A decade of going green

Ten years ago this month, INtown published its first Green Issue to mark Earth Day and to spotlight the uptick in sustainability efforts around the city. That April 2007 publication was such a success, and there were so many stories to be told, we decided to we needed a Green section every month. We’ve never run out of stories or ideas, especially as Atlanta has ramped up its embrace of sustainability.

Collin Kelley collin@atlantaintownpaper.com

Mayor Kasim Reed has made sure that one of his legacies is leaving the city more sustainable than when he first took office. The Better Buildings Challenge, the creation of an Office of Sustainability, increased recycling efforts and facilities – all of these things have become part of the fabric of the city in less than a decade.

Recycling seems like second nature now. My building instituted it a few years ago and offers receptacles for plastic and paper. When I accidentally put something plastic in my regular trash, I get a tiny case of the guilts.

I’ve also started walking more rather than taking my car on short trips. I can easily walk to restaurants and the supermarket, so I’m doing a tiny part to help the environment and getting some exercise in, too.

Last month, I took MARTA to a couple of events and I used the carpool function on one of the rideshare services. I’ve actually started contemplating getting rid of my car in the near future, especially as the city’s transportation network expands. I don’t know if Atlanta will be ever as connected as New York or London, but the plans on the table to add more transit make me hopeful.

Whoever is elected the Atlanta’s next mayor, keeping the city’s environmental