greenwashing

lemme get this straight. you're "building" an "environmentally friendly community" to stop urban sprawl. and right now it's a natural area. ok.

THE FUTURE SITE OF SKY, Florida (AP) -- Homes here could be heated or cooled using the Earth's natural underground temperature. Appliances would be run by solar-powered batteries. Houses would be oriented to avoid the summer sun.

And everyone could grow some of their own food in the garden each house will have or in community orchards. If all goes as planned, the 600 families in this proposed Florida Panhandle town will lessen the carbon they spew into the atmosphere by walking just about everywhere they go, except maybe work or school.

"You've got almost a zero-carbon footprint just by living here," said Bruce White, one of the developers of the town, who envisions creating the climate steward's dream community. "Just by being here you will be an environmentalist."

Part of a growing, $12 billion a year sustainable-building industry, Sky is meant to be the green town of the future -- the way Americans will live when they realize they use too much energy, its developers say. They hope it will serve as an experiment into what can be done to accomplish that goal, and maybe be a model for other communities.

Right now, it's mostly pine trees, grassy meadow, creeks and scattered gladiolus flowers -- which were grown commercially on the property by the previous owner.