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      Putting the "Green" in Greensburg: A Tornado-Ravaged Town Reinvents Itself

      Can a small Kansas town leveled by a twister revive its fortunes by becoming an energy-efficient, eco-conscious community?

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      Credits: EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

      Putting the "Green" in Greensburg: A Tornado-Ravaged Town Reinvents Itself

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      • THE STARS (AND PLANETS) ABOVE The planets Venus [top] and Jupiter shine over rebuilt homes and empty lots in Greensburg, Kan., on a cold night in December 2008. EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
      • TREES VS. TWISTER Greensburg's Peace Lutheran Church meets in a manufactured modular unit set onto a wooden frame foundation on the site of its former church, ringed by empty lots; it plans to rebuild eventually... EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
      • TOWARD NEW STANDARDS NREL project manager Lynn Billman, intern Alexander Dane, and architect–engineer John K. Holton have been offering Greensburg guidance on rebuilding the town’s businesses and homes to be highly energy-efficient as well as consulting on the adoption of a green building code... EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
      • DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR? The Silo eco-home was much further along by the time GreenTown and Armour Homes dropped a car on it from a height of 60 feet, on April 9, 2009.  The stunt demonstrated that the home could withstand a 160,000-pound impact on its roof or side -- a useful quality in a region prone to tornadoes... EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
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      • EFFICIENCY AT HOME The Silo eco-home, shortly after groundbreaking in early December, 2008. Green features will include solar-powered electricity, a roof vegetable garden, and passive ventilation. EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
      • A STRONG SILO Florida-based Armour Homes has designed and built the Silo. The home is being built using materials and techniques similar to those used for grain silos; its concrete walls and cylindrical shape will give it the strength to resist winds up to 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour... EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
      • A NEW KIND OF SILO The corner lot for Greensburg GreenTown's first eco-home, the Silo.  Daniel Wallach thinks locals are open to the unorthodox design: "The grain silo was one of the only things that survived the tornado," he says... EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
      • "SOLAR"-POWERED The incubator opened on April 24, 2009 after about six months of construction.  It rents about 10 spaces to small businesses, and provides them with technical assistance to help rebuild Greensburg's economy... EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
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      • HERE COME THE SUN CHIPS Greensburg's "Sun Chips Business Incubator" in early December, 2008, shortly after construction began. Sponsored by the USDA and Frito-Lay, the building has been designed and constructed to the LEED Platinum standard... EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
      • RENOVATING THE ROBINETT The S. D. Robinett Building, built in 1915, was the only structure in Greensburg’s business district to survive the May 2007 tornado. Owners Gary and Erica Goodman hope to operate an antiques store on the first floor and live on the second... EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
      • ARTS AND EFFICIENCY The 5.4.7 Arts Center, located in the center of Greensburg, is Kansas's first LEED Platinum building. Designed and built by University of Kansas architecture students, it gets energy from three 600-watt wind turbines connected to a bank of batteries, along with photovoltaic panels on the roof... EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
      • A MAYOR'S SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY Bob Dixson, mayor of Greensburg, believes that although going green will improve the town's economy, "the main thing is that it's the right, prudent, responsible thing to do. It's about being good stewards of the resources that we've been blessed with on this Earth."... EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
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      • ECOTOURISM IN KANSAS? Daniel Wallach, founder and director of Greensburg GreenTown, hopes to fund and build 12 homes, each featuring different architecture and green features. He envisions Greensburg as an ecotourist destination for people who want to book stays at the homes and "try on" green living... EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
      • THE WATER OF TOWN LIFE The May, 4 2007, tornado turned Greensburg’s old water tower into a twisted pile of metal wreckage. The new water tower was dedicated on May 3, 2008. To some it symbolizes the city’s comeback... EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
      • A STILL-STANDING SILO Greensburg’s grain silo was one of the few structures left after the May 2007 tornado obliterated the town. EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
      • A TOWN BLOWN AWAY One of many residential lots for sale in Greensburg, flanked to the south and west by rebuilt homes. Around 900 people remain from a pre-tornado population of 1,500. EMILY GERTZ/© SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
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      • Previous
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      of
      • View all
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      • THE STARS (AND PLANETS) ABOVE
      • TREES VS. TWISTER
      • TOWARD NEW STANDARDS
      • DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR?
      • EFFICIENCY AT HOME
      • A STRONG SILO
      • A NEW KIND OF SILO
      • "SOLAR"-POWERED
      • HERE COME THE SUN CHIPS
      • RENOVATING THE ROBINETT
      • ARTS AND EFFICIENCY
      • A MAYOR'S SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY
      • ECOTOURISM IN KANSAS?
      • THE WATER OF TOWN LIFE
      • A STILL-STANDING SILO
      • A TOWN BLOWN AWAY
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