Growing Green In Texas

People say that everything is bigger in Texas.  As the largest state in the continental United States, Texas is blessed to have millions of acres of wide open land where the environment remains untouched by human contact.  On the flip side, however, is the fact that in Texas, various energy products have been from the earth for many generations and using practices that may not always have been environmentally friendly.  The Texas economy has been enriched by the proceeds from the extraction of oil and natural gas, but this has come at a cost to the environment.  This fact makes it imperative for the citizens of Texas, working in a variety of communities, to seek ways to build green sustainable communities to mitigate the impact of fossil fuel extraction and provide for a safe and stable environment for future generations.

What does it mean to form a sustainable community?  Sustainable communities are formed around the principle of enhancing quality of life, not only for its citizens, but for the entire world around it.  Based on the notion that it takes the full participation of community members through collaboration and cooperation, eco friendly communities are designed to not only meet the needs of current citizens but also provide the measure of sustainability so as to make the same opportunities for a heightened quality of life available for future generations.  A sustainable community must be able to thrive by utilizing the resources available within that community in as environmentally conscious fashion as possible.  In addition, a sustainable community cannot neglect the social or economic well being of its citizens in its pursuit of environmentally friendly practices.  Instead, such a community must balance all three areas for the greater benefit of its citizens.

One area to highlight in Texas that is striving to become a green sustainable community is the greater Austin area.  Austin, known as a more liberal area than others within the state, is often the first region to embrace change and empower its citizens to make better choices to the benefit of their own well being.  The Austin Energy Green Building Program, which evolved from a City of Austin sponsored program, seeks to provide just that empowerment to encourage citizens to make more environmentally friendly choices, including using green builders and incorporating certain types of appliances and hardware into homes to lessen environmental reliance and impact.  As an organization, the Austin Energy Green Building Program developed its own guidelines for eco builders to follow, called the Green Building Guide, and promotes the following of those guidelines through the offering of rebates, incentives and publicity.  These guidelines are meant not only to be used in constructing residential dwellings but also corporate and warehouse structures.  The Austin Energy Green Building Program not only has the ability to impact the half million residents of the city of Austin, but also to positively impact the remainder of the state of Texas by creating positive outcomes that can be used as examples by other regions.

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