By Steve MacLaughlin, KXAS NBC 5
For a state that is as "red" as Texas is, it is actually surprisingly "green." People around the state are constantly breaking the stereotype that all Texans drive big s-u-v's, have no care for the environment and simply do everything bigger with no concern for waste.
When we began doing "Going Green" reports at NBC5, I must confess that I thought it would be impossible to find people that were making a difference. But it's been incredibly easy. We have met amazing people who are flipping the Texas stereotype on its head. Young people seem especially aware of how precious and limited our resources are. No matter where you go in the country, young people are the ones that will have to live with the consequences of how we treat the planet now. Young Texans are no different. The thing that leaps out here in Texas is the space. This is the fastest growing large market with still an unbelievable amount of space to build on. Many of our stories deal with people who build green homes or develop green projects. Many stories also focus on how to preserve our natural resources since the population has exploded.
No other part of the country is changing so fast, and those who fail to see the environmental impacts may lose out to those who go green.
Steve MacLaughlin
KXAS NBC 5, Meteorologist
http://nbc5i.com/goinggreen/
Texas is still one of the worst polluters in the country because of all the huge pickups and suvs and for the fact that most cities in Texas don't have mass transit except for buses that pollute even more than cars.Yeah, there's lots of open spaces but where are all the wind farms? Goodness knows the winds are fierce here but no one is taking advantage of it.