Tuesday, March 26, the Michigan State University Center for Community and Economic Development is hosting a one-day seminar at the MSU Union titled "Re-Imagining Our Economic System". Academic experts from around the country will convene four panel discussions with the following topics:

What is the Economy For?

How has the current economic system succeeded and in what ways has it failed us?

What could a New Economy look like?

Where do we go from here to achieve greater balance between our economic, social, and environmental systems?

To learn more about this event and related events MSU is supporting, see the MSU CCED website.

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator supporting the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him via email or Twitter.

Michigan Environmental Council (MEC) and Michigan Energy Options (MEO) are excited to host an evening of information, conversation and refreshments with a focus on big-picture economics in a resource-constrained world.  Mr. Jim MacInnes, President & CEO of LEED-Certified Crystal Mountain Resort and Spa, will discuss his recent experience at the national Biophysical Economics (BPE) conference in Vermont.  He will be joined by MEC Energy Program Director David Gard who will report back on the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO) conference in Austin.

The event is free but space is limited. Please RSVP to ensure yourself a spot.

Feb. 4, 2013 4:30 - 6:30pm

Location: 405 Grove St., East Lansing, MI, 48823 (Map)

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator with the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him by email or Twitter.

Michigan local governments have a new tool to earn recognition for and measure their progress in implementing energy, economic development and environmental improvements. The updated Michigan Green Communities Challenge uses a rating system to recognize sustainability accomplishments and serves as a guide for communities looking to learn from their peers. Participation is free and open to all local governments in Michigan.

Participating communities earn points for their green initiatives and bonus points for reporting quantitative data. Top achievers will receive emblems to display on their website and promotional documents and a customized press release from the network. All participating communities will be recognized at the third annual Michigan Green Communities conference Friday, November 2 at the Michigan Municipal League’s Lansing office. Register now for the conference, free of charge, at http://mml.org/green/events.php.

To coincide with the launch of the Challenge, Michigan Green Communities will be offering a series of workshops to help local government staff and officials become familiar with the reporting mechanism, an online-based checklist. These workshops should provide ample time for an individual to complete the checklist and Green Communities network members and supporting staff will be present as technical advisors. Essentially, we want these workshops to make it as easy as possible for communities to participate in the Challenge, because the larger we grow, the more opportunities emerge for your community to enhance its sustainability practices.

Workshops are free and open to any local government staff or official. We will be offering workshops September 17 in Farmington Hills, September 24 in Saginaw and September 28 in Grand Rapids. We are also planning additional workshops, as well as a webinar, for the fall. RSVP for a workshop by email here.

September 17 Workshop, 1-4pm

31555 W. Eleven Mile Road

Farmington Hills, MI

September 24 Workshop, 8:30am-2pm

Curtiss Hall

Saginaw Valley State University Main Campus

September 28 Workshop, 1-4pm

DeVos Place

303 Monroe Ave NW

Grand Rapids, MI

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator for the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him via email or Twitter.

The City of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan's Business School will host the Michigan Green Communities Leadership Academy July 16 & 17. The Academy, facilitated by the Institute for Sustainable Communities and sponsored by the Michigan Municipal League, Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Ann Arbor SPARK, will be an opportunity for local government leaders and their regional partners to learn and develop strategies to further green economic development. 18 cities, from Marquette to Detroit, are sending teams of three or four individuals to participate in the event. Those teams will learn about sustainability initiatives in Michigan and across the country that can be adapted and implemented locally. They will learn valuable strategies for engaging the public and communicating about the economic and community benefits of sustainability. And they will build leadership capacity and skills to advance sustainability initiatives together when they return home. 

The Michigan Green Communities network is dedicated to bringing unique peer-learning and technical assistance opportunities, such as this Leadership Academy, to its members. Mark your calendars now for the third annual Green Communities conference November 2 in Lansing. To join the network, contact Laura Matson.

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator for the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him by email or Twitter.