生態(tài)石油城？

位置：德克薩斯州休斯頓

????表面看來，位于美國石油心臟的德州休斯頓似乎不太可能出現(xiàn)一場持續(xù)升溫的環(huán)保運(yùn)動(dòng)。

????但是，當(dāng)?shù)卮_實(shí)有這么一股環(huán)保熱潮，而勞拉?斯潘健便是這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)的倡導(dǎo)者。去年，斯潘健辭去舊金山城市項(xiàng)目總監(jiān)職位，轉(zhuǎn)而效力于休斯頓市長安妮斯?帕克，現(xiàn)任休斯頓城市可持續(xù)發(fā)展辦公室主任。

????盡管休斯頓的根基在于化石燃料，但是她說，當(dāng)?shù)厝撕軜芬饨邮芩沫h(huán)保觀點(diǎn)。目前，休斯頓大量的環(huán)保項(xiàng)目主要是致力于達(dá)到能源與環(huán)境設(shè)計(jì)先鋒獎(jiǎng)（Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design）的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)（LEED是一項(xiàng)用來衡量建筑可持續(xù)性的獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)）。自從去年5月斯潘健上任以來，休斯頓新涌現(xiàn)了45座獲得LEED認(rèn)證的建筑。現(xiàn)在，休斯頓獲得這一認(rèn)證的建筑已經(jīng)多達(dá)129座，高居全美第六位。

????在休斯頓，高層建筑鱗次櫛比，更有許多新的建筑正拔地而起，因此綠色建筑是休斯頓生態(tài)運(yùn)動(dòng)的良好開端。綠色建筑可以使公司在招聘時(shí)頗具優(yōu)勢，斯潘健說：“這些公司都明白，年輕一代的員工更愿意在綠色建筑內(nèi)工作。”

????當(dāng)然，成本也是一個(gè)原因：能效建筑能夠降低運(yùn)營成本。斯潘健說：“在這里，最有說服力的理由就是，通過參與這些倡議計(jì)劃，人們可以節(jié)省開支。休斯頓人喜歡省錢。”

????斯潘健表示，休斯頓親共和黨的背景使這里的環(huán)保工作更振奮人心。在舊金山和波特蘭等城市，環(huán)保已不再是什么新聞話題，但休斯頓在實(shí)現(xiàn)快速綠色增長方面仍然大有可為。此外，石油之都的生態(tài)熱潮格外鼓舞人心。

????斯潘健說：“我認(rèn)為，如果能在休斯頓開展環(huán)保項(xiàng)目，那么在其他任何地方都可以做到。”

Eco-oil country?

Location: Houston, Texas

????It seems unlikely that there would be a growing green movement in Houston, Texas, the heart of American oil country.

????But there is one, and Laura Spanjian is leading it. Last year, Spanjian left her campaign to be San Francisco Supervisor to work for Houston's Mayor Annise Parker. Spanjian is now Houston's Sustainability Director.

????Despite the fact she works in a city built on fossil fuels, Spanjian says that locals are receptive to her ideas. So far, many of Houston's green efforts have focused on getting buildings to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, the standard measurement used to grade a building's sustainability. The city now has 129 LEED-certified buildings, the sixth largest amount in the country, and has added about 45 new ones since Spanjian's term began last May.

????Green buildings are a good starting point for Houston's eco-movement since the city is full of high-rises, and more are going up all the time. Building green can give companies an advantage when it comes to attracting employees, Spanjian says: "These companies understand that young professionals, in particular, really want to work in a sustainable building."

????And, of course, there's the bottom line to consider: energy-efficient buildings cost less to run, Spanjian says. "The message that works well here is that you can save money by doing lots of initiatives. Houstonians like to save money."

????The red-state setting only makes the work more exciting, says Spanjian. While environmental efforts are old news in cities like San Francisco and Portland, she thinks Houston has room for exponential green growth. Besides, there's something heartening about an eco-boom in a city built on oil.

????"I do think if you can do this work in Houston, then you can do it anywhere," Spanjian says.