Post in Number 11 and 12 - America's Greenest Cities

2008 Feb 19 16:09 UTC

Why does Minneapolis have lower recycling rating than St. Paul? Does St. Paul
require businesses or apartments to recycle more?

Why is St. Paul lower on the "Green Living" factor?

Steven Clift
Ericsson, Minneapolis

See:
http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2008-02/americas-50-greenest-cities?page=1

America's 50 Greenest Cities
Want to see a model for successful and rapid environmental action? Don't look
to the federal government—check out your own town. Here, our list of the 50
communities that are leading the way. Does yours make the cut?

By Elizabeth Svoboda, with additional reporting by Eric Mika and Saba Berhie
Posted 02.08.2008

How the Rankings Work:

We used raw data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Geographic
Society’s Green Guide, which collected survey data and government statistics
for American cities of over 100,000 people in more than 30 categories,
including air quality, electricity use and transportation habits. We then
compiled these statistics into four broad categories, each scored out of either
5 or 10 possible points. The sum of these four scores determines a city’s place
in the rankings. Our categories are:

    * Electricity (E; 10 points): Cities score points for drawing their energy
from renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric power, as
well as for offering incentives for residents to invest in their own power
sources, like roof-mounted solar panels.
    * Transportation (T; 10 points): High scores go to cities whose commuters
take public transportation or carpool. Air quality also plays a role.
    * Green living (G; 5 points): Cities earn points for the number of
buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, as well as for devoting
area to green space, such as public parks and nature preserves.
    * Recycling and green perspective (R; 5 points): This measures how
comprehensive a city’s recycling program is (if the city collects old
electronics, for example) and how important its citizens consider environmental
issues.

...

11. Minneapolis, Minn. 20.3

    * Electricity: 7.8 Transportation: 7.4 Green Living: 2.8
Recycling/Perspective: 2.3
    * CASE STUDY: Citizen Enviro-Grants
      If you’ve got a world-saving idea, the City of Lakes will give you, your
church or your community group the money to get it done. Twenty $1,000
mini-grants and five $10,000 awards were distributed last year to programs
ranging from household power-consumption monitors to “block club talks” about
global warming. A similar initiative has sprung up in Seattle.

12. St. Paul, Minn. 20.2

    * Electricity: 8.0 Transportation: 4.0 Green Living: 3.5
Recycling/Perspective: 4.7