Green

Years ago, well before the Green revolution took its proper place among corporate and community priorities; Downtown Greenville had undertaken its downtown re-invention. Today, after rescuing brown field sites and warehouses that many would have torn down, Downtown Greenville stands as one of the most financially successful, environmentally conscious urban renewal initiatives in the nation.

We pride ourselves, as a community, on protecting, sustaining, and improving the environment here in Greenville. It really is a remarkable place with our great weather, beautiful parks, and spectacular mountain views. Therefore, we are in constant pursuit of new ways to preserve these gifts so that everyone can experience the sort of lifestyle we’ve grown accustomed to.

Greenville’s dedication and passion for the Green movement is undeniable. According to a report by The Pew Charitable Trusts, jobs in South Carolina’s clean energy economy grew more than 16 times faster than overall jobs between 1998 and 2007. Upstate Forever has been promoting sensible growth and the protection of special places in the Upstate region of South Carolina since 1998. The membership-based, nonprofit organization covers ten counties (Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg, and Union), and has three main programs: Land Trust, Sustainable Communities, and Clean Air and Water. In addition, BMW Manufacturing Co., who has their headquarters in Greenville, is helping to contribute to the green movement by investing $12 million to expand its landfill methane gas-to-energy program. In fact, recently, BMW received a No. 7 ranking of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new top 20 on-site Green Power Partners. The EPA’s Green Power Partnership recognized BMW for generating some of the most green electricity on-site. Moreover, the GE plant here in Greenville is also contributing by building 60-ton engines of renewable energy.

As Greenville continues to grow and develop, builders are catching on to the community’s passion for the environment as well. Walmart is doing its part by building two eco-friendly stores in the Upstate. Additionally, Three Rivers Valley Development is building 19 new “green” condos in downtown according to Earth Craft standards.

Also located downtown, SynTerra Corporation is an environmental engineering and science consulting firm that is dedicated to bettering the environment by advising clients on important decisions. The Going Green movement has also spawned “Ecopreneurs” in Greenville and attracted Renewable Green Power corporations and initiatives to locate their headquarters.

The City is getting involved by switching the Police department vehicles to more eco-friendly patrol cruiser. The cruisers will be capable of burning gasoline and propane. The Department of Transportation uses bio diesel to fuel some of its Greenlink transit system. In fact, each time a bus is or new vehicle added to the fleet- a bio fueled replacement is delivered. Furthermore, it’s not just the corporations and companies in Greenville that are passionate about preserving our environment. A lot of people, including students and schools, in the community are very involved as well. In fact, 38.3% of Greenville residents volunteer each year, ranking us 7th within the 75 Mid-size cities in the United States, and more than two-thirds of Furman University’s students are active volunteers.

Furman University, located in Northern Greenville, is a mecca for sustainability efforts. Recipient of the Sam Johnson Leadership in Sustainability Award, Furman University is on the cutting-edge of the eco-friendly movement. Not only do they re-use and re- purpose the cooking oil from their cafeteria as fuel for their on Campus vehicles, Furman has six LEED certified buildings. They recently just completed Townes Center for Science, which has a solar aquatic treatment facility, solar thermal panels, rainwater collection procedures, and day-lighting systems. In fact, Southern Living chose Furman University to be the home of the first sustainable showcase home. The Cliffs Cottage Showcase Home is LEED certified and is complete with solar panels and an organic garden in the backyard. This building will soon become Furman’s center for sustainability.

The movement is gaining momentum and extends across a multitude of programs in Greenville. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently selected the Green Avenue Sites in Greenville, South Carolina, to be the location for a small scale, affordable workforce housing redevelopment in order to integrate green building and sustainable design features into a conceptual site plan. Furthermore, The South Carolina Research Authority intends to further strengthen the alternative energy presence in the state and has created a collaboration with the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), Greenville City and County, and Hyperion Partners LLC. Their goal is for South Carolina to lead the nation toward the integration of renewable energy sources into the automotive and other industries.