By james art 
Climate change is now affecting how Americans choose to live
Many places in the US have reached a climate change “tipping point”. The population declines as the floods become unbearable.
Do you consider yourself energy conscious or perhaps green? What about your whole city?
WalletHub has released its Most Sustainable Cities report, with analysts looking to determine which U.S. cities are prioritizing sustainability and investing the most in protecting the environment.
Wondering if a city in Florida ranked at the top for most sustainable? Think again—none of the Sunshine State’s cities placed anywhere in the top 35. However, one city did see a high ranking, just on the other side of the rankings.
What does a ‘sustainable city’ mean? How WalletHub Determines Rankings
According to insurance company The Zebra, a sustainable city is one designed to address social, environmental and economic impacts through urban planning and urban governance.
WalletHub analysts compared the 100 largest U.S. cities on 28 key environmental and sustainability metrics, from per capita greenhouse gas emissions and water quality to sustainability job opportunities.
The indicators were then grouped into four categories: environmental quality, transport habits and initiatives, energy sources and sustainability policies. Each city was given a score in each category and the scores were combined to produce an overall ranking, from cities leading in green initiatives to those lagging behind.
Which Florida city is among the least sustainable in the country?
Hialeah, in South Florida’s Miami-Dade County, is the second least green city in the country, seeing an overall environmental ranking of 94 out of 100.
According to analysts, the city ranks particularly poorly for transport and energy resources. He saw a place in the middle of the ranking for lifestyle and politics.
What are the least sustainable cities in America?
Glendale, Arizona topped the list of America’s least sustainable cities, ranking poorly in all of the study’s categories, particularly low on environmental quality measures.
Here are the 10 least green cities, ranked from least to most sustainable, according to WalletHub.
- Glendale, Arizona
- Hialeah, Florida
- Houston
- Mesa, Arizona
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Gilbert, Arizona
- Chandler, Arizona
- Newark, New Jersey
- Detroit
- Louisville, Kentucky
Which is the most sustainable city? Check the other side of the country
WalletHub has named San Diego the greenest city in America. It is the country’s leader in the number of solar panel installations per capita.
Over 43% of the city’s electricity comes from renewable sources, the seventh highest percentage in the country.
“One major positive impact of San Diego’s green practices is that it has the second-lowest urban heat island effect index in the country,” WalletHub wrote. “This means that there is only a relatively small difference between the average temperature in the city and its less developed immediate surroundings. In other words, using green energy in San Diego helps keep it from being an overly hot urban environment. “
Top 10 Most Sustainable Cities in the US, According to WalletHub
- San Diego
- Washington, DC
- Honolulu
- San Francisco
- San Jose, California
- Seattle
- Oakland, California
- Portland, Oregon
- Fremont, California
- Irvine, California
What are the easy ways to contribute to a greener city?
Here are some simple ways people can implement green practices without much cost or effort, according to DePaolis and WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo:
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by sharing rides, using public transportation, biking, walking, and generally using motor vehicles less often.
- Reduce the use of plastic items.
- Recycle.
- Wash clothes less often. Wearing your clothes just 20 percent longer can create “a huge contribution to reducing raw material yield, energy and water consumption in production, and transportation impact,” DePaolis said.
- Buy local. This helps reduce the transport component of carbon equivalent emissions.
- Reducing consumption is another way to reduce the carbon footprint of Arizona communities.
- Consider applying for government incentives to install solar panels, which are often almost free for single-family homeowners.
Contributing Report: Laura Daniela Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic