How green was my half-acre

Pace University in Pleasantville and Long Island-based nonprofit Grassroots Environmental Education ranked Bedford, Bronxville, Chappaqua, Katonah, Larchmont, White Plains and Yorktown, as the greenest towns in Westchester County.

A 142-point environmental assessment survey was conducted with school and municipal officials as well as business leaders from more than 43 towns in the county; the interview process began last November.

Pace University was the first to complete the Grassroots pilot program, which will be implemented in Nassau and Suffolk counties next.
More than 100 Pace students participated in the survey process.

One finding was that of the 43 surveyed towns, 72 percent reported having energy audits performed on all town-owned facilities.
Some 14 out of 43 towns reported having a comprehensive green purchasing policy; 44 percent reported having mandated energy reductions.

“”˜How Green is My Town?”™ is a wish list of what every town should want or try to implement,” said Doug Wood, associate director and founder of Grassroots. “No one got a perfect score and there is still room for improvement. Our goal was not to identify winners and losers, but to say, ”˜Here, look at this town that did well and take a look at what they”™re doing.”™ You don”™t have to reinvent the wheel.”

The average Westchester town or village government scored 287 out of a possible 468 points in green issue awareness.

Another key finding was the lack of an official, comprehensive environmental policy implemented in most towns and villages.
For a complete review of findings, visit howgreenismytown.org.