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New York Third Greenest City In America And Canada


By

Chris O'Shea

Published Jun 30, 2011

Modified Jun 30, 2011


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A green bike lane with a common occupant

 

via reader Jef


By

Chris O'Shea

Published Jun 30, 2011

Modified Jun 30, 2011


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As if New Yorkers needed something new to feel smug about, Gotham was named the third greenest city in America and Canada. A survey of 27 cities sponsored by Siemens Corporation took into account 31 different factors, including the amount of carbon monoxide emissions and number of green buildings, to determine the most environmentally-friendly metropolises. Surprisingly enough, New York fared quite well.

The city has a reputation for being dirty, but the survey found just the opposite. The subway, of course, is a major factor. The survey found that, despite every possible effort by the MTA to make taking the subway horrible, almost 40 percent of New Yorkers take the train or bus regularly. Alison Taylor, Vice President of Simens' Sustainability Department, told The Wall Street Journal, "New Yorkers probably take this for granted, but the number of people taking public transit really exceeds the average by far."

The survey also heaped praise upon Mayor Bloomberg and his administration for their green-tinted ways. Taylor did admonish the mayor for his lack of recycling incentives, which other cities employ to entice businesses into being more Earth-friendly with trash.

Which cities beat New York? That would be San Francisco and Vancouver, respectively. But California still hasn't legalized gay marriage, and Vancouver is, well, in Canada, so the smugness can (and should) continue unabated.

Tagged

environment

michael bloomberg

Survey


Chris O'Shea

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