Changing the Face of Energy
May 12, 2009 | By
Two years ago, Greensburg, Kansas was practically destroyed by one of nature’s powerhouses, an EF5 tornado. Destroying 95 percent of the city and leaving its residents homeless, the only .jpg)
thing they could do was pick up and rebuild. In this process, the city decided that they were not going to simply rebuild, but they were going to rebuild in an energy conscious way and they were “going green”. By harnessing the power of the same forces that leveled the city, they started building and became the first city in the nation to build to the specifications of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Designs) and hold the highest level, Platinum. The people of Greensburg began to look toward the power of the sun and wind to help create energy, geothermal power for heating and cooling and with this new direction they began to grow as a city once again. Now that 2 years have passed since the storm tore through the area, they are well on their way to making a better tomorrow. There are amazing advances in environmental technology and this city is only the beginning.
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Solar power is one of the fastest growing source of electricity. We have used the sun to aide in drying clothing and now that power can be used for a number of other things. Instead of using an electric porch light to brighten up an area, you can now find solar lighting that can be mounted to the side of your home or garden stakes that you can place in the ground along a path or sidewalk. This way the lights will charge up in the daytime and become active when you need them at night. This is a great feature if you are away from home during the day and don’t want to leave a 
light on for a long amount of time. Think of the money that you could save just by replacing your regular porch light with a solar light. Don’t despair, they come in a wide range of styles, so you are sure to get one that will look great. This is the first step and something that everyone can do to help cut the costs of energy.
To continue the growth of renewable energy, wind power has taken a significant increase. Cities are beginning to see the power that wind holds. We see the forces of the wind everyday, in the form of storms that can rip limbs off of trees or, in the case of Greensburg, level a city. These residents took that force and are turning it into sustainable energy by building a wind farm. With the help of John Deere, they are implementing 10 wind turbines, which with a little bit of luck could be starting to produce energy by as early as 2010. These turbines will be a great investment in the long run, helping to allow this city to run on 100% clean energy.
Hydroelectricity is the one form of renewable energy that is used the most. The earliest form was the water wheel and has now evolved into dams that use water to turn turbines as it passes through. Using water power has its advantages and disadvantages. While it does not contain pollutants, it does however affect the environment. In some places fish such as salmon spawn by traveling upstream. With some dams preventing this from happening, other measures have been put in place to ensure that the spawning and fish migrations will not be threatened.
If we can reduce the amount of fossil fuels that we rely on and start to look at the advances of other cities, we can start to make our own “green cities”. Greensburg is looking at all the good that can come from this devastation and 
taking the steps needed to not only rebuild their city but also to help this planet. The tornado was an eye opener to many, and if they can turn around and use those same elements to create a “better, stronger and greener” city, just think what the rest of us can do. We have the tools, we have the resources and now we have the inspiration to look to the future and the color of our future is green.
Editors Note: The Tornado that hit Greensburg, Kansas was the strongest tornado to hit the United States in 8 years. The tornado was a category EF5 and 1.7 miles in width. The tornado claimed 11 lives. I had the honor of volunteering, three days last fall. There are no fast food restaurants in the new Greensburg, Kansas.
Diana Hudson is a chick who loves all things handmade. She enjoys the challenges of being a work at home wife, animal rescuer, crafter, photographer and at times a wild child. She is the owner of NightMaiden Designs .
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