Building on the principles of green

A green-minded citizen


Scott Jagow: Today, Congress holds a hearing on global warming and our dependence on foreign oil. It's a chance for advocates of "Smart Growth" to show off what they're up to. Sarah Gardner reports from the Marketplace Sustainability Desk.

Sarah Gardner: What do Abu Dhabi and Greensburg, Kansas have in common? They're both spearheading green development projects and will report their progress.

Abu Dhabi is building the world's first zero-carbon city -- no cars allowed and powered by solar energy. Greensburg, destroyed by a tornado last year, is trying to rebuild as the country's first "Platinum" city. Municipal buildings will meet the highest standards of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Kim Alderfer is the town's Recovery Coordinator:

Kim Alderfer: Building sustainable was actually an idea before the tornado even happened. What the tornado did was to allow us to start at ground zero."

Smart growth advocates like David Goldberg foresee not only more energy efficient building, but a backlash against sprawl.

David Goldberg: That's where the market is clearly going. It was going that way before the high gas prices. And now the high gas prices have triggered a stampede.

Gas prices are already exacerbating falling home values in the exurbs of major cities.

I'm Sarah Gardner for Marketplace.

About the author

Sarah Gardner is a reporter on the Marketplace sustainability desk.


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