MOMS CLEAN AIR FORCE— September 2017
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I
t is hard to see a silver lining in all the destruction
that hurricanes, floods, wildfires, tornados and earth-
quakes leave behind. But if there is one, it is in the
creative and dedicated way some affected commu-
nities are rebuilding to make their homes and neigh-
borhoods more sustainable than they might ever have
become otherwise.
Take Greensburg, Kansas. On May 4,2007, 90% of
this small farming community was literally sheared to the
ground by an EF-5 tornado raging at 200 mph. Ten people
died, and so could have the hopes and dreams of the 1500
survivors.
Instead, the city council seized the opportunity to "cre-
ate a strong community devoted to family, fostering busi-
ness, and working together for future generations." They
passed a resolution declaring that all city buildings would be
3 Inspiring Stories About Rebuilding
After Extreme Weather Disasters
By Diane MacEachern ON October 5, 2017
rebuilt to LEED-platinum standards, meaning that the build-
ings would be highly energy efficient. Wind turbines were
constructed to provide 100% of the city's electricity. When
the city's streetlights went back up, they were outfitted with
LEDs, the most energy-efficient light bulbs available. To
conserve water, structures were rebuilt using low flow water
fixtures. A system was engineered so that rainwater would
be collected for use in irrigation and in some facilities to
help flush toilets and meet other non-drinking water needs.
Native plants became de rigeur in landscaping. The
schools, hospital, courthouse, bank, arts center and
"SunChips Business Incubator" all were rebuilt to become
model sustainable buildings, an approach that is saving a
combined total of $200,000 in energy costs per year.
Rebuilding in New Orleans after Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita struck in 2005 has been challenging on a different scale.
New Orleans is significantly larger than Greensburg, both
in square miles and in population. While Greensburg was
destroyed by wind, New Orleans's damage came primarily
from the floods that happened when storm surge breached
the city's levees in multiple places, leaving 80% of New
Orleans submerged. More than 1,800 people are believed
to have lost their lives. Damages have exceeded $81 billion.
Though NOLA, as New Orleans is called, is still in the
process of rebuilding, that process has been informed by
a commitment to what city planners there call "sustainable
and smart" urban development."Our objective is not merely
to recover, but to recover smarter, greener, and better than
we were before."
The Louisiana legislature passed one of the most
aggressive solar and wind tax credit programs in the country,
which motivated the Louisiana Community and Technical
College System to develop a solar installer training course to
increase the number of certified solar installers in the state.
The local utility, Entergy New Orleans, worked with Delgado
Community College to develop courses to train home energy
auditors. Actor and environmentalist Brad Pitt founded Make
It Right to build homes that are affordable, solar-powered,
and "cradle to cradle inspired," meaning they use eco-friend-
