Green Living, USA

Aptly named Greensburg, Kansas, flattened by a tornado in May of 2007, is in the process of rebuilding itself as a model town for future green developments in the U.S.

What's amazing about this radical identity reinvention, is not just the level of commitment, nor the tenacity of the locals to even rebuild in the first place, but more, its in Kansas! A state not generally considered the most forward thinking, or the most likely spot for the green revolution, Kansas, it seems, turns out to be the ideal location for a project of this scope. In rethinking the future of their town, Greensburgers have come to the unique discovery that green is not just a fad of the rich and famous, nor of the granola crunching backwoodies... Green, in fact, is a truly blue-collar, common sense, practical, and plain-and-simply American contribution to the global future.

With more LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) buildings in the pipeline than anywhere in the US, Greensburg is firmly on its way to achieving the goal of leeding our way. In fact, as of December 17th, Greensburg officially adopted a resolution requiring all new City buildings to be built to the LEED platinum level - the highest standard of Green building recognized under this certification scheme.

Even Mother Earth Magazine has seen the value this town may hold for the country and is building a home in Greensburg - to be set up as an educational center. This home (not yet built) is being touted as the future "greenest" home in America. While this may be a bit of a stretch of the truth (given the huge number of great green homes built by committed individuals and not listed anywhere), it, no doubt, will become a fundamental resource and contribution to Greensburg's Model Home Project.

Among the other green plans for this town is included the use of alternative fuel vehicles. In fact, the town is hoping to develop a rental fleet of vehicles consisting entirely of alternative fuel cars, and has taken a big step in this direction by setting up a natural gas fueling station, and accepting the donation of a natural gas-fueled Honda Civic GX

Green living, while a dream of many, has so far eluded most folks in this country due primarily to the associated costs. The most impressive thing about this town is that it truly is a working class dream. From the dust and destruction left in the wake of a a devastating tornado, Greensburgers are not only standing up, rebuilding and strengthening their community, they are providing a major burst of interest and leadership for this nation in one of the biggest challenges we face.

To help out with this greenovation please follow this link. All donations to Greensburg, Greentown are wholly tax deductible. Greensburg, Greentown is a non-profit organization founded shortly after the devastating events of May, 2007, with the goals of enabling Greensburgers to achieve their dream of leading the green revolution in America and the world from the heartland of this country.