Southeast Green - Speaking Of Green

Ellen Lee: Impassioned Environmentalist Believes Sustainability Equals Sensibility in Both Vehicles and Life Who: Ellen Lee, technical expert, plastics research Role: Researcher working to replace traditional, petroleum-based plastics with alternative composites that are better for the environment and the customer Did you know? Lee enjoys reading cookbooks like most people read novels Visit Ellen Lee at her home in Ann Arbor, Mich., and chances are better than average she’ll be outside, working in the garden. “We grow...a little bit of everything,” she says, laughing. “I love fresh vegetables. We have 10 raised beds, and that’s not enough. Every year, I say, ‘I need more room!’’’ Lee’s green thumb shouldn’t surprise anyone. At Ford, Lee is part of a unique team that works to make products more sustainable through science and technology innovation. The team researches traditional, petroleum-based plastics and looks to Mother Nature to create alternate composites that are durable, lightweight and better