The Michigan Green Consortium is a good sized group (40?) businesses and non-profits that was formed about 2 years ago with a goal of attracting green businesses and promoting green practices. I am a proud member, and have participated in the last 2 Clean Up Green Up's - their signature event- held at the Farmers Market parking lot in T.C. This is a hectic and extremely popular event, held on Spring equinox (observed by MGC Sunday, March 13th this year) and Fall equinox. They way to remember the event is the day when you reset your clocks, always on a Sunday, semi-annually.
There is considerable common interest in these two groups, yet a distinction in where the criteria is drawn for what businesses they want to attract. They are embracing Home Depot and Best Buy for example, and that would be ruled out with Local anything.
Nevertheless, I encourage you to become acquainted with their (our) work. http://www.cleanupgreenup.com/
There were 800 vehicles that came thru the line last fall, and people were excited, gracious and mostly proud to be recycling their 75 year old washing machines or their old t.v.'s (Best Buy took them - they were still loading up 2 hrs. after the event ended).
I brought back a beauticians chair, doors, lights, etc. The business next to me, Evergreen Bottle Company, accepted a variety of used wine and select other bottles. Bay Area Recycling was a hero with their accepting Styrofoam packing materials and thousands of plastic plant pots, well - plastic everything really.
The intersection of green living practices/local owned operated business/local money is not on many maps. All of the pieces are here. Can we figure out how to put them together, and have as much fun doing it as the seniors going thru the line last November with their ancient appliances, their carefully folded scraps of plastic sheeting they have had under the staircase for 12 years - just in case? Some people were giddy with joy over the fact we were taking their stuff. I just hope it was happiness, not laughing AT us for being crazy enough to take it. There is a lot to say in admiration for Best Buy taking the TVs, and Home Depot taking the light bulbs and tool batteries.
How to weave together an identity of a new group, and yet not ignore the good that is going on now, already. That will be a big challenge. MGC should be in on this.
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