Natural Awakenings celebrates Boston for many good reasons! The most relevant to this issue is the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s 2013 report that ranks Boston No.1 among America’s 34 largest cities on The City Energy Efficiency Scorecard, with a score of 76.75 out of a possible 100. Second place went to Portland, Oregon, with 70, followed by New York City, San Francisco, Seattle and Austin. Check out the map at ACEEE.org/local-policy/cityscorecard.

The scorecard awards points based on policies and programs in these categories: Local Government Operations, Community-Wide Initiatives, Buildings Policies, Energy and Water Utilities and Public Benefits Programs, and Transportation Policies. According to the report, continued policy improvements will pull us even closer to a perfect score.

Being in the top tier confirms Boston’s long-term commitment to achieving energy efficiency, evidenced in the initiatives tracked in the city’s Environment, Energy & Open Space page at CityOfBoston.gov/EEOS. For more evidence of our city’s commitment to becoming a greener, healthier place to live, visit GreenovateBoston.org, a community forum for collaboration in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Another site I like is MapDwell.com for its interactive solar map where building owners and homeowners can easily determine the solar potential of their roof, including cost and payback estimates. As of this writing, Cambridge, Boston and Wellfleet are available for look up in the Greater Boston area.

Check out what’s happening in other regions of the country in Christine MacDonald’s October feature article, “Sustainable Cityscapes, Urban America is Going Green in a Big Way.” We report on exciting and innovative actions underway that lend substantial support to the goal of sustainability. In “A Business Tool for Climate Change,” Natalia Ortiz explains the power of businesses and social media in informing and prompting people to take green actions. In it she stresses the importance of using only credible-research websites to avoid relying on or spreading misinformation.

Speaking of climate change… I hope you take time to breathe in the crisp air and majestic beauty of New England’s fresh fall delights.

Peace,

Maisie Raftery, Publisher

“Real change will only happen when we fall in love with our planet. Only love can show us how to live in harmony with nature and with each other and save us from the devastating effects of environmental destruction and climate change.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh