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Green Gardening to Help Environment

The world appears to be attempting to transition to an economy that is not entirely reliant upon fossil fuels. Many people think it's well past time. The reality is that it's been ongoing in a great many areas, but we're not listening or paying attention to all that's currently possible.

Abu Dhabi, or example is a part of the UAE. It's a bright and sometimes inhospitable place of sunshine and extremely hot temperatures that are likened to those of the American southwest. It sits smack in the middle of the area that offers the world the most polluting technology and the largest amount of fossil fuel in the world. Seems a very odd place to promote sustainable living, but Abu Dhabi is in the middle of creating what will be the first carbon neutral city in the entire world. It's not an easy task and it will cost some time and effort, but the architects of this city say that they will be using the power of the sun, rather than fighting it to accomplish their task--using wind power and solar energy to create a city that is clean and green.

Abu Dhabi isn't the only place that is greening up and moving toward a more sustainable living style and energy efficient lifestyle. The transition has been long in coming but now that it has, cities that you've never imagined have gotten on board and are teaching lessons about what can be done with ingenuity and the will to change.

Typically when we think of green cities, or green living, cities who are retrofitting to assure compliance with a greener lifestyle, we think about that same tired line-up that's been with us since time out of time. The reality is that there is a whole new list of cities out there that are "greening up" and taking control of their city to make it a cleaner, greener environment for the residents.

In our own back yard, cities like Huntsville Alabama, the last place you might expect to find a green living city, already exist and the trend is growing. Reno, Nevada, close to the "Sin City" of Las Vegas, a very infamous place that has been described as the Saudi Arabia for geothermals is also greening up. This mecca for gamblers has lowered their own energy consumption by nearly 20 percent in the past five years alone.

The Ozark mountain community of Fayetteville Arkansas is another green living city whose efforts to promote a sustainable lifestyle are showing up in a big way. It's recently been rated as one of "NRDC's green cities to watch" list and has an outstanding farmers market as well as a new requirement that any building that has more than five thousand square feet has to be LEED Silver Standard. Fayetteville was also the first city in their state to hire a coordinator for sustainability in their city. The salary for this coordinator was paid completely through funds gained from green projects. How's that for saving a buck and putting it back into the community?

All around the country, green living and greener lifestyles are becoming more popular and more necessary. The cities are saving money, saving the environment and promoting a healthier lifestyle for their residents.

What does your community do to promote sustainable living and how far have you come in helping to green up the area around you? Green living doesn't happen all at once. It takes one step at a time, but the first step is always the most important. 

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