With the increased talks about sustainability and solving environmental issues, people are becoming more aware of the importance of ‘greening’ their lives. As a result, some of them are moving to green communities. Green communities refer to communities that are developed and redeveloped on the principle of minimizing and then eliminating environmental damage due to human activity. Green communities may feature buildings made and insulated with recycled or biodegradable materials, community gardens and composting, and general attention to using earth-friendly products, appliances and features. In fact, the United States Environmental Protection Agency gives a checklist of things that qualify a community as a green community, in three categories: environmental, economic and social.
Additionally, a new rating system, created under the Obama administration’s Interagency
Partnership for Sustainable Communities, was implemented to help home buyers separate the green from the green washed when it comes to eco-savvy communities. This now allows communities to achieve the title of ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development’ (LEED-ND).
If you want to live in a green community, check out the links to help you pick the best one or help make your community green:
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/partnership/
http://www.greenecocommunities.com/
http://www.bestgreenhometips.com/2008/10/choose-a-green-community/
http://www.livegreencommunities.com/
http://www.enterprisecommunity.com/solutions-and-innovation/enterprise-green-communities
Written by: Sade Richardson, class of 2015
