Senior Vice President for the Hip Hop Caucus will address environmental justice issues on Thursday, April 11, 2019

Grand Rapids, Michigan – February 21, 2019 – The Wege Foundation (www.wegefoundation.org) will host the 23rd Wege Speaker Series (www.wegespeakerseries.com) on Thursday, April 11 at 4pm at the Aquinas College Performing Arts Center.

This year’s speaker is Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali, Senior Vice President of Climate, Environmental Justice & Community Revitalization for the Hip Hop Caucus and former leader at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He will present about how to elevate environmental justice issues and strengthen environmental justice policies, programs and initiatives.

“This lecture will focus on a new 21st century paradigm,” said Dr. Ali. “It’s one that embraces community power by honoring the transformative abilities of culture to build bridges, by educating in non-traditional ways and by creating authentic collaborative partnerships that support our most vulnerable communities as they move from surviving to thriving.”

“Ali is one of America’s environmental justice leaders and currently focuses on using the arts in addressing pressing issues such as climate change,” said Mark Van Putten, President of The Wege Foundation.

Dr. Ali has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, VICE, and Democracy NOW, as well as being featured and cited in over 250 news publications including GQ, New Republic, Ebony, The Guardian, The Root, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post. He has worked in over 500 communities both domestically and internationally, as well as been a guest lecturer at over 100 colleges and universities including Howard, Harvard, Yale, George Washington, Georgetown and Spelman.

Prior to joining the Hip Hop Caucus, Ali worked 24 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He began working on Social Justice issues at the age of 16 and joined the EPA as a student, becoming a founding member of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ). Currently he is a board member of the National Wildlife Federation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Union of Concerned Scientists, TREE and Climate Hawks Vote.

Partners for the 23rd Wege Speaker Series event include:

  • All of the Above Hip Hop Academy
  • Aquinas College
  • City of Grand Rapids
  • Grand Rapids Public Schools
  • Grand Rapids Urban League
  • Latina Network of West Michigan
  • LINC UP
  • NAACP Greater Grand Rapids Branch
  • Sierra Club Michigan Chapter
  • West Michigan Environmental Action Council

The Aquinas College Performing Arts Center is located at 1703 Robinson Road S.E. in Grand Rapids. The public is invited and the event is free. Limited seating, please register soon at aquinas.edu/wegespeaker

About Aquinas College
Aquinas College is a Catholic liberal arts college founded in 1886 by the Dominican Sisters-Grand Rapids. The wooded, 117-acre campus is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. With 1,900 students and more than 60 academic programs, Aquinas College is an inclusive educational community that emphasizes career preparation, leadership, service to others and lifelong learning. Learn more at aquinas.edu

About the Wege Foundation
Founded in 1967 by Peter M. Wege, The Wege Foundation focuses on enhancing the lives of the people and preserving the health of the environment in West Michigan. The Wege Foundation’s Five Pillars, or areas of interest, are: education, environment, arts & culture, health care, and human services. For more information, go to wegefoundation.org

The Mosaic Scholars bring diversity and creativity to the table.

“The Wege Foundation has partnered with the West Michigan Center for Arts & Technology (WMCAT) to help share our grantees’ stories.”
Article by Arieal Jackson
Photography by Mariah Barrera & Trina Cunningham
Cinematography by Erion Adams and Joseph Kunnen
Audio Micah Garmon
Editing Michael Saunders

The Grand Rapids Symphony has a multifaceted commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout its programming, educational services and outreach. Through their popular Neighborhood Concert Series the Symphony brings classical music directly to neighborhoods within Grand Rapids. Another program called the Celebration of Soul honors the accomplishments of individuals and organizations that celebrate the importance of diversity, inclusion and bridge-building in West Michigan. There is also a broad base of educational programs in which the Symphony engages with youth including: Free For Kids series, Lollipop concerts and the Mosaic Scholars. The Mosaic Scholars recently partnered with the Video Production Studio at the West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology (WMCAT) and their Grand Rapids High School students to help capture the impact of this particular program. WMCAT students were able to highlight and share the unique experimentation through music which happens in each Sketch Session. Today, the Grand Rapids Symphony is a gateway of music that engages with people of all ages and different backgrounds. The Wege Foundation is proud to support The Grand Rapids Symphony and their efforts towards diversity and inclusion.

On Saturday, November 3rd, Mosaic Scholars started off with instrumental warm ups with Jill, the Mosaic Scholars leader. Next, they played pieces or read work they had and let other Scholars collaborate off it, adding their own music or words. Lastly, everyone broke up into groups to create a piece within fifteen minutes, including poetry and all the different instruments ranging from clarinets to cellos. Afterwards,every group shared out what they created; with the art created in just fifteen minutes one could only imagine what they could do with more.

The Mosaic Scholarship provides funds to talented African American and Latino students to partner one-on-one with Grand Rapids Symphony musicians.

When interviewing the Scholars, a specific question of what diversity is to them and how it is represented in these sessions was asked. The responses were all divergent and elaborate. Scholar Janel Shannon,17, has been playing the cello since 4th grade and was raised in a Hispanic household. She now attends Caledonia High School and explained how it’s been a great experience to be around people within her culture who have similar perspectives on life which makes her feel as if she is not alone and have people to turn to. The Mosaic Scholarship and the Mosaic Scholars have opened her up to these experiences. Another Scholar LJ Bowmen,17, plays the bass clarinet and piano, and is a vocalist. LJ spoke on how just having those different backgrounds bring more creativity to the table. Chloe a member of The Diatribe, a poet and a vocalist of age 17. She said that diversity is a mix of what makes people special and that she loves to learn about every person as an individual. Overall diversity is represented well within the Mosaic Scholars and it has brought a positive and comfortable creative space into their lives.

The symphony plays a big part with the Scholars, mentoring them and giving them opportunities to find out who they are and/or want to be. Janel Shannon, a Scholar of six years said that the opportunities given by the Symphony have allowed her to be in multiple music videos, connect with her church and figure out that she loves business and wants to go into accounting. Another Scholar, first year clarinet player Kiara Roble says that the opportunities have made her a stronger musician and have allowed her to make melodies that describe who she is. The opportunities given by the Symphony to the Mosaic Scholars make these teenagers better people, musicians and artists.

When seeing the diversity and the talent these Scholars display, it’s amazing to watch them express their talent in a non-judgemental environment. One would be excited to see where they go from here with the opportunities given to them.

Wege Prize 2018 Winners

Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University’s (KCAD’s) Wege Center for Sustainable Design has announced the winners of Wege Prize 2018, the fifth iteration of the annual design competition challenging teams of undergraduate and graduate students from around the world to collaborate across institutional, disciplinary, and cultural boundaries and redesign the way economies work.

Participating teams—each composed of five students representing different academic institutions and majors of study—were challenged to collaboratively design and propose a product, service, business, non-profit organization, or other solution to a “wicked problem” of their choosing. Specifically, teams pursued solutions that could function within and help create a paradigm shift towards a circular economy, a rapidly-emerging economic model that focuses on system-wide innovation and aims to be restorative and regenerative by design.

The five finalist teams in Wege Prize 2018 presented their solutions to a judging panel of leading practitioners and advocates of design thinking and sustainability at the Wege Prize 2018 Final Presentation and Awards Event, held on May 18 at KCAD in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Teams’ solutions were evaluated on factors such as depth of research, technological and financial feasibility, alignment with circular economic principles, and potential for successful real-world implementation.
Winners:

1st Place – $15,000
Team name: Circular Tourism Mexico

 Emiliano Iturriaga (left) of Circular Tourism Mexico representing his team at the Wege Prize 2018 Final Presentation and Awards Event

Emiliano Iturriaga (left) of Circular Tourism Mexico representing his team at the Wege Prize 2018 Final Presentation and Awards Event

Emiliano Iturriaga – Engineering in Sustainable Development (Social Innovation), Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education School of Engineering

Diego Espinoza Siliceo – Engineering in Sustainable Development, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education School of Engineering

Irene Heras de Hoyos – Graphic Communication Design, Metropolitan Autonomous University of Mexico City

Eduardo Maass Rueda – Actuarial Sciences/Financial Management, Autonomous Institute of Technology of Mexico

Sebastián Muñoz Amezcua – Industrial Design, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education School of Design

Solution: Circular Tourism Mexico proposed Rutopia, an online platform that facilitates the transition to a fair, sustainable, and circular tourism system for indigenous communities in Mexico. The platform connects indigenous-run community tourism initiatives directly to their target audiences and offers them the tools they need to overcome obstacles that prevent them from competing in the ecotourism marketplace. At the same time, it ensures travelers will be able to enjoy genuine experiences while benefitting both indigenous communities and the environment.

 Circular Tourism Mexico solution excerpt

Circular Tourism Mexico solution excerpt

Moving forward, the team plans to use their prize money to finish building out their online platform and begin real-world testing in collaboration with the indigenous communities with which they’ve been working throughout the course of Wege Prize 2018.

“We really appreciated the social and cultural elements being integral to Circular Tourism Mexico’s solution; they weren’t just add-ons,” says judge Nathan Shedroff, an associate professor at California College of the Arts and founder of the school’s ground-breaking MBA in Design Strategy program. “Their co-op model is particularly well-suited to solve the problems they identified, because they’re truly involving locals in co-design and co-building, which honors culture and keeps money local. The judges see this as a solution that can revitalize communities that are struggling, and we really appreciate that.”


2nd Place – $10,000
Team name: Sabon Sake

 Audrey S-Darko of Sabon Sake representing her team at the Wege Prize 2018 Final Presentation and Awards Event

Audrey S-Darko of Sabon Sake representing her team at the Wege Prize 2018 Final Presentation and Awards Event

Opunabo Eli – Management Information Systems, Ashesi University

Audrey Marigold S-Darko – Business Administration, Ashesi University

Sasha Ofori – Computer Science, Ashesi University

Kelvin Degbotse – Computer Science, Ashesi University

Emmanuel Asamoah – Administration (Marketing Option), University of Ghana

Solution: Sabon Sake proposed the use of biotechnology and web-based technology to transform bagasse, the main waste byproduct of sugarcane farming, into bio-compost fertilizer, increasing accessibility to the larger sugarcane market for rural farmers in Ghana’s Volta Region and helping them achieve greater yields, reduce crop losses and ultimately, overcome poverty. The team has designed a composting system that uses liquid bio-inoculants and vermicomposting to extract maximum value from the bagasse while negating the harmful environmental impacts of burning it, the method by which it is currently disposed.

 Sabon Sake solution excerpt

Sabon Sake solution excerpt

The team plans to spend the next year building on their existing prototype by continuing to work with sugarcane farmers in Ghana to begin implementing their system throughout the Volta Region, and from there, will pursue translating the system to other crops as well.

“The judges were deeply impressed with the enthusiasm, honesty, and passion with which Sabon Sake approaches its project. It was great to see their idea evolve in response to our feedback, resulting in a solution that thoughtfully and effectively addresses a very unsustainable practice in the burning of bagasse,” says judge Michael Werner, environmental program manager and lead for safer chemistry at Google. “They had a strong prototype, a clear implementation plan, and most importantly, clear thoughts on how to scale their process up. That took a local issue and created a solution that can grow beyond that.”


3rd Place – $5,000
Team name: Booming Babies

 Melissa Mazzeo (left) of Booming Babies representing her team at the Wege Prize 2018 Final Presentation  and Awards Event

Melissa Mazzeo (left) of Booming Babies representing her team at the Wege Prize 2018 Final Presentation  and Awards Event

Jatin Batra – Business Administration/Public Policy, Yale University/Princeton University

Cyndi Chen – Business Administration, Yale University

Melissa Mazzeo – Business Administration, Yale University

Daniel Moccia-Field – Business Administration/Environmental Management, Yale University

Christopher Chen – Computer Science, Michigan State University

Solution: Booming Babies proposed an online secondhand children’s clothing subscription service that builds a community of dedicated users while scaling adoption with mobile technology and RFID tagging. The team’s solution also plans to upcycle clothing that has reached the end of its life cycle through aggregation and remanufacturing by partnering with fabric dissolving/melting firms to create new fabric durable enough for extended use and soft enough for babies to wear comfortably.

 Booming Babies solution excerpt

Booming Babies solution excerpt

Following their success in Wege Prize 2018, the team plans to launch their business, Hand Me Up, which offers subscribers seasonal packages of second children’s clothing specific to the child’s age, physical size, and gender. They will launch the business in cooperation with Merry Go Rounds, a children’s consignment boutique in Massachusetts.

“The judges loved this idea. You don’t need to be a parent to understand the value of this kind of service, where you always have a steady supply of clothes at the size you need without breaking the bank,” said judge Colin Webster, who works to spread the idea of the circular economy as an education content manager with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. “The team’s understanding of the circular economy really impressed us, not just in their business model, but in the ways in which they proposed to use emerging remanufacturing technologies as well.”

The other two finalist teams—CarpeJur and Greener Haven—were each honored with a $1,000 Finalist Award.

CarpeJur, composed of students from American University of Armenia, Armenian National Agrarian University, and Yerevan State Medical University of Armenia, proposed a closed-loop aquaculture system wherein freshwater fish are raised for human consumption while the system’s natural byproducts are upcycled to create additional value. Algae raised alongside the fish act as a biofilter, cleaning the water so that it can be recirculated into the system. Oil extracted from the algae is used in the production of biodiesel fuel, while the algae are used to create animal feed and the organic “sludge” left over becomes natural fertilizer.

 CarpeJur solution excerpt

CarpeJur solution excerpt

Greener Haven, composed of students from Yale University’s School of Architecture, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and School of Management, proposed to resolve the information asymmetries of the residential housing construction market to connect those who need building materials with those who have materials to sell. The team developed a mobile/web platform combining geolocation and image hosting services to enable crowd-sourced aggregation and sharing of data on materials newly harvested from demolished structures. The platform also provides educational tools to guide users on how to harvest these materials from the waste stream and unlock their potential for reuse.

 Greener Haven solution excerpt

Greener Haven solution excerpt

“As in previous years, the invigorating ideas, global perspectives, and passionate optimism that this year’s teams have brought to Wege Prize have been both remarkable and inspiring,” said KCAD President Leslie Bellavance. “It is my hope that all of our participants will translate their experiences in this competition into forward momentum. I challenge them to build on their existing ideas and to always stay curious about what lies ahead.”

The five finalist teams were chosen out of an original field of 17 teams representing 63 unique academic disciplines and 36 different academic institutions from 12 countries around the world. Over the course of seven months, teams developed their ideas from a one-page proposal into a multifaceted design solution informed by their own research, ideation, and experimentation as well as direct feedback from the judges, culminating in the final presentations on May 18.

Thanks to the continuing financial support of The Wege Foundation, Wege Prize 2019 will again be open to any undergraduate or graduate student in the world and will be focused on developing a circular economy.

Team registration will open in August 2018, but interested faculty, students and professionals are encouraged to begin now by signing up for the Wege Prize mailing list, following Wege Prize on Facebook, and connecting on the Wege Prize Facebook Group.

More details about Wege Prize 2019 will be revealed in the coming weeks on wegeprize.org.

Thank you for your attendance!

Thank you again for another successful speaker series event. We were very happy with the appreciation for Dr. Lanham and the positive feedback we have received about his presentation. It is because of patrons like you that we are able to continue our work for nature, the environment and “Economicology”, the idea that a prosperous economy depends on a health ecology.

Dr. J. Drew Lanham is an ornithologist, conservationist and distinguished professor at Clemson University. He delivered an engaging presentation filled with personal antidotes, analysis and guidance about issues related to the environment, social justice and bringing nature into the urban experience.

We encourage you to visit our website: www.wegespeakerseries.com. We will soon have additional updates and resources of this and previous speaker series events. Please check back soon.

Because of our partnership with the city of Grand Rapids and Aquinas College, we are proud to share Dr. Lanham’s presentation online. Please see link below.

Thank you again. We look forward to next year!

About Dr. Lanham and Clemson University: http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/faculty_staff/profiles/lanhamj

Order Dr. Lanham’s book, The Home Place, from Milkweed Editions: https://milkweed.org/book/the-home-place

Partners

City of Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids Audubon Club
Grand Rapids Public Schools
Grand Rapids Urban League
Latina Network of West Michigan
LINC UP
NAACP Greater Grand Rapids Branch
Sierra Club Michigan Chapter
West Michigan Latino Community Coalition

ON BEING A RARE BIRD: ESTEEMED SCIENTIST DR. DREW LANHAM TO PRESENT AT ANNUAL WEGE SPEAKER SERIES

The distinguished professor at Clemson University will address issues related to the environment, social justice and bringing nature into the urban experience on Thursday, April 12, 2018

Grand Rapids, Michigan – February 22, 2018 – The Wege Foundation will host the 22nd Wege Speaker Series on Thursday, April 12 at 4pm at the Aquinas College Performing Arts Center.

This year’s speaker is Dr. J. Drew Lanham, ornithologist, conservationist and distinguished professor at Clemson University. Dr. Lanham is a widely published scientist, author and poet with work appearing in numerous academic and literary journals. His latest book, The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature, is currently available from Milkweed Editions. Dr. Lanham is also a member of the National Audubon Society and Audubon South Carolina boards, along with several other environmental organizations. His research at Clemson University focuses on songbird ecology.

In Dr. Lanham’s book, The Home Place, he relates his love of nature and the world around him as a child growing up in Edgefield County, South Carolina. As his passion for the environment takes flight, Lanham asks what it means to be “the rare bird, the oddity”—to find joy and freedom in the same land his ancestors were tied to by forced labor, and then to be a black man in a profoundly white profession.

“Birds and people need the same air, same water, same soil,” said Dr. Lanham. “When we agree on that fact, then conservation becomes the inclusive and intensely caring, loving, selfless thing that it is meant to be.”

Lanham’s presentation will provide insights into assuring equitable access to nature and outdoors experiences. “Dr. Lanham’s work directly relates to The Wege Foundation’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Mark Van Putten, President and CEO of The Wege Foundation. “It is our hope that all individuals and families, no matter their background or economic status, can enjoy the benefits of nature and the environment.”

Partners for the 22nd Wege Speaker Series event include:

  • Aquinas College
  • City of Grand Rapids
  • Grand Rapids Public Schools
  • Grand Rapids Urban League
  • Latina Network of West Michigan
  • LINC UP
  • Michigan Audubon
  • NAACP Greater Grand Rapids Branch
  • Sierra Club Michigan Chapter
  • West Michigan Environmental Action Council
  • West Michigan Latino Community Coalition

The Aquinas College Performing Arts Center is located at 1703 Robinson Road S.E. in Grand Rapids. The public is invited and the event is free. A book signing will follow. Limited seating; register at aquinas.edu/wegespeaker

 

More information at wegespeakerseries.com

Earth is Running Out of Time

“My profession is traveling around to bum people out.” So began the University of Michigan’s Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability given recently by Bill McKibben, described by the Boston Globe as “probably America’s most important environmentalist.” McKibben’s news is grim. “We are running out of options” to protect the planet—and humanity itself—from the crisis of global warming. McKibben compared the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere every day to the heat equivalent of 400,000 Hiroshima-sized atom bombs exploding. As to the planet’s increasing temperature, some parts of Pakistan and Iran have reached 129 degrees in the last two years, the highest reliably recorded temperatures in the planet’s history and too hot to sustain life. The war and humanitarian crisis in Syria are directly connected to drought and raging fires like California’s recent catastrophe have become common news events.

McKibben pointed out that the frequency and impacts of hurricanes that devastated the Caribbean and southern U.S. were exacerbated because climate change has heated the oceans. Warmer ocean water absorbs more heat that in turn raises the intensity of storms creating hurricanes. And the amount of carbon deposited in the oceans from burning fossil fuels has increased the water’s acidity destroying coral reefs and threatening all marine life.

“This is the biggest problem we have ever faced,” McKibben told the overflow audience in Hill Auditorium. A commitment is needed similar to that we had to marshal in World War II to defeat Hitler, McKibben asserted. And the deniers of climate change have continuously been proved wrong. “We won that debate long ago.” Instead of wasting time defending what science has already definitively documented, he said, “It’s now time to fight.”

After the “bumming out,” Bill McKibben offered hope in the world’s first global, grassroots climate-change movement, called 350.org, now active in 81 countries. In China alone 350.org volunteers have staged over 200 demonstrations against fossil fuel. The number 350 is the upper limit in parts per million of the concentration of CO2 safe for the atmosphere. It’s now over 407 parts/million and rising. Bill McKibben called on his Michigan audience to take specific actions to combat climate change, including divesting any fossil fuel stocks they own and he specifically called for divestment by the University of Michigan’s endowment portfolio. He also called for shutting down Enbridge’s risky Line 5 pipeline running under the Straits of Mackinac and encouraged audience members to join a petition drive calling for its closure.

The annual Peter M. Wege lecture at the University of Michigan has featured in the past leaders such as the Dalai Lama, former Costa Rica President José Figueres, Achem Steiner, Larry Brilliant, Bill Ford and former Vice President Al Gore.

Pictured above: From the left, Diana Wege, Bill McKibben, speaker for the 16th Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability at the University of Michigan, Jonathan and Marissa Wege. McKibben, former writer for the New Yorker, called his speech on the climate-change crisis, “Down to The Wire: A Hot Fight in a Hot World.”

Wearing shirts that read, “Michigan and the Climate Crisis,” in late October these four University of Michigan students were among the organizers of week-long events on campus confronting the global crisis of a warming planet. From the left, Ben Iuliano, Kristen Sanchez, Iris Rivera, Zachary Hajian-Forooshani.

Here is a video of the lecture