Keesler making strides in the ‘green’ arena Published April 10, 2009 By Marcella Whitfield Base resource efficiency manager KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS -- The other day I asked a car dealer if he had any green cars on his lot. He asked me what shade of green I wanted. I thought that was pretty funny, considering the fact that I was looking for a hybrid automobile. That statement does make one thing very clear. In some regards, South Mississippi is just now jumping on board with the rest of the country's green streak. And while it seems like many other places in the world are leaps and bounds above the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the "green" arena, we're catching up quickly. As a leader in the community, Keesler initiated the largest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified residential project in the United States, with 736 homes going for LEED certification. Before the project began, there were only 80 LEED homes in the entire country! Not only is a LEED home safer and more durable, but it also has lower energy and water bills, reduced greenhouse emissions and fewer problems with mold and indoor toxins. On another front, recycling has come back to the coast, and many of our businesses participate by doing their share of diverting massive streams of recyclables from the landfills in our state. Driven by economic times,, these same businesses are relying on being green to help them cut some costs. Business owners are using energy and water-saving operating measures to trim the fat from their bills. For many businesses, being green is also helping them stay in business. On the home front, we are seeing more commercials that tout "green messages." One local news station even has a weekly "green segment." In some homes, our children are teaching us how to be green. They're encouraging us to unplug unused appliances and asking us to buy the reusable grocery bag at the checkout aisle. Some children understand that what they do right now to help the environment will help affect the world they live in tomorrow, and that's a special message for all of us. If you're curious about how you can be green,come to Keesler's Great Green Expo, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 22. The entire base is encouraged to bring their lunch out to marina park and take a look at the 29 exhibitors and enjoy music from our live DJ. The expo will offer lots of great information on the local environment and wildlife, saving energy and water, living more sustainably and other important "green" topics. Trees will be given out to the first 200 visitors. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is bringing in a few wild friends to share. Mississippi Power will be giving out energy-saving light bulbs. There will be "green cars" and solar panel demonstrations -- you can even sign up for a tour of a LEED home. Kermit the Frog has said on numerous occasions, "It's not easy being green." This may have been true for Kermit, but lately it's getting a whole lot easier to be green. The new question is now not "Are you going green?" but "What shade of green are you?" Come out to the expo and try to find what shade of green you are.