I was thinking about this whole stupid "you are Austin" thing from a couple days ago... it's been so long since I even thought about Austin (except for during SXSW season, of course), and I know it's changed so much from last time I was there that I really don't feel like I know it from Yonkers at the moment. But when I'm bored and daydreaming sometimes I catch myself thinking about where I would ever live, should Africa blow up in turmoil or something, or I wake up to find myself and the Mr. deported someday. USA obviously always comes to mind given the fact that it would be... well, the easiest (I'm assuming if this ever happens I'll be old and lazy), and if I would live in TX I would be at least (1.) in close proximity to friends (2.) in major-sprawling-distances proximity to family! (3.) in close proximity to major international airports. These are actually my main 3 criterion for finding the right place for me.
Well it just so happened that within 48 hours of playing the "What american city are you?" game, I also bumped into a fun MSN article about the 10 most green cities in america and come to find out the silly game just so happens to know me pretty flippin' well!! Turns out, Austin is the most environmentally sensitive city in the USA! Man, I must be really consistent and predictable in what I like. Here's what it said about A-town:
The politics in Austin, Texas, home base of Whole Foods Market and Lance Armstrong (at least part of the year), have earned it the title of “the blueberry in the bowl of tomato soup.” But the city’s energy portfolio could make it known as the ray of sunshine in the field of oil pumps. If you want to sign up for green power from Austin Energy, possibly the greenest power grid in the country, you can get in line—this year’s demand was unpredictably high, and they’re fresh out. Austin’s growing list of proactive energy maneuvers is, to say the least, striking.
Not only does Austin lead the country in wind power and biodiesel production, but it has built advanced plug-in hybrid vehicles into its energy strategy.As part of the recently announced Austin Climate Protection Plan, all facilities, fleets and operations will be carbon-neutral by 2020, and 100 percent of city facilities will be powered by renewable energy by 2012. There will also be CO2 caps and reduction plans for all utility emissions, something the federal government hasn’t dared do.
According to Roger Duncan, Austin Energy’s deputy general manager, the city is ramping up to make both residential and commercial building codes the most energy-efficient in the nation, starting by making all new single-family homes “zero net-energy capable”—meaning they could produce as much energy as they use—by 2015, and increasing energy efficiency by 75 percent in all other new construction. The Clean Energy Incubator, sparked by the National Renewable Energy Lab and managed by the University of Texas at Austin, works closely with the power utility and serves as a test bed for budding startup companies to develop green technologies ranging from solar, biofuels and wind to Internet-controlled irrigation systems.
I really liked the part about the blueberry in the bowl of tomato soup! HA! It took me a minute to get that one, but hey, it was morning. Given that if TX was its own country it would be like, the 7th largest polluting nation in the world or something to that effect, I think Austin gets double points in my book for being double cool.
I'm sad about DC not making the list (sad, but not surprised) though, as it's probably the only other US city I've ever seriously considered as a minor possibility.
Well it just so happened that within 48 hours of playing the "What american city are you?" game, I also bumped into a fun MSN article about the 10 most green cities in america and come to find out the silly game just so happens to know me pretty flippin' well!! Turns out, Austin is the most environmentally sensitive city in the USA! Man, I must be really consistent and predictable in what I like. Here's what it said about A-town:
The politics in Austin, Texas, home base of Whole Foods Market and Lance Armstrong (at least part of the year), have earned it the title of “the blueberry in the bowl of tomato soup.” But the city’s energy portfolio could make it known as the ray of sunshine in the field of oil pumps. If you want to sign up for green power from Austin Energy, possibly the greenest power grid in the country, you can get in line—this year’s demand was unpredictably high, and they’re fresh out. Austin’s growing list of proactive energy maneuvers is, to say the least, striking.
Not only does Austin lead the country in wind power and biodiesel production, but it has built advanced plug-in hybrid vehicles into its energy strategy.As part of the recently announced Austin Climate Protection Plan, all facilities, fleets and operations will be carbon-neutral by 2020, and 100 percent of city facilities will be powered by renewable energy by 2012. There will also be CO2 caps and reduction plans for all utility emissions, something the federal government hasn’t dared do.
According to Roger Duncan, Austin Energy’s deputy general manager, the city is ramping up to make both residential and commercial building codes the most energy-efficient in the nation, starting by making all new single-family homes “zero net-energy capable”—meaning they could produce as much energy as they use—by 2015, and increasing energy efficiency by 75 percent in all other new construction. The Clean Energy Incubator, sparked by the National Renewable Energy Lab and managed by the University of Texas at Austin, works closely with the power utility and serves as a test bed for budding startup companies to develop green technologies ranging from solar, biofuels and wind to Internet-controlled irrigation systems.
I really liked the part about the blueberry in the bowl of tomato soup! HA! It took me a minute to get that one, but hey, it was morning. Given that if TX was its own country it would be like, the 7th largest polluting nation in the world or something to that effect, I think Austin gets double points in my book for being double cool.
I'm sad about DC not making the list (sad, but not surprised) though, as it's probably the only other US city I've ever seriously considered as a minor possibility.
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