When I was young, the Buffalo River was deemed a dead river. The waterfront smelled like rotten eggs. And the buildings were visibly dirty due to pollution. I still can’t believe that was how we treated the environment. There were no regulations, and companies dumped crap into the waters and spewed junk into the airs. It’s amazing that we have rebounded as much as we have. That alone tells you a lot about the resilience of this city.
Just a few minutes ago, a Buffalo Rising reader sent me a link to WalletHub – a site that is always ranking cities for issues such as quality of life standards and the financial well-being of residents. In a recent study, WalletHub ranked Buffalo as the 17th Greenest City in America. That’s pretty awesome, considering where we once were… back in the days when we had all of our eggs in one industrial basket named Bethlehem Steel.
“To determine the cities promoting an environmentally friendly lifestyle, WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 26 key “green” indicators. Our data set ranges from greenhouse-gas emissions per capita to number of smart-energy policies and initiatives to green job opportunities. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.”
Lead image: A natural regeneration area along the Buffalo River