Green Thursday: A Princely Effort

Prince Charles, yes, that Prince Charles, the one with the goofy ears who used to be married to Princess Diana, is a huge green guy! His latest effort is a new eco-town, named Sherford, created by his highness. It's just been given the green light to start construction.

This brand new town for 12,000 people, in South Devon, will be Britain’s greenest settlement. The rolling countryside community will be home to 5,500 homes. Cars will be banned from some parts and 390ft wind turbines will loom over a 400-acre car park on the outskirts. Half the power needs for the new town will come from renewable sources, with all homes sporting solar panels. Additionally, most of the materials for construction will be sourced from a 50-mile radius! The business district, providing jobs for about 7,000 people, will be covered in either green roofs or a thin layer of rubble to attract insects and birds. Everything about the town will be organized to encourage walking; not to mention all waste including water and sewage will be recycled to cut CO2 emissions. All of this, and style, too! Charles intends to give it a traditional English charm, modeled on the Wiltshire market town of Marlborough.

Closer to home, a new residential development in Onalaska (near LaCrosse,) will become Wisconsin's first Energy Star certified neighborhood.

The single family homes of Savannah Village start at $330k, and are at least 25% more efficient than normal homes. They'll have inside and outside wall insulation to help keep heat in. Also, none of the houses will have vinyl siding because of it's huge manufacturing carbon footprint. The neighborhood also features specially designed roads for better storm water drainage.

Every Green Thursday we post information vital to the survival of our planet.