Solar Roadways? Cool concept!

Solar FREAKIN’ Roadways!

 

 

The brilliant minds behind Solar Roadways published a video detailing their world-changing project earlier this month, but its language didn’t really grab anyone’s attention.

This new one from creator Scott Brusaw, however, most definitely does not make this mistake.

“Solar FREAKIN’ Roadways!” is filled with passionate excitement and specifically targets young adult minds while explaining the capabilities of this invention, which may seriously be the key to the next stage of human evolution.

All Brusaw’s need is a little cash and we can kiss economic woes, pollution and a whole lot of car accidents goodbye forever.

Check out the Indiegogo account.

http://elitedaily.com/news/technology/need-convincing-solar-roadways-worth-funding-video-will-help/604220/

 

 

MORE INFO…

Technology • Sean Levinson • May 14, 2014

 

They can go anywhere and connect to power and data cables, saving us massive amounts of money while making the world a healthier and safer place at the same time.

According to Imgur, Solar Roadways will not only be able to charge electronic cars, but will also pay for themselves, generating enough electricity to power homes and businesses connected through nearby driveways and parking lots.

They can hold trucks weighing 250,000 pounds, cut greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent and maintain enough heat to remain completely free of ice and snow.

Solar Roadways have been tested for traction and impact resistance by civil engineering labs all across the US, proving to be just as efficient in terms of travel as a regular road.

The Brusaws have received two phases of funding from the US Federal Highway Administration, but still need a lot more money to put their world-changing vision into effect.

You can donate on Solar Roadways’ Indiegogo page. As of this morning, $143,497 has been donated towards the goal of $1,000,000.

http://elitedaily.com/news/technology/solar-roadways-change-way-travel-forever-photos/595983/

 

 

 

Tree Thursday - Pudding Pie Tree

Cassia fistula – Golden Shower or Pudding Pie Tree

 

I know I did an article on this species last year but I saw quite of C. fistula trees in bloom along NE 15^th Avenue in Victoria Park, Fort Lauderdale (just south of Sunrise Blvd) yesterday.  I just had to stop and take some photos.  As with many flowering trees, this species goes unnoticed until it does bloom.  The yellow flowers drape down and look as if they are cascading to off the tree, hence the common name – Golden Shower.  Another common name I saw online was Pudding Pie Tree and I’m not sure how it got that name. 

 

The tree is originally from India, grows quickly reaching a height of about 35 feet.   It is semi-deciduous in South Florida.

 

Interesting uses of this tree

The flesh of the fruit is used as a laxative and the bark can be used to treat skin infections.  In India the strongly scented pulp is sometimes added to tobacco and smoked.

( http://www.ntbg.org/plants/plant_details.php?plantid=2430)

 

Here’s some pictures I took yesterday:

 

 

 

 

Pesticides, Not Mites, Cause Honeybee Colony Collapse

Research continues and other factors may come to light.  While I would not say to stop using pesticides, I would say – Use them as a last resort, use them judicially, and ALWAYS FOLLOW THE LABEL! Bees and other insects are very important to our environment and we need to do what we can to protect them.   - Gene

 

Honeybee Colony Collapse

By Gemma Tarlach | May 9, 2014

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2014/05/09/pesticides-not-mites-cause-honeybee-colony-collapse/

 

 

 

Picture by me

 

Researchers racing to find the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which has been killing off honeybees in much of the U.S. and Europe, are zeroing in on the culprit. And — surprise — mites are apparently no longer suspects. But cold winters may be accomplices to the crime.

Studying colonies of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) at three locations in central Massachusetts during the 2012-13 winter, researchers found that two widely-used pesticides were directly responsible for the hive abandonment and death of several colonies. Comparing their results to previous research, the scientists noted that colder winters may aggravate the negative effects of the pesticides.

Pesticide Spread

For the study, appearing today in the Bulletin of Insectology, researchers monitored 18 bee colonies — six in each location — from October 2012 through April 2013. A third of the colonies were exposed to low doses of the pesticide imidacloprid, while another third were exposed to the pesticide clothianidin. Both pesticides belong to the neonicotinoid class and are commonly used in agriculture. The remainder of the colonies were left untreated.

The numbers of bees declined in all 18 colonies with the onset of winter weather, which is the usual seasonal pattern.

In January, however, while the control colony populations began to increase as expected, the number of bees in the treated colonies continued to decline. By April, 50 percent of the treated colonies had been wiped out, showing the hive abandonment pattern typical of CCD.

Parasites Absolved

Researchers noted that one of the control colonies also was lost, but its thousands of dead bees were found inside their hive, showing symptoms of Nosema ceranae, an intestinal parasite. When CCD first emerged in honeybee colonies in the mid 2000s, N. ceranae was put forward as a possible cause. Subsequent research in Europe, however, has suggested N. ceranae was widespread in many areas before CCD and is not associated with the phenomenon.

Although other studies have suggested that pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids, cause bees to become more susceptible to mites or other parasites that then kill off the bees, today’s study found that bees in the CCD hives had the same levels of parasite infestation as the control colonies. This finding led researchers to conclude that pesticides themselves were directly responsible for causing an as-yet-unidentified but lethal danger to the bees.

The team also noted that, in their previous study on a possible link between imidacloprid and CCD in 2012, the mortality rate for treated colonies was significantly higher — 94 percent — with an earlier die-off. The researchers suggested that the unusually cold winter of 2010-11, during which they conducted the study, exacerbated the effects of the pesticide on the bee populations.

CCD threatens not only bees but entire economies and the world food supply. Honeybees pollinate about a third of crops worldwide and, according to some estimates, as much as 80 percent of U.S. crops.

 

 

 

Forests & Cities: Urban Forests

From the American Forests.org website. 

Also, some of why I do what I do! 

The Challenge

• Because of their proximity to human activity, urban forests are exposed to more man-made disturbances than their rural counterparts, which can negatively affect their health, growth and ability to perform ecosystem services.
• Many non-native invasive species and diseases are introduced in urban areas, threatening the urban forest and potentially spreading to rural forests.
• Urban areas are subject to much higher rates of pollution than rural areas, threatening the health of both people and urban forests.
• As urban areas continue to expand, forests become fragmented and destroyed, decimating forest health and biodiversity.
• Urban areas have lost more than 600 million trees to development over the last 30 years, and urban areas are expected to increase substantially over the next 50 years.

Why We Care

American Forests defines urban forests as “ecosystems composed of trees and other vegetation that provide cities and municipalities with environmental, economic and social benefits. They include street and yard trees, vegetation within parks and along public right of ways, water systems, fish and wildlife.” Thus, urban forests are not only just about the trees in the city, but rather they are a critical part of the green infrastructure that makes up the city ecosystem.

All trees provide certain benefits to their ecosystems. In an urban forest, many of those benefits are directly related to the people who live around them. Since more than 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas, it is important to understand the many ecosystems services that our urban forests provide.

Urban forest help purify the air we breathe. Just 100 trees can remove two tons of carbon dioxide from the air annually. Urban trees in the lower U.S. have been found to remove nearly 800,000 tons of air pollution from the atmosphere every year. In the modern day of bustling factories and countless cars on the road, this service of air purification has become more necessary than ever.

The third grade class at Comstock Elementary helps plant flowers and shrubs on campus

Urban forests help manage a city’s water. Because a city has so many impermeable surfaces, rainwater often builds up rather than being absorbed into the ground. This means that even a small rainstorm can cause flooding, as most of the water overflows into the stormwater system rather than into the ground. As the rainwater flows over the pavement, it becomes contaminated with pollutants and may eventually end up in our urban streams and waterways — and even our faucets. Urban forests help in several ways: They intercept rainfall, allowing the water to be absorbed into the tree, roots and soil. This often results in cities not having to build as many artificial stormwater controls, saving the city and its citizens money. Urban forests purify the water on its way into the ground by removing the pollutants collected. The water retained by the urban forest also helps to sustain the growth of the urban trees, parks and vegetation. These services, provided naturally instead of artificially, can save a city billions of dollars each year. In fact, a single front-yard tree can intercept 760 gallons of rainwater in its crown, reducing runoff and flooding on your property.^[1]

Urban forests also help reduce energy demand. When planted in the right place, urban forests provide shade to homes, businesses, roads and parking lots. Anyone who has parked under a tree on a hot day can appreciate the cooling effects of foliage, but did you know that it could also improve your health and save you money? In parking lots, trees help keep the cars cool — 40-50 degrees cooler, in fact— and cooler cars produce less pollution. Shade around your home can do the same thing. Just three large trees around your home, two on the west side and one on the east, can provide enough shade to reduce your air-conditioning costs by 30 percent in the summer. And, when placed properly to reduce wind exposure, they can reduce heating bills in the winter by two to eight percent. In fact, 100 million mature trees growing around homes in the U.S. can save a collective $2 billion every year in energy costs.

These are only a few of the many benefits that urban forests can provide if kept healthy and cared for properly. They also provide bird and wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities, improve soil quality, reduce stress and crime rates, create a natural buffer to reduce the everyday noise of the city, add to your home’s property value and more.

More at http://www.americanforests.org/conservation-programs/urban-forests/

 

 

Today's Tip: Compost

Composting your food and yard waste reduces the amount of garbage you send to landfills and reduces carbon pollution. Using food and kitchen scraps, yard trimmings, and other organic waste to create a compost pile can also help increase soil water retention, decrease erosion, and replace chemical fertilizers.

Learn more about composting at home: http://www2.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home

 

 

Why Not Create a Little Wilderness in Your Neighborhood?

Habitat Restoration Projects Abound in Urban Settings

 

By Andrea Hauser
Associate Editor Sustainability |

Wed May 21, 2014

 

Nature is coming to your doorstep. Or close to it, at least.

The line of demarcation between city and wilderness is fading, with U.S. cities around the country spearheading urban habitat restoration projects. It’s a topic that is getting increased attention.

“Most people’s contact with nature is going to come in the city, so there’s more interest in understanding how plants and animals survive in the city,” said Rebecca Dolan, the managing editor of Urban Naturalist Journal, which was launched this spring in response to a growing interest in urban ecology. Part of the effort is to “understand if a lot of ecologic ideas developed in wild land areas apply in human dominated landscapes.”

While people often think of habitat restoration as a huge project, such as rehabbing a former industrial site, smaller projects also can be effective and cities and counties have developed methods to support them. For example, in King County, Washington, which includes the Seattle metro area, a grant program called Wild Places in City Spaces has been in place for more than 20 years.

The grant has been awarded to a variety of projects, from salmon creek restoration to creating more habitat for migrating birds, but “one thing that they all have is stewardship development,” said Ken Pritchard, grants coordinator for the county’s Water and Land Resources Division. “They’re not done strictly by the city and the city crew or a consulting firm or construction firm.”

Making sure that the community is engaged in the project is an important part of ensuring its long-term success, Pritchard said.

“That’s the purpose, that is one of the things that we absolutely make a requirement, is how engaged is the community in this, in making sure that they keep an eye on it, that they maintain it, that there are educational opportunities for things like school field trips or just casually walking a trail,” he said.

Funding wasn’t available for the grant in 2013 and 2014, but Pritchard said it is coming back for 2015.

“The two years we did not have money to give out, I heard a lot,” he said. “And I think that’s good. It’s not that people were coming to the trough to feed themselves … it’s, ‘Do you know where I can find some resources to do this?’”

Occasionally there will be questions about how grant money is being used or why an area is being restored, but Pritchard said those are pretty rare.

“By and large I think people in the community are very desiring of this,” he said. “One thing I’ve heard is … this is just a plaything, this is not important. But a bunch of neighbors get together and truly believe this is a cornerstone of the northwest ecosystem, who’s to tell them they’re wrong? It really creates an environmental ethic and they carry that will them, and that will affect others who they come in touch with.”

One program that received funding from the Wild Places grant was the Natural Yard Care Neighborhoods program, in the City of Kirkland, Wash. The program brings urban habitat restoration projects down to a small scale, focusing on resident’s lawn care and gardening practices.

The yard care program emphasizes five steps to a healthy lawn, which include encouraging participants to reduce or eliminate pesticide use, use smart watering techniques and consider the benefits of native plants in their gardens and yards, creating small habitats with cheaper and easier maintenance, said Jenny Gaus, a surface water engineering supervisor for the City of Kirkland.

“In recent years we’ve added rain gardens and benefits, so it draws people in because … the idea you can make it less expensive and easier to maintain your yard, and can also have all these environmental benefits, we try to sell it as a win-win,” she said.

The program targets a different neighborhood in Kirkland every year and usually attracts 70-100 participants, Gaus said, adding that educating the entire neighborhood is an important part of getting everyone to buy into the new lawn care ideas. For example, since the Pacific Northwest gets very little rain during May-September, the program highlights trying a “golden lawn,” to encourage more responsible water use.

“A huge part of this is cultural change,” she said. “If you’re going to have a lawn and have to water it, to talk about smart watering techniques and that it’s OK to have a golden lawn. We’ve done follow-up surveys – three months, six months – and find that in general people have changed their behaviors and are supportive of the program.”

Including community stakeholders in a habitat restoration project is an essential part of its long-term success, said Mark Laska, president of Great Ecology, which plans urban habitat restoration projects around the country.

“We communicated our vision and what we’d like to accomplish there, then we get feedback,” he said. “Typically the practitioners of habitat restoration are always engaged in the community development aspect of this.”

In business since 2001, Laska’s company has expanded to five different offices around the country, with a sixth opening soon. The company works on projects for both public and private entities, coordinating the site prep work, design and development.

“That’s a wholesale change from 10-15 years ago, and we’re starting to see it a lot more today,” Laska said. “There are a lot of folks that are focused on this and there are a lot of cities that would like to see natural habitats returned to urban areas. I think it’s occurring all over the place.”

Restoring wetland habitats are some of the most popular projects his firm does, Laska said, with the Brooklyn Bridge Park wetlands, in Brooklyn, N.Y., one of the most visible they’ve worked on. While wetlands are natural habitats for many different species, migratory birds usually get the most attention.

“In general in an urban setting there is a heavy emphasis on birds,” he said. “You don’t want to bring coyotes, bears and large mammals into an urban setting, and a lot of wetland restoration definitely promotes and helps fish populations, but it’s hard to see them and hard to get excited. Birds are highly mobile and people love seeing waterfowl.”

Considering what kinds of wildlife a restoration project might attract is an important part of a project, especially if it’s near a busy road or residential area.

“Along with creating habitats for them, we have to expect the possibility that they’ll show up and use them,” Laska said.

Link to original article

 

 

 

 

 

35 Ways to Succeed at Organic Gardening

Here are nearly three dozen easy, green ways to care for your yard and garden.

 

By Colleen Vanderlinden
Harper Woods, MI, USA | Jul 23  2009

 

Going green in the garden is a great way to start living a greener life overall. Here are some simple ideas to help you grow a greener, healthier garden.

 

Water Wisely

 

1.            Mulch everything (vegetable gardens, perennial borders, containers) to conserve water.
               Organic materials, such as shredded bark, chopped leaves, grass clippings, or straw, are
               best.

2.            Water at soil level through drip irrigation or soaker hoses. Overhead watering is wasteful
               and can contribute to plant fungal issues.

3.            Or, even better, use a watering can, and selectively water only those plants that need it
               rather than watering an entire area.

4.            When you water the garden, do so deeply and infrequently. Don't water until the top
                inch of soil feels dry, then be sure to really give plants a good watering. This
                encourages the roots to grow deep, making the plant more drought-tolerant
                and healthier overall.

5.            Consider using gray water to irrigate flowerbeds or perennial borders.

 

Green Pest and Disease Control

 

6.            Say it with me: "No chemical pesticides!" Thank you.

7.            The best way to deal with large insect pests such as beetles, larvae, and slugs, is to pick
               them off of your plants by hand and drop them into a cup of soapy water.

8.            For smaller pests, you can try spraying them with soapy water. The soap breaks down their
               outer coating and the result is deadly for them.

9.            A blast of water from the hose will take care of many insect pests, including aphids.

10.          Help prevent powdery mildew by not planting too closely, and not watering the foliage.

11.          Mulching heavily (at least 3 inches) around garden plants helps protect them from many
               soil-borne fungi, including black spot, tomato leaf spot, and powdery mildew.

12.          Protect vegetable garden crops from pests like cabbage loopers, Colorado potato beetles,
               and cucumber beetles by covering the plants with floating row covers.

 

Organic Lawn Care

 

13.          Mow high. Set your mower at its highest setting. Taller grass shades the soil, which helps
                keep it cool and moist, and also prevents weed seeds from sprouting.

14.          Use a mulching mower. Mulching mowers (there are reel mowers that mulch as well!) help
               your lawn by returning all of those clippings to the soil, where they nourish the grass and
               help conserve moisture.

15.          Clover in the lawn is a good thing. The clover fixes nitrogen in its roots, making it available
               to the surrounding turfgrass. The result? Greener, healthier grass. Plus, the clover provides
               food for the bees.

16.          Fertilize with manure, fish emulsion, or a top-dressing of compost in early spring where
               winters are frigid and late fall where winters are mild. Do it again in late summer, if you
               want.

17.          Apply corn gluten meal, an all-natural, organic material, as a pre-emergent crabgrass and
               dandelion treatment.

18.          You noticed that I didn't mention watering ? That's because you really don't have to
                water your lawn. Cool season lawn grasses naturally go dormant in the hottest,
                driest part of the year, and naturally green up again when temperatures
                and precipitation normalize. Trying to keep them green when they would
                naturally go dormant is a waste of time and resources.

19.          Oh, you don't want a brown lawn? Consider replacing it with a ground cover, meadow
               planting, or other lawn alternative.

 

Getting Sane About Weeds

 

20.          Pulling weeds is the single most effective organic method for removing them. Yes, it takes
               time. But it works.

21.          Decide whether having a weed free garden really matters (but I can assure you that
               there is no such thing as "weed-free.") Many weeds, including dandelions, provide
               valuable food sources for beneficial insects.

22.          If lawn weeds are driving you nuts, consider reducing your lawn area or removing it all
               together. Replace it with mulched garden beds or patio areas and kiss your lawn weed
               problems good-bye.

23.          If you have weeds growing in sidewalk or driveway cracks, either pull them or hit them
               with a dose of boiling water---no chemicals necessary!

24.          When you do pull those weeds, compost them!

 

Compost is King

 

25.          Make a compost pile where it is accessible to the garden, because you will be putting items
               into the pile often.

26.          Composting doesn't have to be complicated. Any pile of organic matter will break down
               over time. The important thing is to do it, rather than obsessing over perfection.

27.          Keeping the pile moist, but not soaking wet, will help the contents break down faster.

28.          Anything from a freestanding pile to a fancy tumbler will work well. What you
               choose depends on the available space you have, how much material you expect
               to add to your compost, and your own aesthetic preferences. You can spend as
               much or as little as you want.

29.          No yard? Try vermicomposting. A worm bin can fit in a cabinet under your kitchen sink, in
               a corner of a room, or in a basement.

30.          While many surprising things can be added to a compost pile, a few things should be
               avoided. Don't add meat or dairy to your pile. It will stink and attract pests.

 

Encourage Beneficials

 

31.          If you can entice a toad to take up residence in your yard, he or she will repay you
               by eating all types of insect pests. Provide a home for toads by setting a clay pot
               on its side in the garden – this is an excellent re-use for a broken pot.

32.          Plant flowering plants to provide food sources for pollinating insects.

33.          Attract beneficial insects, such as lady bugs and lacewings, by planting plenty
               of flowering plants, providing areas for them to hide (if you mulch or have shrubs,
               you've got this covered) and, of course, not using chemical pesticides.

34.          Bats can eat up to 3,000 mosquitoes per night – definitely worth inviting to stay a while.
               You can entice them to your yard by buying or building a bat box and installing it in your
               yard in early spring.

35.          Let's not forget the earth-movers beneath our feet. Keep earthworms happy and busy
               aerating and fertilizing your garden by covering any bare soil with mulch and not disrupting
               the soil more than you have to.

 

Greening your yard and garden isn't complicated, expensive, or difficult. If you pay attention, spend some time checking for signs of trouble, and make your yard a haven for all types of life, you'll have the greenest yard on the block.

 

 

 

Today's Tip: Reduce food waste

 

Thirteen percent of carbon pollution emissions in the United States are associated with the growing, manufacturing, transporting, and disposing of food. More food reaches landfills and incinerators than any other single material in municipal solid waste. In 2012 alone, more than 36 million tons of food waste was generated, with only five percent diverted from landfills and incinerators for composting. Reducing the amount of food wasted has significant economic, social & environmental benefits -- including the reduction of carbon pollution.

Reducing food waste reduces methane and other greenhouse gas emissions and improves sanitation, public safety, and overall health. By reducing the amount of food we waste, we can reduce carbon pollution and improve quality of life for Americans.

Learn more: http://www2.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-wasted-food-basics

 

 

 

“How’s My Waterway” Now More User-Friendly

For those of you that live, work or play on a waterway!

 

"How's My Waterway" App Lets Users Check Health of Waterways Anywhere in the US

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an enhanced version of "How's My Waterway," an app and website to help people find information on the condition of thousands of lakes, rivers and streams across the United States from their smart phone, tablet or desktop computer.

The How's My Waterway app and website, http://www.epa.gov/mywaterway, uses GPS technology or a user-entered zip code or city name to provide information about the quality of local water bodies. The new version of the site includes data on local drinking water sources, watersheds and efforts to protect waterways, as well as a map-oriented version of "How's My Waterway" designed for museum kiosks, displays and touch screens, available at: http://watersgeo.epa.gov/mywaterway/kiosk/.

"Communities and neighborhoods across the U.S. want to know that their local lakes, rivers and streams are healthy and safe to enjoy with their families, and providing that information is a priority for EPA," said acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water Nancy Stoner. "The enhanced version of 'How's My Waterway' provides easy, user-friendly access to the health of the places we swim, fish and boat, where we get our drinking water, and what is being done to curb water pollution. People can get this information whether researching at a desktop or standing streamside looking at a smart phone."

The enhanced version includes new data and improvements based on user feedback to the original site, including localized information on:
•         The waterways that supply drinking water to communities.
•         The health of watersheds and organizations working to protect watersheds.
•         Permits that limit pollutant discharge into waterways.
•         Efforts to restore waterways to protect and improve fish habitats by the National Fish Habitat Partnerships.

Here's how to use "How's My Waterway":

• SEARCH: Go to http://www.epa.gov/mywaterway and allow GPS technology to identify the nearest streams, rivers or lakes or enter a zip code or city name.

• REVIEW: Instantly receive a list of waterways within five miles of the search location. Each waterway is identified as unpolluted, polluted or un-assessed. A map option offers the user a view of the search area with the results color-coded by assessment status.

• DISCOVER: Once a specific lake, river or stream is selected, the How's My Waterway app and website provides information on the type of pollution reported for that waterway and what has been done by EPA and the states to reduce it. Additional reports and technical information is available for many waterways. Read simple descriptions of each type of water pollutant, including pollutant type, likely sources and potential health risks.

• EXPLORE: Related links page connects users to popular water information on beaches, drinking water and fish and wildlife habitat based on a user's search criteria.

EPA will also host a free webinar for the public on the new features of How's My Waterway on April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. EDT. More information on the webinar: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/427306106

 

 

 

Friday Funny

 

Inventive Repurposing!

 

 

 

Fort Lauderdale Named Fifth Greenest Midsized City

By Chris Joseph Tue., May 13 2014

 

 

At a time when climate change is the big topic of discussion and debate between scientists and politicians, Fort Lauderdale is at least doing its part to make sure things get green.

The city is doing so much for the environment, in fact, that it was named among the top ten greenest midsized cities in the U.S.

Add this to the fact that it has been found at the top of the list in safest cities, cities with best downtowns, and most exciting cities and it's just more evidence that Fort Lauderdale is all kinds of awesome.

See also: Downtown Fort Lauderdale Named Among Top Ten Downtowns in U.S.

The folks over at mylife.com put together the green list by scouring through 189 midsized cities, determined by population via the 2012 U.S. Census Bureau.

From there, they broke things down with a ranking system (1 being tops; 189 being the pits) in several categories, including the number of public parks each city had and the number of recycling centers residents have access to.

They also broke down just how eco-friendly the residents of each city are and how big of a carbon footprint they leave determined by how much walking they do as opposed to driving.

With the help of websites like Yelp.com and walkscore.com, MyLife was able to tally up the scores and found that, among the 189 cities studied, Fort Lauderdale ranks number five. Not too shabby.

"Each city was given a score based on their rankings in each category," the website says. "Scores from each category were combined and divided to find an average. The lower the average number was, the better the city ranked."

Finishing just ahead of Fort Lauderdale: Alexandria, Virginia; Hayward, California; Pasadena, California; and Richmond, Virginia.

From mylife.com:

A city with palm trees and pristine beaches showed itself to be quite easy to get around without a car; Fort Lauderdale ranked 33rd out of 189 cities in walk score. They also ranked in the top ten in the number of public parks and number of recycling centers categories.

Fort Lauderdale is the only midsized city to get anywhere near the top ten in Florida, with West Palm Beach coming in at 43, Pompano Beach at 45, and Hollywood at 67.

Other Florida midsized cities were ranked toward the bottom, with Tallahassee at 93, Clearwater at 143. Miami Gardens 172, Miramar 181 and Palm Bay 184.

Florida cities also made up the bottom two, with Cape Coral at 188 and Port St. Lucie at 189.

You can see the Top Ten List here.

 

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2014/05/fort_lauderdale_named_a_top_te.php