Do you know which are the “greenest” cities in the USA? As dirty and grimy as New York is perceived to be, it’s the 20th greenest city in the US. I’m sorry LA peeps, but despite all of our beautiful beaches, mountains and intoxicating weather, we’re not even in the top 50.

I recently took a trip to NYC with my family and we were in a car exactly three times in a week. My kids loved taking the subway everywhere. It’s full of sights, sounds, and adventures with just the right mix of speed to make it a thrill. It was fantastic to get out of my car for a week and it got me thinking about the environmental impact of such an extensive transportation system.

A study performed by National Geographic Society’s Green Guide ranked US cities with over one hundred thousand people on the following four criteria:

• Electricity – Cities scored points for drawing their energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar.
• Transportation – High scores were given to cities whose commuters regularly use public transportation.
• Green Living – Cities earned points for the number of buildings certified by the US Green Building Council.
• Recycling and green perspective – How comprehensive a city’s recycling program is and how important its citizens consider environmental issues was important.

So, what’s the greenest city in the USA according to these criteria?  Portland, Oregon. An impressive half of its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of its workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation and it has 35 buildings certified by the US Green Building Council. Congratulations Portland! Yes, there’s a lot to poke fun at (watch “Portlandia”), but we can learn a lot from them too.

The second greenest city in the USA is San Francisco, California and the third is Boston, Massachusetts. And what about our fair Los Angeles? We didn’t make this list. We were even beat by Elizabeth, New Jersey, which came in at number 45. If you’ve ever been to Elizabeth, New Jersey you’ll understand the shock.

I don’t mean for this to be a total downer. I think it’s an opportunity for us to all think about the little things we can do to improve our environment.  We can start thinking about grouping our errands into one trip so we avoid back and forth travel, using containers instead of ziplock bags, or building Proto Homes. Ok, that’s not a little thing, but we can very positively effect our environment and our pocketbooks by constructing green, efficient buildings.

What are the things you do that positively impact our environment?  Please share your ideas and leave your comments below.