  
 Welcome to a new era -- led by China. In a time of exponential economic growth (3x's faster than anything ever seen in the U.S.), China's leaders have seen fit to fund the world's first ecologically sustainable city...
Click on images to enlarge.
Situated on a Manhattan-sized island north of Shangai, the approved and under-construction "Dongtan" offers common sense to the world:
1. ENERGY INDEPENDENCE: The city will create and harvest its own clean electricity.
2. CARBON BAN: Only zero-emissions vehicles will be allowed within city limits.
3. 65% OPEN SPACE: Parks, waterways, and organic farms will permeate the landscape.
4. HIGH DENSITY GREEN BUILDING: Super efficient structures will be clustered in walkable neighborhoods.
5. WASTE REPURPOSING: 90% of all waste will be reused and/or entered into multiple loop cycles.
Dongtan's most inspiring innovation? This is the world's first "resource efficient" city. In order to meet the Shanghai planning bureau's demands, this "future proof" establishment will achieve maximum reduction in energy and resource waste, and likewise achieve maximum productivity in energy and resource use. Thanks to thousands of ecologically sound design strategies and considerations, Dongtan will provide clean, healthy, "sustainable" environs for 500,000 human beings. Operational by: 2020.
The Good News
"We're not focused on form, we're focused on the performance of the form," says Alejandro Gutierrez (Wired Magazine, 5.2007), project manager for the British architectural firm guiding the Dongtan project. "The only thing we new was that we wanted to connect things, to create virtuous cycles." The Chinese are impressed. The firm Gutierrez works with has plans for other green communities in the works. Read more via links, bottom of page.
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LINKS: Positively Worthwhile
- china unveils climate protection plan
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6717671.stm
- mayor of dallas joins "StopGlobalWarming.org"
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_marcher.asp?1044562
- yahoo! ceo donates $50M to Stanford "Environment and Energy" Building
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2007/february21/donors-022107.html
- hsbc bank donates $100M to climate change fight
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=35185
- country star jack ingram joins "StopGlobalWarming.org"
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_marcher.asp?1072234
- jp morgan creates alternative energy investment unit
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=35147
- kobe bryant joins "StopGlobalWarming.org"
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_marcher.asp?1041308
- nike sets goals to be climate neutral, reduce packaging
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=35192
- US Postal Service achieves cradle to cradle rating
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=35183
- starbucks debuts "planet green game"
http://www.planetgreengame.com/
- sustainable shopper's ball debuts first ever "Green Fourth of July Festival"
http://www.sustain-a-ball.org
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have a great July,
Green is the New: Red, White & Blue!
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