This week we rebroadcast an episode from the archives. Originally broadcast on November 21, 2011, back when It’s Hot In Here was on Mondays, this pre-Thanksgiving episode (first of 2016!) brings up timeless questions of choices towards sustainability in your daily life.
Just in time for the mass exodus from Ann Arbor, SNRE’s own Shelie Miller, a specialist in life cycle assessment and energy, shares insights on sustainable transit. Beyond the typical modes, she entertains our questioning of teleportation as surely the MOST sustainable transit form! 😉 Turkey man and local farmer John Harois is also in the studio to tell us about his magnificent birds. We hear all about why Kat’s dad drives from afar for these delectable pavos. A turkey slayer also calls in with the gruesome details. It is hot in here!
Our hosts Alex Truelove, Ed Waisanen, and Bailey Schneider wrapped up our three part series, “Please, Drink Sustainably” with a vibrant discussion on distilled spirits with distiller and marketing director at Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks, Michigan, Nick Yoder, and co-owner and operator of Cafe Zola in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Alan Zakalik.
Journeyman Distillery is an Organic Spirits Distillery, located in the EK Warren Historic Featherbone Factory, in Three Oaks, Michigan. They offer a variety of organic spirits such as vodka, gin and rum but mainly focus on whiskey. The spirits are distilled, bottled, labeled, and packaged at their distillery. Journeyman Distillery puts a strong emphasis on maintaining sustainability in their practices from their location in a historic reclaimed factory to their spirits. This distillery started four years ago and has focused on being a sustainable and innovative business ever since. The spirits are made using certified organic ingredients sourced from the local farmers. The Journeyman Distillery Tasting Room offers a variety of food items, all made with organic ingredients from local farms.
Nick helps Journeyman Distillery share the tales of its journey with the world. Nick is in charge of raising customer awareness and bringing consumers to the distillery to experience the spirits first hand. He pridefully proclaims to have extensive knowledge of spirits from his experience of distilling once a week.
Alan Zakalik has owned and operated Café Zola alongside Hediye Batu since 1996. Alan and Hediye deliberately choose their suppliers to ensure that they serve the highest possible quality of food and beverages. Alan emphasizes that they try to buy local and organic when possible. Café Zola has an exquisite bar menu and serves many craft liqueurs. Alan discussed traditional polish cherry liqueur making, something that anyone can do at home.
Sustainability in the local alcohol industry has remained a constant throughout this series. Producing distilled spirits requires more energy than beer and wine production, and almost of the water used in the distillation process ends up as waste. To combat this, many local distillers are purchasing grain from local organic farmers, reusing liqueur barrels, and turning their waste into energy.
In this week’s It’s Hot Out There segment we sit down with banjo-wielding, Academy Award nominated director, Josh Fox, who presented his film Gasland at the University of Michigan’s Rackham Auditorium last week.
In his talk, Fox called climate change a “bottom line,” linking a number of dramatic current events and indicted the media for its “architecture of denial” in failing to identify changing climate as a factor. He expanded on these remarks our face-to-face conversation, suggesting that “what kind of society do we want to be?” is the pressing question of our time, and identifying strong communities as our best tool for enduring and mitigating the climate crisis as it unfolds.
Fox’s insights directly resonate with current events. The attacks in Paris occurred just days after our conversation–as France prepares to host the International Conference of Parties to consider global agreements on climate change. The international community has come together to offer condolences to the victims in Paris and many have committed to attend the COP meetings despite the recent upheaval. This courage and commitment in the face of tragedy underscores, yet again, the importance of building community both globally and locally.
Our second segment in the three part series, “Please, Drink Sustainably” takes our hosts Alex Truelove, Becca Baylor, and Rebecca Hardin to the vineyards of Michigan with the help of Black Star Farms‘ managing member and winemaker, Lee Lutes, and principal and co-founder of 5 Lakes Energy, Liesl Clark.
With the first segment in our New Series, It’s Hot Out There, Harry Rice interviews SNRE and Ross School of Business Masters Student, Matt Gacioch. This interview is a continuation of our show on beer last Friday, and Matt’s experience at Short’s Brewing, Left Hand Brewing, and the Brewer’s Association provide more great insight on the industry, much of which we did not cover in last week’s episode.
Give it a listen to hear more about the work Matt did at those locations, the importance of malt in the brewing process, and the craft beer revolution.
Thanks to Arbor Brewing Company for allowing us to conduct the interview in their Ann Arbor location.
In this first episode of our three part series called “Please, Drink Sustainably,” our guests Kris Spaulding, co-founder of Brewery Vivant, and Brian Tennis, owner and operator of the Michigan Hop Alliance taught hosts Harry Rice, Becca Baylor, Ed Waisanen, and Alex Truelove all about the sustainability innovations in beer production happening right here in the mitten.
