Great Lakes Green Pages

We in Cleveland, like to think that we are leading the charge for sustainability in the region. However, on a recent trip to Oberlin, I was treated to a little green tour of some of the cool things that are going on in that town. For a smaller municipality, there are a lot of cool things happening!

First off, I had the chance to meet and chat with Joseph Waltzer. he is a local business owner and green advocate. He was fascinating to talk with, as he believes strongly in the sustainability movement. He was college friends with Sadhu Johnston, (local green leader who was wooed away to Chicago) so it is no wander why feels so strongly about the movement. Joseph owns two restaurants in Oberlin: Agave and the Black River Cafe. Buying local products and supporting local farmers is a passion for him. He is even willing to make less profit and use smaller margins to make great food more accessible to a broader range of people. His newest project is a grocery and distribution center. He plans to renovate a now defunct grocery store into a wholesale green products store. Think Sam’s Club or Costco for sustainable products and local foods. In addition to being a cash and carry, he will also make deliveries to businesses. This will allow businesses to be able to purchase greener products without the huge mark up that mainstream distributors are charging. He has a vision to make green goods as accessible as conventional products. Good news for restaurateurs and retailers who could begin offering compost able “to go” containers, paper products with recycled content, even local farm products at costs that fall in line with other products. This could have a HUGE impact on the local market for green goods. While there is plenty of distributorship in other regions of the country, there is little available locally.

While talking about his plans, Joe saw how much I appreciated his plans. He decided to show me the space and then followed up with a tour of some of the other green sites in town. Among them was the college’s Environmental Studies Building. Much like the plans for the Cleveland Greenhouse Project, the building is like a living being. One system feeds into another to make the project sustainable. Among the features of the project are solar panels that cover the parking. There is a bioswale out front that helps to manage the storm water. The entire project is monitored, so you can learn about the facts and figures of the building in the lobby.

Here is a great video about the project that I found on You Tube:
This talk was part of the Oberlin Entrepreneurship Symposium 2008. Check out the college’s site for the complete videos and more information on the Symposium.

We rounded out our tour with a visit to a professor’s home. He is adding an addition to the house using straw bale construction. It was interesting to see it in its build state, and I snapped off a couple of photos. The straw bale construction offers a great insulative value. It also features a great double roof system, allowing for the wood ceiling to be exposed. The wood is from the contractors own land and is a beautiful combination of cherry, oak, and others. I am hoping to be invited back for a final peek when the construction is done.

It just goes to show you that Cleveland isn’t alone in its efforts to become green. When you add in the efforts of Oberlin, Akron, and even Youngstown, you get the impression that NE Ohio may be the greenest region in the country!