America’s greenest city

Saving the Earth is no game. It's urgent, serious business. Yet the environmental movement could learn a lot from the world of sports about how to win attention and loyalty.

The hoopla over the NBA finals, NHL Stanley Cup and baseball's summer pennant races proves that heated competition captures the human imagination.

So let's make a big contest out of choosing the greenest city in America. We could keep tabs all year long on how Chicago is doing against San Francisco, whether Montreal can outdistance Seattle. The excitement culminates on the big day when everyone wonders who will come out on top. (Look for the Green Guide's list of the greenest cities, one of several authoritative rankings.)

And even better than big-time sports, we can all pitch in to help our local team win the championship next year.

Think how much easier it would be to persuade the city council to ban lawn chemicals or embrace energy conservation if these actions might increase the likelihood voters could dance in the street chanting, "We're number one!"

Portland, Oregon, mayor Tom Potter, a former police chief, is already leading cheers for his hometown favorite. He makes the case for Portland as America's Greenest City to National Geographic Adventure magazine (May 2008):

"We have solar-powered parking meters. Our overall recycling rate is 63 percent. We passed a biodiesel ordinance for gas stations, are considering a carbon tax, and are creating bike boulevards. Even with recent growth, we've reduced our carbon footprint by one percent, while the rest of the nation has increased by 16. How's that?"

How is that? Do you think Portland is America's greenest city? If not, what is? Leave a comment below.

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The Ecopolitan