Town in Kansas goes green after tornado strikes

[derketchup]

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=3481990&page=1

Here's a part of the article:

Before the tornado, Greensburg was a typical Midwestern farm town.

Now, it is essentially a blank slate. Thousands of tons of debris have been removed, and almost every structure in town is demolished.

Bold new ideas are taking shape here. Greensburg is thinking green, seeking to rebuild the town as a showcase of environmentally responsible living.

"If you are going to build a community from the ground up, it is our responsibility to think about the future," said city administrator Steve Hewitt.

Sketches of future plans for the city include a more walkable downtown and an energy-efficient city hall. Greensburg also hopes to leverage the strong winds in Kansas to power some of the town's electric needs.

"I think everybody wants to be part of something special. And here, why not Greensburg? Why not Greensburg? Here's something new. Here's something that's never been done before," Hewitt said.

Daniel Wallach, founder of the nonprofit organization Greensburg GreenTown, explained that green living comes naturally to his community.

"Self-sufficiency and independence are strong values out here. Farmers and ranchers all make their living from the land, so they have an awareness and sensitivity to it that is unique," Wallach said.

Residents are being encouraged to build energy-efficient homes, and the town is looking to the sun and the wind to help power its comeback.

"We may not have been thinking about it as much as we are now prior to the storm. But I think it's opened a lot of eyes to be looking at it now," said Greensburg homeowner and resident Brandon Hosheit.

Homeowners can choose to make adjustments to their building plans, like orienting their home toward the south for the best use of natural light, reducing water in the toilets and installing geothermal heating/cooling systems to reduce energy needs and costs.

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[kaykwilts]

Kudos to them. I think more towns should do this. We have to do something. I try to do everything I can but I"m only one person.

[derketchup]

I think it's cool how they're doing it for several reasons. One of the reasons is that they're trying to fight population loss. My hometown in Arkansas has shrunk from almost 11,000 to around 9,500 since I graduated in 1996. If they did more things like this then maybe kids would return when they graduated college...