Death care is changing around the country, and while it may seem frustratingly slow here in Texas, there is reason to be optimistic. As more states legalize water cremation and natural organic reduction, there’s more focus on the states that have yet to take action.
Texas as a whole may be slow to adopt new forms of disposition that are better for the environment, people and their bank accounts, but there are parts of the state that are on board. If you live in Texas, you may be in one of the green cities that are advocating for changes across many industries in the state, including the death care industry.
San Antonio – Finally Getting Recognition for Responsible City Management
San Antonio has been on a mission to lower emissions, and the work is paying off. San Antonio was recently named the 44th greenest city in the U.S. by WalletHub, and others have also recognized the city’s efforts to go green – literally. The city has been planting trees like crazy in an effort to improve the local environment along with quality of life.
There’s actually a fair amount of green space per capita in San Antonio, including areas like the Riverwalk that wind through downtown. But the city has made investments of late to increase green space and promote clean energy. One noteworthy endeavor is San Antonio’s Energy Efficiency Fund that’s used for clean energy projects on public land.
Because of the initiative that San Antonio has taken it now has the lowest carbon emissions per capita rate in Texas.
Austin – The Longtime Eco-Friendly City in Texas
Many in Texas and around the country probably thought Austin would top the list, but San Antonio has been better at implementing the bold ideas that are leading to emission reductions. To be fair, Austin has seen more explosive growth over the last few years, which has impacted its environmental footprint as a city.
Still, Austin nabbed the 23rd spot on WalletHub’s list of Greenest Cities in the U.S. To be fair, WalletHub only looked at large cities and scored them based on 28 metrics. But Austin was by far the highest on the list for Texas, largely due to local policies and the general lifestyle in the area. Though the green space per capita isn’t as large in the densely populated Austin, the city does go to great lengths to promote outdoor events in public spaces, many of which are free.
There’s a reason Cremation.Green is headquartered in Austin, TX. The city is continuously at the cutting edge of the latest green technology, and leadership has fully bought into going green. In addition to our advanced eco-friendly funeral services, Our Lady of the Rosary, is a green cemetery that’s also located in the metro.
Dallas – A Model for Green Development on a Large Scale
Seven years ago the U.S. Green Building Council highlighted Dallas as one of five cities in Texas that were showing a serious commitment to sustainability. For the Dallas-Fort Worth metro, responsible growth has been the biggest environmental challenge.
Today, Dallas is still recognized for its eco-friendly development and being among the most mindful cities in the country in terms of responsible growth. Dallas has the most LEED certified buildings in Texas, including the first museum to receive platinum LEED status. The George W. Bush Presidential Center is a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of builders in Texas that are able to design and construct structures that don’t negatively impact our beautiful landscape.
Lubbock – Smaller City Making Big Eco-Friendly Improvements
Lubbock has been slowly working its way up the list of green cities and now sits in the admirable 45th spot nationally. Something that’s helped Lubbock has been a solar farm near Fort Hood. It’s just one project that is expanding renewable energy in the area.
City officials are also using less conventional ways of reducing environmental damage. The city has focused heavily on sustainable landscaping as well as improving the wastewater treatment system.
El Paso – Proving Arid Environments Can Be Environmental
El Paso is rarely given the attention it deserves for environmental initiatives. The city was ranked as the 48th greenest city in the county by WalletHub for a reason. It’s taking steps through the El Paso Regional Climate Action Plan to improve energy efficiency at public schools and government buildings as a way to significantly reduce carbon emissions, and it’s working. El Paso has reduced its carbon emissions by 10%.
Houston – Urban Oasis of Green Space
A city that is synonymous with oil isn’t the first place you’d think of for reducing carbon emissions. But crazy enough, Houston has gotten national attention for the efficiency of its transportation system. In addition to oil, Houston is known for having a huge physical footprint. So every mile people can commute using mass transit makes a difference.
The Metro transportation system has been ranked among the best in the U.S. It reduces commute time for tens of thousands of people a day and reduces carbon emissions.
Another high note for Houston is green space. In recent years the city has invested heavily in projects that increase green space, which landed them in the 10th spot for all U.S. cities with 41,514 sq. ft of green space per capita. In true urban lifestyle, Houston is also the location of the largest rooftop park in the world.
No matter where you are in Texas, Cremation.Green can help you get the eco-friendly funeral services you really want. Give us a call, text or email any time of day to learn more about your options and arranging death care services.
