Top 10 Green Cities in America

#1 - Going Green in Corvallis, Oregon

Ranked number 1 on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) national list of Green Power Communities, Corvallis is leading the pack in "going green." A sustainability proponent since 2003, Corvallis leadership actually implemented six key sustainability objectives in '04, motivating their residents to "live greener." One of those, their Sustainability Purchasing Practice, is what landed them at the top of the EPA's national list of Green Power Communities. Corvallis led the rest of the country by purchasing green power in excess of 100 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually.

But what does that mean to the average citizen?

It means that Corvallis, one of the top 10 Green Cities in the country, effectively reduces Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions every year in an amount equal to the total electrical output of 9,000 average-sized homes. That's a lot of CO2 not in the air every year thanks to their willingness to buy green power; the cleaner source.

One of the largest users of this green energy source in Corvallis, two-thirds of it actually, is Oregon State University, whose student body supports the "go green" effort so much that they were willing to pay a "go green" fee to ensure the green energy purchase, since going green isn't cheaper up front, it just pays over the long term.

But, according to the Corvallis city website, their citizens in the state have also committed to utilizing Green Building Practices, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Solid Waste Management, Land Use Planning, and Toxics and Persistent Bio-toxins.

# 2 - Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Oregon trying to live greener

This part of the country's claim to fame in sustainability efforts is LEED buildings (54 are registered and 16 are certified), the largest amount in the country according to the city's website, PortlandConnected.com.

# 3 - Bellingham, Washington, another of the green cities on the list