Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco, California, top the list of the greenest cities in the US. But how is that ranking determined? Which factors are considered to be placed in the list of green cities?
Air Quality
Top green cities all have less polluted air and more public smoking bans. Anchorage, Alaska, has the best Air Quality Index median at 19 and St. Louis, Missouri, has the worst at 79.
Electricity Use and Production
Green cities are highly encouraged to use solar or wind power, instead of those with unfriendly emissions. Rebates and property tax exemptions are given as rewards for the people's efforts.
Environmental
Using Sludge for Energy
by Bea November 17th, 2009 | Environment, Pollution, Reuse
Did you know that sewage contains 10 times the energy needed to treat it? If you think about it that way, you would wonder why we have not been actively reusing what is available in order to produce energy. With all of the talk about finding new sources of energy, such as hydrogen fuel cells or solar power, why have we not been using our own waste?
Ironically, wastewater treatment plants are some of the major users of energy. In the U.S. alone, they consume about 21 billion kilowatt hours per year. Think about it, wastewater treatment plants can use their
Ironically, wastewater treatment plants are some of the major users of energy. In the U.S. alone, they consume about 21 billion kilowatt hours per year. Think about it, wastewater treatment plants can use their
Preparing Your Home for Winter
by Louise November 10th, 2009 | Easy Ideas, Household HintsDuring the winter your house has many outlets that cause it to be a huge source of energy waste. Much of the heat that you produce to keep the temperature in your home comfortable seeps out of the house and into the environment. Here are nine tips to minimize the escape of heat in the winter, consequently lowering your energy usage (and bill):
- It is nice to have a comfortable temperature in the home, but in the winter the definition of a comfortable temperature should be assessed with a sweatshirt on, not just a t-shirt. Turn the thermostat down a couple degrees. For every degree
Green Living, One Room At A Time
by Jaclyn Abergas November 3rd, 2009 | Environment, For the Kitchen, Household Hints, Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
How can one practice a green lifestyle? Start at home first! Once you've perfected this lifestyle at home, going out will seem quite easy.
Kitchen
Stock up your fridge with organic food. Buy from the farmer's market or natural and organic grocery stores. Replace your old dishes and bakeware with eco-friendly products. Replace your dishwasher with an energy-efficient machine that uses less water and energy. Use teflon pans for cooking environmentally friendly recipes.
Living Room
Paint your living room with a vibrant color using non-toxic paint. Use environmentally-friendly glass cleaners to clean the glass in your house. Buy environmentally-friendly furniture. If you can't afford
Kitchen
Stock up your fridge with organic food. Buy from the farmer's market or natural and organic grocery stores. Replace your old dishes and bakeware with eco-friendly products. Replace your dishwasher with an energy-efficient machine that uses less water and energy. Use teflon pans for cooking environmentally friendly recipes.
Living Room
Paint your living room with a vibrant color using non-toxic paint. Use environmentally-friendly glass cleaners to clean the glass in your house. Buy environmentally-friendly furniture. If you can't afford
