11. Denver, CO

Denver, CO: On the Fast Track

In 2008, Denver played host to what planners hope will go down in history as the "greenest" political convention ever. The city's sustainability director reports that more than 25,000 miles were clocked on the 1,000 free bikes available for conference-goers' use. In fact, the bikeshare program was so successful, the Mile High City is planning to start its own. In other news, if Denver's utilities division crunches its numbers right (and we trust that they do), then by the end of 2008, the city will have increased its renewable energy portfolio by nearly 1000 percent since 2005. With momentum like that, Denver could meet the higher end of its goal of 20 percent renewables in less than five years. Denver's on track and moving forward in most SustainLane categories, but what we're really dreaming of is an increase in its solid waste diversion rate (9.5) by 1000 percent!

(Photo by Dtobias)

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Stories and Perspectives

Denver Youth Corps Teaches Low-Income Residents...

Michael Phelps probably wouldn’t blink if asked to swim the length of twenty-five Olympic-sized swimming pools. But imagine asking him to save that much water? That’s what Denver youth achieved by mid-2008. They also reduced the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by nearly two million pounds per year. These gold-medal feats were accomplished as part of Denver’s Mile High Youth Corps (MHYC) project. In 2006, MHYC partnered with the state’s Low Income Energy Assistance Program and began going into homes to conduct energy audits and distribute power-saving CFL light bulbs.more »

Denver Zoo Plans Nation's First LEED Certified Habitat

Hamburger wrappers, cotton candy sticks and leopard dung may soon be powering the country’s first ever LEED-certified habitat at the Denver Zoo. If all goes as planned, the 50 million dollar, ten-acre Asia Tropics campus will be LEED Gold certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. The habitat, which should be completed in 2011, will primarily house Asian elephants, Indian rhinoceroses, and Malayan tapirs. Many zoos have LEED certified buildings or exhibits, but no other zoo in the U.S. has sought certification for an entire habitat.more »

How Big is Your Carbon Footprint?

How do you measure a city’s “real” carbon footprint? It’s a question scientists have asked for decades, and one that Anu Ramaswami has finally answered.
The engineering professor, along with her Ph.D. students at the University of Colorado at Denver, has pioneered the first-ever expanded carbon footprint computation. University officials say it’s the most sophisticated formula yet for measuring an entire city’s greenhouse gas emissions.more »