Tacoma's a Greener City?
Country Home Magazine has released its 2nd annual list of America’s most “green” cities.
Across the nation, people are looking for ways to shrink their proverbial footprint. And along with that push to live a little closer to the Three-R mantra (reduce, reuse and recycle), Americans are asking their communities to think green, too. That prompted our second annual Best Green Places report, which analyzed hundreds of cities on key points, such as official energy policies, green power, green buildings, and the availability of fresh, locally grown food.
How’d we do? Well, for 2008, Tacoma moves to #61 from #151 out of 379 cities. How we moved, and their methodology in general, is a bit of a mystery to us. But at least we seem to be moving in the right direction… or everybody else is getting worse.
More information at CountryHome.com
Thank you, DavidS
Filed under: In-the-Press
11 comments
M michael buchanan April 23, 2008
Good to see we are moving in the right direction. Perhaps this year they had better data. Glad to see my home for the 23 years before I moved back to Tacoma, Santa Rosa, was number 4. Based on my allergies there it should be high on the list. Must be all those vineyards!
M Mofo from the Hood April 23, 2008
Everybody else is getting worse.
J John Sherman April 24, 2008
And now we have a new green power industry under development within City of Tacoma Port of Tacoma area; therefore aren’t we lucky; for example, see John Gillie, News, Simpson Investment Co. will build power plant at Tacoma Tideflats mill, The News Tribune (Tacoma), Apr. 24, 2008, available at http://www.thenewstribune.com/1032/story/343258.html, (last visited Apr. 24, 2008).
When operational this industry can import its trash from elsewhere and just burn-it-here for more green power benefit to City of Tacoma area. So, we are just lucky we live here for the green power benefits industry is willing to invest in for our benefit.
H happy_face April 24, 2008
I am getting tired of every sign, bus adverts, billboards (built green, TV station logos and now this – why does everyone think they are greener than the rest? People have green envy! I love the planet and I try and be a great steward to it, but all the bragging about green this and green that is driving me nuts. BTW: All you green people complaing about power plants, remember you are using a computer that is connected to an electrical outlet that is powered by that power plant that burns fossil fuels. Also, your cell phone that you get to text with all day has to be charged using the same electricity….
R Rick Jones April 24, 2008
happy_face – cheer up. Here’s a breakdown of where the electricity that Tacoma Power sells comes from:
Resource Mix 2007*
Fuel Type Percentage
Hydro 90.54
Nuclear 8.06
Coal 0.77
Natural Gas 0.39
Biomass 0.17
Wind 0.05
Solar 0.00
Other 0.03
Total (*rounded off) 100 %
Not a lot of fossil fuel here.
H happy_face April 24, 2008
I was generalizing about the “GO GREEN” Epidemic – I am glad to see that Tacoma Power uses so little fossil fuels. Thanks for pointing out.
To back up my (slightly off topic)point – this is from Puget Sound Energy – I work in Tacoma, but live outside of Tacoma and use PSE to power my home.
Right from the PSE Web Site:
Natural Gas 17%
Nuclear 1%
Other 1%
Wind 2%
Coal 34%
Hydro 45%
Total 100%
Coal and Natural Gas make up 51% – good for Tacoma Power to own all the dams in the area, & the benefit of that is we get some decent lakes and campgrounds to visit, thanks to Tacoma Power.
Most other states in the Country don’t get 300 days of rain, so they don’t get the benefits of having as much hydro power.
D DavidS April 24, 2008
I’m guessing you’ve also been noticing the Earth Day push. Everything seems to be labeled as green for a couple of days even if its a coal fired power plant.
A altered chords April 24, 2008
I recommend we consolidate earth day and St. Patricks day. We can sing songs by “Green Day”
G Green is a lifestyle April 24, 2008
Happy farce,
How is it that you get to work? I assume that with your arrogant stance you must drive a hybrid, have solar energy which you sell back to the grid in order to offset your carbon footprint.
The issue with being green is more of being aware of how you are doing your part in order to help conserve resources at any level that you can and not just turning off the lights and driving a hybrid.
M Marco April 25, 2008
Do any of our famed green council members take the bus to their council meetings?
I’d like to see just one live by the ways they preach to the rest of us.
O opposite of green April 25, 2008
I threw my push mower into the Sound and bought a gas powered beast that leaks oil. I keep my natural gas furnace cranked up to 95 even when I’m not home. I burn plastics in my backyard. And sometimes I leave my SUV running just so I can buy more gas, But I do support local … gas stations.