School of Natural Resources and Environment

Sustainable Systems

Dean Bierbaum briefs Capitol on U.S. ecosystems report

SNRE Dean Rosina M. Bierbaum provided briefings to the top environmental staff members on Capitol Hill this week on a report that explores U.S. ecosystems and the social and economic value they provide. Dean Bierbaum co-authored the much anticipated report titled "Sustaining Environmental Capital: Protecting Society and the Economy." It was released July 22 and commissioned by President Obama through the Presidentí¢â‚¬â„¢s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). PCAST then assembled a Working Group of its members to conduct a study to identify research priorities, the supí‚ ­porting informatics development and related institutional arrangements necessary for protecting biodiversity and managing ecosystems to ensure their long-term sustainability and security.

SNRE, Ford researchers see plentiful lithium resources for electric vehicles

Researchers from the University of Michigan and Ford Motor Co. have assessed the global availability of lithium and compared it to the potential demand from large-scale global use of electric vehicles. The research findings, published in the current issue of the Journal of Industrial Ecology, conclude that sufficient resources of lithium exist for the next 90 years to supply a large-scale global fleet of electric vehicles through at least 2100. The study's main authors were Paul Gruber and Pablo Medina. They conducted the research as part of a graduate student research project before graduating in 2010 from the School of Natural Resources and Environment. The research partner was Ford Motor Co., the global automobile manufacturer based in Dearborn, Mich.

Green Brewery master's project featured in U-M video

U-M's "Out of the Blue" featured the master's projects work of Jazmine Bennett, Jarrett Diamond, Gary Fischer and Kirby Smithson in a recent episode. The interdisciplinary group of 2011 graduates devised ways to make the Corner Brewery, an Ypsilanti craft brewery, more energy efficient and sustainable.

View the profile of the Green Brewery Project

A 2010 video about SNRE's master's projects also featured the project

More money: ReGenerate team wins $100K

ReGenerate, a company started by Erb students Paul Davis, Nolan Orfield and Hunt Briggs, along with chemical engineering Ph.D. student Bobby Levine, won $100,000 in the 2011 Rice Business Plan Competition on April 16. ReGenerate designs, markets and leases on-site waste management systems called Compact Organic Waste System (COWS) that reduce the cost and environmental impact of organic waste disposal for food manufacturing, retail, and service operations.

Dr. Larry Brilliant voiced urgency and optimism at annual Wege Lecture (includes link to video)

March 17, 2011

By Kevin Merrill

Dr. Larry Brilliant, an epidemiologist, technology entrepreneur, philanthropist and medical doctor, addressed responses to such global threats as climate change, epidemics, water scarcity and nuclear proliferation Wednesday in the 10th Annual Wege Lecture on Sustainability.

Brilliant, a U-M alumnus who also is president and chief executive officer of the Skoll Global Threats Fund, delivered the lecture titled "Sustainable Humanity" in Rackham Auditorium.

Campbell, O'Connor chosen as Wyss Scholars to study Western land conservation issues

The Wyss Foundation has awarded fellowships to two students at the University of Michigan' School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) as future leaders in Western land conservation issues. The 2010 Wyss Scholars (listed with their SNRE field of academic study) are Martha Campbell (Sustainable Systems) and David O'Connor (Conservation Biology).

Erb Institute students to help Michigan's "Cities of Promise" save money, gain energy efficiency

Feb. 11, 201

Facing budget challenges and pressure to reduce costs, Michigan's cities and towns are seeking creative solutions. With Ford Motor Company's help, students from The Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan are helping create one solution for Michigan's poorest cities: an innovative financial model that will provide desperately needed capital to upgrade facilities, reduce energy consumption and save money.

Have we changed our ways after the BP oil spill? Not really

On the heels of last week's federal recommendations to help prevent another BP oil spill disaster, a University of Michigan researcher says the tragedy has come close to acting as a catalyst for deeper change---but not quite. "The BP oil spill is, potentially, a 'cultural anomaly' for institutional changes in environmental management and fossil fuel production," said Andrew Hoffman, professor of management and organizations at the Ross School of Business and a professor at the School of Natural Resources and Environment. "But true change in our approach to handling issues related to oil drilling, oil consumption and environmental management have yet to occur."

Erb students win $25K for business plan to convert food waste into energy

A group of students from the Erb Insitute for Sustainable Enterprise and the School of Engineering won first prize in the student division of a Michigan business-plan competition. ReGenerate, a company started by Erb students Paul Davis, Nolan Orfield and Hunt Briggs, along with chemical engineering PhD student Bobby Levine, won $25,000 in the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition on December 10.

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