How “Green” Is The City Of Charlotte? New Study Has Surprising Answer
A lot of people are interested in “green” living these days, choosing to focus on sustainable habits to help preserve the planet. Research shows that around 52% of Americans believe that protecting the environment should be prioritized over economic growth. There are all kinds of things people can do to help the Earth and a new report reveals which cities are doing a better job with being environmentally friendly and working toward sustainability. Just how green is the city of Charlotte? A new study from WalletHub has a surprising answer.
- WalletHub’s list of 2023’s Greenest Cities in America is out.
- It compares the 100 biggest cities on 28 “green indicators” in the main categories of environment, transportation, energy sources and lifestyle & policy.
- The indicators include everything from green job opportunities to smart-energy policies to farmer’s markets per capita.
- This year’s Greenest City in the U.S. is San Diego, California, which comes in second for energy sources, third for lifestyle & policy, and fourth for environment.
- The state of California seems to be doing a great job at being green, as it’s home to five of the top 10 cities on the list.
- The least green city is Gilbert, Arizona. which is dead last for the environment.
- Charlotte landed at number 53 on the list. We had an overall score of 48. 31 for environment, 52 for transportation, 64 for energy resources and 52 for lifestyle.
I was surprised Charlotte wasn’t closer to the top of the list. We don’t have a huge amount of factories causing pollution. We have green buses and plenty of great greenways and parks too! Plus, look around. Tesla’s are everywhere haha.
Top 10 Greenest Cities in the U.S.
(Check out the complete list here)
- San Diego, California
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Portland, Oregon
- Washington, D.C.
- Seattle, Washington
- San Jose, California
- San Francisco, California
- Oakland, California
- Fremont, California
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
North Carolina Apple Orchard Voted One Of The Best In The Nation
1. Mercier Orchards Blueridge, Georgia
Welcome to Georgia (Getty)
Nothing says apple-picking like the “Peach State.” Well, it’s true. Mercier Orchards in Blueridge, Georgia takes the top spot on the list. The veteran-owned orchard also features a winery with hard cider tastings. Yumm!
2. Jaswell’s Farm (Smithfield, Rhode Island)
Who would think Rhode Island was home to a great orchard? They are apparently. Study Finds says the apple fritters are to die for. Then they also have caramel/chocolate/Oreo-covered apples. Yummm! I’m going!
3. Sky Top Orchard (Flat Rock, North Carolina)
(Shutterstock)
Home sweet home! Sky Top in Flat Rock has been running for decades! They offer more than 20 apple varieties to pick from August through October. The farm is huge with over 100 acres atop Mount McAlpine in Flat Rock. Perfect for picture taking!
4. Carter Mountain Orchard (Charlottesville, VA)
(Photo by Jeff T. Green/Getty Images)
At Carter Mountain Orchard you can pick over 20 varieties of apples. Good ones like; Fuji, Pink Lady, and York. There’s hayrides around the property and enjoying fresh-pressed apple cider, apple cider doughnuts, and wine. While there you can take in the views from the observation deck overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains.
5. Applecrest Farm Orchards (Hampton Falls, New Hampshire)
My cousin swears New Hampshire is a great place. I’ve never been. But he goes to his vacation house near Applecrest Farm Orchards. You can listen to bluegrass music, go apple picking, jump on hayrides too!
