The Top 5 Cities that Kill It with Creative Eco Friendly Energy Conservation Ideas

The Top 5 Cities that Kill It with Creative Eco Friendly Energy Conservation Ideas

The following are just a few of the greenest cities around. We are not talking flying monkeys instead of jet fuel, but they are doing their part to make sure that there is No Place Like an Eco Friendly Home-town!! Let’s check out these 5 front runners that are definitely paving the yellow brick path for other green (or Emerald) cities to follow!!  

(credit: www.roblevy.com)

Portland, Oregon Portland, as well as the entire state of Oregon, have recently created a 10 Year Plan focusing solely on Energy Efficiency.  They have a number of civic and business focused programs that target an integrated vision for energy efficiency. The primary priority across the board for each program is making sure that all initiatives are cost-effective.  The goal of the effort is to maximize the efficiency of the entire market across all fuels, recycling, travel and emissions programs. Presently one half of Portland is powered by renewable sources, more people than ever before are biking to work and carpooling, as well as public transportation use has skyrocketed. Making the beautiful Oregon treasure a Eco Friendly Diamond!!

 

(credit: www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-09-26/san-francisco-is-americas-best-city-in-2012)

 San Francisco, California The city of the Golden Gates has recently implemented the Sustainability Plan which focuses on Energy Conservation and Ozone Depletion. The goals of this program are to reduce overall power use through maximizing energy efficiency, to  maintain an energy supply based on renewable and  environmentally sound resource, to eliminate climate-changing and ozone-depleting emissions and toxics associated with energy production and use and finally to base energy decisions on the goal of creating a sustainable society.  One of the coolest programs they have started focuses on covering the city with solar cells!! These cover the rooftops of many municipal buildings. These solar arrays are catching on all over the city and are saving San Franciscan’s lots and lots of green!!

 

(credit: www eclipsecon.org)

Boston, Massachusetts For two months solid in 2012 Boston turned the power off in 34 of their most prominent skyscrapers.  Not only did this program conserve 25% off the electricity typically used by the buildings but it also set an awesome example to all Beantown residents to follow. Another effort the Boston originated is the recycling of grass, twigs and yard clippings into methane power. Boston has plans for a plant that will be able to turn 50,000 tons of green grass into power and fertilizer. Using the anaerobic bacteria which feeds on planted grass enough methane can be created to enough power to recycle other yard type by products into mulch! Energy conservation, it is a dirty job, but some Beany has got to do it!! Get it Beany, Beantown… Never mind!!

 

(credit: www2.oaklandnet.com)

Oakland, California Oakland City Council firmly believes that by 2020 they will have succeeded in reducing its GHG by 36%. Much like Portland the program focuses on reducing emissions and decreasing energy consumption. One of the programs already in place that has been incredibly successful is the hydrogen powered transit system that has decreased travel pollution immensely.  Other future plans and highlights of Oakland’s 10 year program are to reduce vehicle miles traveled annually by 20% as residents, visitors and workers meet their daily needs by walking bicycling, and utilizing transit, as well as to decrease electricity consumption through renewable generation, conservation, and energy efficiency. Lofty goals for the home of the A’s and I really believe they can do it!!

(credit: www.flickriver.com)

Eugene, Oregon Eugene may not be a city we see featured every day in the news or travel guides but it leads the way in energy conservation. Transportation, green living and recycling are all primary focuses of the civic minded folks in this modest Oregon city, but Electricity conservation is King!! Eugene leads the nation in electricity preservation. Like many cities in the Pacific Northwest, Eugene gets a good bit of its energy from hydroelectric dams, but it also pulls an additional almost 10% of its power source from wind farms. The concept of wind farm power is catching on all over the country, a standard set by Eugene. Not only are they saving their residence money but they are also reimbursing those residents that install solar panels in their homes. Who would have guessed that, Eugene, Oregon would be the power conservation capitol of the USA? That’s something to brag about for sure!!