Sustainable Sacto
Sep 19, 2009
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Sacramento is an afterthought to most Californians. I think I only know it well because of the 70s family drama, Eight is Enough ("but daaaad, this is the 80's!" was my favorite line!). It's too bad me and another 35 million-plus Californians don't know this city better. Its downtown is full of old Victorians, there are plenty of museums, you're not far from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and yes, they even have pro sports. In some ways, it's like a mini-Washington, DC: a white Capitol, huge green lawns, and even the muddy river! Why Sacramento? Why not? Seven in eight residents live near public transportation, much of the city's electricity comes from renewable sources, and Sacramento is aggressive with its recycling efforts. Residents also can get free shade trees (necessary in that Central Valley heat!), and there's a plan to build even more bike paths to encourage locals to get to work using something other than their cars. Being the state's capital also can't hurt: Sacramento gets a top-10 ranking in green building, water quality, and is a striking #1 in environmental standards and participating.
Sacramento is under-appreciated, most especially by Governor Arnold, who commutes to the city by plane and spends the night at a hotel. It's too bad really--Schwarzenegger loves to be a flamboyant spokesman, but it would have been nice if he had promoted the capital more during his 6-year reign as the governator. Considering Sacto's humble beginnings--it is the capital only because a 19th century legislator owned a lot of land there, and the state government therefore literally moved there overnight from Benicia--the city is on its way to a more comfortable and sustainable setting for its residents.
