Great Beer Great Responsibility

Our first tour of our second class began at the Miller/Coors Brewery in Fort Worth, Texas. Larry Johnson, Environmental & Sustainability Engineer, graciously welcomed us into the brewery early on a Saturday morning. He led us to a large meeting room on the right and gave us a a great deal of information regarding the sustainability efforts of the brewery and how they've become one of the leaders in the industry.

You may be asking yourself, "so, how sustainable can a beer company really be?" Honestly, I asked myself the same question and didn't really expect much more than some recycling or maybe some water conservation but boy was I wrong! In fact, Miller/Coors was the first brewery to attain the Certificate of Safe Quality, it performs self audits twice a year, is in the top 5 of lowest water use even though the location is over 45 years old, and is 2nd in energy consumption. That's pretty impressive considering that the #1 brewery is half the size of the Fort Worth location, only 12 years old, and fully automated.

The Miller/Coors brewery is authorized to produce up to 9 million barrels a year (31 gallons in a barrel), it has 8 breweries nationwide 4 of which are 0 waste facilities, the Fort Worth brewery uses about 100 mega-joules of energy a year and is about 99.996 waste efficient (not a 100% because Texas doesn't allow burning of hazardous waste). The company has been practicing sustainability for about 10 years, but in 2011 it implemented an aggressive plan to reduce fuel, energy, and water usage by 6% and to discover more efficient ways to reduce waste. These new metrics for the company are built into every employees personal goals from the machine operators to the CEO and emails are sent out daily to track the company's progress.

Quick Beer Facts

• Water is used to make beer, clean & sanitize machinery, and cool the facilities.
• 86% of beer is water.
• The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock because of beer. They planned to sail to a warm climate but ran out of beer on their journey.
• The oldest known recipe for beer was found on Babylonian clay tablets over 6000 years old.
• FDR was elected as U.S. President in 1932, in part because he promised to end Prohibition.
• The first consumer protection law ever written was enacted over beer by Duke Wilhelm IV. It was a purity law known as "Reinheitsgebot" - Pledge of Purity, limiting the ingredients to only water, malt, hops, and yeast (still the only ingredients of every beer in production today).
• Pennsylvania had more breweries in its history than any other state. In 1910 alone, 119 of the state's towns had at least one licensed beer maker.
• Around 1957 Coors launched an American recycling revolution by offering a penny for every can returned to the brewery, helping to to plant the seed of environmentalism in America.

That was interesting right? Here are some even more interesting facts about the Miller/Coors brewery. On the company's website you'll notice that they have 5 tenants of sustainability: Responsibility, Environmental Stewardship, Supply Chain, People & Community, and Ethics & Transparency. Each of these areas contribute to the company's overall mission of sustainability in their own way which Mr. Johnson explained to us during his presentation. 

Responsibility

The company encourages responsible beer consumption and is currently working with many cities in the US to reduce underage drinking and drunk driving. They strive to market responsibly, to have 10 million drivers take advantage of their free cab ride program by 2015, reduce underage access, establish campus marketing guidelines and grants for responsible college students, expand employee training, and even established the Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation. 

Environmental Stewardship

The company works with landowners and cities (including the Trinity Water Project) to educate farmers on conserving water, how to use local grasses, and teach proper grazing techniques. In fact, the company's efforts garnered them a $5 million grant to expand the project and an invite to the Texas Legislature to discuss how other companies could follow their lead. They are currently working with the states of Idaho and Washington to produce barley more efficiently.

Supply Chain

Miller/Coors works with its suppliers to implement and maintain sustainable business practices. Some of the barley growers they work with have been supplying the company for generations. In the first year of their Showcase Barley Farm they conserved over 120 million gallons of water. In 2011 Miller/Coors received the Colorado Motor Carriers Association and the Regional Air Quality Council's Green Shipper Award for fuel efficiency and emission reduction.

People & Community

Miller/Coors works to give back through training, environmental assistance to community businesses, and groups like United Way. The company founded an Inclusion and Diversity Advisory Council made of outside leaders to advise the best strategies for advancement in diversity, inclusion, and multiculturalism. They have provided hundreds of thousands of hours to classroom and online training, volunteer their time for various non-profits, and provide tuition reimbursement to their employees.

Ethics & Transparency

The company keeps itself honest by working sustainability initiatives into every single person's performance metrics and by releasing annual sustainability reports. Their Audit Committee meets four times a year to oversee their efforts and twice annually they report their progress to parent companies via a Sustainability Assessment Matrix.

After his presentation, Mr. Johnson got everyone outfitted in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and started the tour of the facility. I have to say, as a beer lover, it was like heaven. The process itself is both simple and complex. The basics start with moisturizing the barley into a type of oatmeal, straining it out, activating live cultures, adding sugars (only if needed), and filtering. It's a really brilliant process if you think about it since basically the same 4 ingredients, manipulated in different ways and at different temperatures, create every single beer in existence. 

Overall, this was a very unexpectedly amazing experience. Not only was it fun and intriguing, it was actually very educational. I was surprised by how much ability for sustainability naturally lies in the process of beer making (like feeding the leftover grains to cattle or using it as a fuel source). This is a visit that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. As an avid lover of the complexities of beer (and hopefully one day a certified brewer) I was blown away by the employee's dedication to sustainability and to their company that produces a product they love but also gives so much back to their community. 

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Making it Relevant

Our final presenter of the day was Andre McEwing,  who is the Diversity Supply Manager for Tarrant County College and was previously the Executive Director at Southeast Fort Worth, Inc. Mr. McEwing was born and raised in Fort Worth and has a BA in Banking and Finance from Morehouse College and a MBA in Sustainability from The University of Texas at Arlington. He reports to the Director of Purchasing who requires that 20% of annual purchases to be from minorities, women, and historically underutilized businesses. His role is to find these local businesses and educate them on projects in the area, specifically those related to Tarrant County College. 

He is a very focused business man with a foot solidly in both worlds. He knows that sustainability is important for current and future generations but also knows that businesses won't make a move if something isn't profitable as well as functional. Mr. Ewing's focus in his presentation was to teach our class some of the recent moves towards sustainable investing in Fort Worth and how to use our knowledge to be an agent for change in our own corporations and community. 

Mr. McEwing echoed many of the same points that Allen Smith had earlier in the day. He stated that 90% of transactions in SE Fort Worth are in cash so scanners at markets aren't picking that information up and it's not available for corporations to analyze and make investment decisions. This is why it is so important for people like he and Allen to actively attend community events, meet with local business owners, and educate investors on how sustainable options are a more viable investment than ever.  To illustrate the viability of these investments he pointed to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. This index was launched in 1999 to track the stock performance of the world's leading companies by economic, environmental, and social criteria and to serve as a benchmark for investors of companies that are striving to adopt more sustainable practices.

"The demand is here, you can't stop it."

According to his presentation, the US Conference of Mayors 75% of cities are changing codes to encourage sustainable building and 88% of cities are educating the public about the need for energy efficient, health, and sustainable buildings.  In fact, in 2009 Dallas was one of the top purchasers of alternative energy and was tied with San Francisco for the #1 greenest building program. As Mr. Ewing says "the demand is here, you can't stop it." 

Mr. McEwing's presentation was extremely beneficial to a MBA student. He really drove home the perspective of both the investor and the sustainability community. He inspired me to look at my own life and company to see if there were ways, however small, that I could find cost effective and environmentally friendly solutions to every day issues.  Overall, it was a great presentation and a fantastic wrap-up to the day.


For his presentation to the class and videos of Andre McEwing see my video/presentations page here.

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A Change For the Future - Southeast Fort Worth Inc.

The fourth presenter to the class was Allen Smith who is the Director of Southeast Fort Worth Inc. Allen has a degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Structural Design. He has the very busy and daunting job of getting developers interested in the SE Fort Worth Area.

According Southeast Fort Worth, Inc.'s website, the Vision for the company is to make the area "a great place to live, learn, work, play, invest, do business and shop." They are a non-profit organization that works to facilitate economic development in the Southeast are of Fort Worth. They also assist in community education endeavors to build a stronger future for the city.

Now, if you've ever lived in Fort Worth you've probably driven through this area and have noticed it's pretty empty. This is something that Allen Smith is working to change. He has worked tirelessly to entice private companies, government agencies, and other community non-profits to invest time and money in SE Fort Worth to create a more positive and sustainable living space for the residents. 

A recent breakthrough happened when a WalMart was built in SE Fort Worth at the new Renaissance Square. The new business was a very welcome addition to the development at East Berry Street and Hwy 287. This was just the first part of a redevelopment project that has had a significant impact on those who work and live in the area. Another great success story that has come from partnering with the community is the Uplift education project. According to the Fort Worth Uplift Education Center website, Uplift schools are outperforming all other public education systems with 4 out of 5 districts rated Exemplary by the Texas Education Agency. Currently, there is a 100% graduation rate from this high school and 80% of those go on to a 4 year degree. This is a fantastic accomplishment for the community and for the state as a whole. It is Mr. Smith's hope that more investments will become available so that more of these schools can be built all over the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Mr. Smith was very forthright when he presented to the class and stated that his job is not an easy one. Getting investors interested in this side of town has been a long a difficult road that has been traveled by many, even before he took this role. To perform his job his immediate goal is to obtain some federal and state grants to assist in the funding of housing repair, new business development, and new community centers. He stated that everyone can take part in assisting his efforts either through volunteering or writing to our city council representatives.

"A big part of it is listening to the community."

This was a very touching presentation which reminded everyone present that we must all play a part in developing the community around us. Mr. Smith stated that he believes that a big part of continuing success in SE Fort Worth is to listen to the community because they will let you know what they need and where they need it most. I do wish Mr. Smith continued success in his endeavors and hope that everyone in the city can come together and make it clear to investors that we are in need of their assistance to increase the quality of life for everyone living in Fort Worth, especially those in the South East district. 

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Custom Homes - The Future of Sustainable Living

Our third presenter of the day was none other than Don Ferrier, the CEO of Ferrier Custom Homes. Custom building has been in his family for generations and the tradition is still going strong. His grandfather came to this country from Scotland in 1881 and assisted in the construction of the Texas State Capitol and his father's company constructed bridges and roads throughout Texas. Following in their footsteps, Don established Ferrier Builders, Inc. in 1984 and built many of the earliest energy efficient homes in Texas. As technology has advanced at light speed Ferrier custom homes followed. In 2004 Don established the company Ferrier Custom Homes which now specializes in Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) homes and continues to implement the most sustainable solutions possible into all projects.

It was immediately clear that Don is passionate about his work. He positively believes that, no matter how much or how little you have to invest at the time, it is possible to replace many of the materials in a home for more sustainable options. In his perspective every little bit helps and he has been consistently focused on creating homes and commercial buildings that are beneficial for the community and the environment. To obtain buy-in from builders, Don points out that as an added bonus investments now in sustainability are starting to see a shorter payoff period and often bring larger resale values. 

Don also stressed that there is a difference in "light green" and "dark green" people. The difference is that "light green" people are those who do some recycling and take reusable bags to the store, whereas, those who are "dark green" take sustainability to the limit. There are many variations in between, but if we are to make a real lasting difference in the future we should be more focused on investing in "dark green" initiatives that will have the most reduction to energy and waste possible.

The most insightful part of his presentation was on the complexities of vertical integration of sustainable initiatives. He discussed how all members of the team (buyers, architects, builders, inspectors, and city departments) have to actively and honestly communicate what the expectations are, what they paybacks will be, and how to achieve the best solutions. Don will work with every buyer to get the best sustainability solutions in place within their budget but will also educate them on how spending more now often leads to a greater payoff in the end. He also works with the city departments to get the appropriate rebates, clearances, and inspection values for all of the initiative implemented.

The sustainability focus that Don has brought to all aspects of his projects result in significantly lower energy bills (less than $200/month for a 4,000+ sq/ft home with the right equipment), greatly reduced water/waste bills, and an environmentally beneficial living space for current and future generations. Some of the many high energy impact areas he focused on were appropriate design and framing, passive solar (natural light walls), active solar panels, higher rated insulation, heat reflecting roofs, efficient air conditioning/heating equipment, and the importance of directional building in Texas to naturally avoid the negative impacts of the Texas sun.

Along with Don, his two daughters Heather and Lacey, also work to champion for the cause of sustainable building. A great success story for the Ferrier family was the esteemed "Heather's Home" project. It all started when Heather wanted to build a new home that would be as sustainable as possible on a low budget. Coming in at a little over 2,000 sq/ft, Heather's Home was built using green products, became one of the first Net Zero homes in Texas, and won the 2007 Housing Award Gold Winner. This award is only one of the many Don and his prestigious company have attained since 2004. The list of all of Ferrier Custom Homes' awards and affiliations are available on their site.

I was extremely impressed by Don Ferrier's insight and passion that he displays toward sustainable living. I am encouraged by his honestly with the builders and his drive to provide the best solutions possible. His presentation was enlightening I do hope that builders will pursue more green options that are starting to come available. If you are thinking about building a house I would definitely suggest that you contact Ferrier Custom Homes and discuss your options. They will help you every way they can to create a beautiful and environmentally friendly home that will be beneficial to you and generations to come.  

For videos of Don Ferrier doing what he does best please visit my video page here.

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Never Judge a Book By Its Cover

The second speaker to present to our class was Maria Redburn, the Library Manager at the City of Bedford Library. It was the classes first field trip so we were able to see the sustainable initiatives first hand. This was a very inspiring story of a woman who was an every day librarian and had been selected by the city to create or renovate a facility that would be cost efficient and Green. Having no prior knowledge of sustainability Maria did was she does best and began the daunting process of researching exactly what options were available to her. As she stated during our visit, "most people don't realize that before Google there were librarians! We are the original Google."

She began her venture into sustainability when she found an existing Food Lion grocery store that could be converted into a functioning library. This space would need to be re-purposed and have some green initiatives implemented if it was going to work but Maria was hopeful. The building would provide a much larger library that what she previously ran and she could save the city the substantial amount of investment of not having to actually build a new library from the ground up.

Maria then went to work researching and implementing some new sustainability initiatives such as low walled working spaces with timed LED high efficiency lighting which turn off after 10 minutes of inactivity, a white reflective roof that deflects the heat from the hot Texas sun to naturally keep the building cooler, a more efficient and effective automatic RFID sorting system, solar panels to reduce electricity usage, water efficient fixtures, natural lighting panels and an impressive external Geothermal Heat Pump System that is buried underground right outside of the facility to more efficiently heat and cool the building.

On top of Maria's charge to implement these new sustainability initiatives she was under pressure from the city to keep costs as low as possible due to a strained city budget. She had found from her research that many grants and incentives were available from state and federal programs that could assist in covering some of the costs of these efforts. Due to Maria's efforts, the city has received a $175,000 incentive from Oncor from the Take a Load Off Texas Solar PV program to offset the costs of their solar panels as well as a $1,998,000 grant from the State Energy Conservation Office for the installation of the a grid connected solar panel system at the new library. It is estimated that the solar panels will produce approximately 345,000 kWh of energy annually. At the entrance of the library there is an interactive machine that displays all of the energy savings and sustainability specs for the building. There is also an online version available on the City of Bedford's website.

Due to Maria's amazing efforts the Bedford library is a success and the city has been able to see enough cost savings to hire more staff to assist those visiting the library. The library's success, and Maria's personal success, has been an inspiration to me. She started with no knowledge of the world of sustainable building and was able to dive in head first and really make a lasting difference for the city of Bedford and it's residents. I commend her for the unwavering fortitude it took to go forward with this endeavor and all the heart she has put into her love of education and community assistance. I definitely suggest you visit the library first hand and meet Maria. It is a beautiful building and a state-of-the art facility with plenty of private study rooms, a homey lounge area, computer labs, and an extremely fast and private computerized self-checkout area. As an added bonus you may get to meet Maria, who's kindness and tenacity is refreshing. If you do, I'm sure she wouldn't mind giving you a tour of the facility (time permitting). I highly recommend it. 

For more photos visit my photobook page here.

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LEEDing the Pack

The first speaker to present was Amari Roskelly who has a BS in Architecture and a MSIS in Sustainability from The University of Texas at Arlington. She is currently the Secretary for UTA's Student Sustainability Society, the Design/Architect Chair for the Sustainable DFW Executive Board, and works at Jacobs Engineering as the Sustainability Coordinator. At Jacobs, Amari assists in obtaining LEED certifications for Department of Defense projects.

Amari first discussed the basics of sustainability and what it means to be a champion for the cause. She stressed the fact that it is difficult at first to learn how the process works and how getting buy-in is the hardest part. In order to get buy-in you have to appeal to people's basic needs and show them how sustainability can help satisfy those needs in a more efficient way in the present and future. These basic needs include food, water, shelter, clothing, and social interaction which all tie into the 3 spheres of sustainability.

3 SPHERES OF SUSTAINABILITY

The three spheres of sustainability are People, Performance, and Environment. Amari stated that these principles can assist in fulfilling people's basic needs. As an example, shelter sustainability often includes things such as energy efficiency, water efficiency, protection of the local habitat, improvements within the community and social connections, reducing heat impacts, and improving building emissions.




LEED RATINGS
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building program that provides a framework for identifying and implementing practical design, construction, operations, and maintenance solutions.The LEED certification process varies based rating systems for types of projects pursued. Various project types include homes, new construction, healthcare, schools, etc. These rating systems are requirements geared towards the unique needs of each project or building type. Each project is able to earn points to satisfy LEED building requirements.




As an intern, Amari has worked on various projects to obtain LEED certification including the Anderson, Holloman, and Carswell Base hangars and buildings at the Sam Houston Joint Base. Also while working at Jacobs, Amari is responsible for finding and implementing areas of sustainability to obtain LEED points within the military's first Net Zero Air Force Hangar and Air Traffic Control Tower project. She also assists in filling out and submitting the paperwork necessary to obtain the Net Zero certification. Currently, the Department of Defense actively seeks out sustainable design for all of their projects.

Net Zero is defined as a building, or buildings, that have zero net energy consumption and no carbon emissions on an annual basis. The certification process allows for various tactics to obtain this goal. Currently the project is employing solar panel fields, automated lighting, low flow plumbing, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on the buildings, and energy recovery ventilation.


Overall, Amari's message was to continue to champion for the cause and to understand that sustainability is a process, not an overnight fix. Her presentation was a great introduction to the world of sustainability in architecture and the process of obtaining LEED certifications. It was inspiring to know that someone who had just been in my shoes months earlier was now pursuing her dreams of making the world a better place for future generations.

"[Sustainability] is living today in such a way that we aren't destroying things for the future."

Amari's presentation to the class is available here.

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