Green Leaders Breakfast at DTE Inspires

Almost one thousand green minded people attended the second annual Green Leaders Award breakfast at DTE Energy’s headquarters in downtown Detroit on Thursday, April 21^st. Attendees were there to network, celebrate local hometown green heroes and listen to Governor Snyder’s keynote on some of our greatest challenges in developing a green economy for our state.

First, guests were treated to a wonderful breakfast. During breakfast, attendees were shown a video of the Great Lakes which reinforced the special place where we all reside and the joint responsibility we share to improve the quality of life for the next generation. The video reminded us on several occasions that few places in the world have all of the assets Michigan has to offer the rest of the world: one-fifth of the worlds’ fresh water, logistically located halfway between the equator and north pole, some of the best year round recreation in the country, the second longest shoreline in the U.S., one-third of the country’s population within a half-day drive and more engineers (and the hardest working workforce) than any other state. The challenge comes in pulling this together, setting the right message and disseminating it to the worlds’ decision makers. Speaking of challenges, during his keynote, Governor Snyder outlined the “green” challenges that lay before the residents of our great state.

Governor Snyder first asked: “Who is green”? The answer: Most of us. People in general want to do the right thing and it makes little sense to divide people into categories of green/not green (ie. silos). Education and information will resolve this challenge.

The second challenge is more daunting. Governor Snyder proposed that in order for us to really foster an Evolution of Green, we must move from an “asset ownership” approach to a “systems wide approach”. The example given was the Great Lakes where decisions being made should be for all those who live in the region, not just for a few local residents. It was acknowledged this is a cultural shift that needs to take place and while change is difficult, cultural change may be the most difficult change of all.

Governor Snyder commented the third challenge to be overcome in order to embrace an Evolution of Green is for people to be more inclusive and less divisive. This comment is easily accepted but also more difficult to adapt.

The event ended with acknowledging all of the 2011 green leaders. More events like this need to take place in order to acknowledge those working so hard to not only turn our state around, but make it a cleaner, more sustainable place for future generations.

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