America’s greenest cities
This year, magazines CountryHome and Popular Science came out with separate lists of the greenest cities in America. While rankings differ because of criteria, there are notable cities which make appearances on both lists, testament to their commitment to becoming environment-friendly cities. Making the top 20 in both rankings are Portland, Oregon; Santa Rosa, California; Eugene, Oregon; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; San Francisco, California; and Seattle, Washington.
Popular Science based their results on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Geographic Society Green Guide, and had 30 categories in total, including air quality, electricity and transportation habits, green living and recycling. Country Home looked at official energy policies, electricity, green buildings, and local food sourcing.