Photo – left to right:  Edward A. Bogucz and Mark Lichtenstein, Syracuse Center of Excellence and W. Calvin Bowne, Awards Committee Chair, GreeningUSA.


Earlier this year, on May 26, it was announced at the GreeningUSA Annual Meeting that the Syracuse Center of Excellence had been given a GreeningUSA “Greening Our Community” Award in the category of “Research and Development” for convening parties around issues such as green infrastructure, EPA grant opportunities, LEED building and brownfield remediation.

Because of conflicting schedules, GreeningUSA was finally able to present the award in person on July 28 at their Board meeting in the Center of Excellence.

Accepting on behalf of the Syracuse Center of Excellence were Edward A. Bogucz and Mark Lichtenstein.

About GreeningUSA: Greening USA, Inc. is a membership based, not-for-profit, 501(c)3 corporation founded in 2004 in Syracuse, New York and governed by a 12 person all volunteer Board of Directors. Through education, research, partnering, and advocacy, it is advancing the vision of American communities that are much more environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.

My colleague Carissa Matthews and I manned (and womanned) the Syracuse Center of Excellence Booth at the Syracuse Chamber Show last week. We were in the Green Business section, along with NY’s Creative Core, The Clean Tech Center, and many others.

We had the SyracuseCoE “Green Ideas Tree” up and encouraged anyone who stopped by to “leaf” a green idea for Syracuse, in exchange for a squishy Creative Core apple. Young and old alike left us some pretty good ideas, and the tree—appropriately enough seeing as it’s spring—got well covered in “leaves.”
Here’s a few of the ideas posted on the tree …

• Establish a “sustainability cooperative” for local businesses, to explore sustainable innovations such as green supply chains, community purchasing, etc
• Walk to your neighborhood store, don’t drive
• Grow vegetables on city roofs
• Have bicycle rentals in downtown Syracuse
• Less buildings falling apart, more parks
• Biodegradable plastic bags for supermarkets
• Plant more trees around Onondaga Lake
• Put recycling bins on every street corner
• Reclaim rain water

Given Central Upstate New York’s history of environmental and engineering innovation, it’s not surprising to find folks rising to the challenge of the new industrial revolution. Don’t forget, if you know of a “hidden” green business, entrepreneur/inventor, or school/college group, enter them (and/or yourself) in the Green of the Crop competition (deadline: April 9, 2010).
—Martin Walls, Syracuse Center of Excellence

via http://amosoneplanet.blogspot.com/