Great Green Idea: Green Living: Do You Live in a Green City?

Do You Live in a Green City?

There are many aspects to the level of environmental friendliness of a city. The extent of the public transport system and cycle routes, the recycling options and whether there is a pedestrian friendly shopping precinct or not are just three of the factors which influence the impact that the city and its inhabitants have on the planet.

In recent years some help has come in this respect from US mayors who have signed to a Climate Protection Agreement which proves that they are sticking to the environmentally friendly ideas proposed in the 2055 Kyoto Protocol. There are now over 1000 U.S. Mayors who have signed up to this deal, but what does it actually mean to someone who lives in a city governed by this agreement?

There are three main points that Mayors have to meet in order to join the ones on this list of green cities.

1. They need to try to at least meet the Kyoto Protocol targets for anti sprawl, reforestation and education for the public on environmental matters. This should be reflected in your city's planning policies and the way they protect green areas and attempt to extend them.

2. Another important point is that the environmentally friendly Mayors have to act as champions of the greenhouse gas reduction goals set in the Kyoto Protocol. This generally boils down to backing and promoting environmentally friendly policies.

3. The final point is quite similar to the second one, in that is says that the Mayors have to encourage legislation which reduce greenhouse gas levels and gives a national framework for future advancements in this field.

A few of the cities which generally appear consistently on the list of the top U.S. green cities are Seattle, Portland and Boulder.

This still leaves us with the fact that there are so many different factors involved which means that it is almost impossible for the average citizen to get a really good idea of just how green the city they live in is without some outside help.

If you want to check how green your city is, or you are planning to move and want to make a good choice for your new home then there are a few things you can check in order to see how green a city really is to live in.

Your first step should probably be to check the Air Quality Index provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, as this will give you a good idea of the levels of pollution in the city.

Next up you can check the city's maps to see if it is designed purely for car users or if walking trails and cycling routes give you a genuine option of traveling in a less environmentally damaging way. A look at the city center will also let you see if there are pedestrian precincts where no cars can enter or where you can do all your shopping while barely leaving the driver's seat.

Finally, a check of the city's recycling options will let you see how hard the local authorities are trying to get their citizens to avoid contaminating landfill sites.