By Tyler Kula, from www.theobserver.ca The Observer
An industrial environmentalist lauded for his community contributions gave back again, immediately after winning the 2012 Bluewater Sustainability Initiative’s Suncor Sustainability Award.
Archie Kerr, 64, donated his $5,000 cash prize to Lambton College, setting up a $1,000 per year memorial bursary for the most improved second-year student in the three-year alternative energy engineering technology program.
The bursary is in memory of his son Kevin, who died 12 years ago at age 20 while studying in the college’s environmental technology program.
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do,” Kerr said, adding the bursary will help invest in youth and Sarnia-Lambton’s future.
“Maybe they’ll get hooked on sustainability like I have,” he said.
The former director of sustainability for North America at Lanxess, and former manager of health, environment and safety at Bayer, Kerr helped develop Canada’s first biohybrid-chemistry cluster and successfully commercialized biobutanol as a biofuel.
The recent retiree who championed sustainable development is a founding member of the Bluewater Sustainability Initiative, a member of the Sarnia Lambton Environmental Association technical committee, a volunteer with Friends of the St. Clair and the St. Clair River Bi-national Advisory Council, a former director with Habitat for Humanity and a volunteer with the Inn of the Good Shepherd and Trinity Church.
“Archie really put his heart and soul into sustainability, way beyond what he did with Lanxess,” said Maike Luiken, managing director with the Bluewater Sustainability Initiative
“I think that’s critical.”
George Mallay, who presented Kerr with the award, said Kerr practices what he preaches.
“I think he’s a very fitting winner,” said Mallay, general manager with the Sarnia Lambton Economic Partnership.
Kerr said the biggest sustainability challenges facing humanity are tackling greenhouse gas emissions, and offering help to the less fortunate.
“The simplest definition I’ve found for sustainability was we really haven’t inherited the Earth from our forefathers, we’ve only borrowed it from our grandchildren,” he said.
“I’ve kind of hung onto it.”
Other nominees included Larry Cornelis with Return the Landscape, The Inn of the Good Shepherd, and sustainable agricultural operation Smith Homestead.
Past winners include One Tomato (2011), Terra Industries (2010), Shawn McKnight (2009) and Goodwill Industries – Essex, Kent, Lambton Inc. (2008).
To nominate someone for next year’s award, email maike.luiken@lambtoncollege.ca starting Jan. 14.