Building on the principles of green
Abu Dhabi and Greensburg, Kansas may not seem to have a lot in common, but both cities are spearheading green development projects. Sarah Gardner reports on their separate plans for a similar goal.
A green-minded citizen (George Mason University)
More on Sustainability
TEXT OF STORY
Scott Jagow: Today, Congress holds a hearing on global warming and our dependence on foreign oil. It's a chance for advocates of "Smart Growth" to show off what they're up to. Sarah Gardner reports from the Marketplace Sustainability Desk.
Sarah Gardner: What do Abu Dhabi and Greensburg, Kansas have in common? They're both spearheading green development projects and will report their progress.
Abu Dhabi is building the world's first zero-carbon city -- no cars allowed and powered by solar energy. Greensburg, destroyed by a tornado last year, is trying to rebuild as the country's first "Platinum" city. Municipal buildings will meet the highest standards of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Kim Alderfer is the town's Recovery Coordinator:
Kim Alderfer: Building sustainable was actually an idea before the tornado even happened. What the tornado did was to allow us to start at ground zero."
Smart growth advocates like David Goldberg foresee not only more energy efficient building, but a backlash against sprawl.
David Goldberg: That's where the market is clearly going. It was going that way before the high gas prices. And now the high gas prices have triggered a stampede.
Gas prices are already exacerbating falling home values in the exurbs of major cities.
I'm Sarah Gardner for Marketplace.
Comments
Comment | Refresh
Post a Comment: Please be civil, brief and relevant.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. All comments are moderated. Marketplace reserves the right to edit any comments on this site and to read them on the air if they are extra-interesting. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting.
You must be 13 or over to submit information to American Public Media. The information entered into this form will not be used to send unsolicited email and will not be sold to a third party. For more information see Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.