Yahoo! has announced that Hastings, NE, has won the company’s “Be a Better Planet” Greenest City in America challenge. As winner, the city will receive $250,000 in cash to help them with build more green projects in union with Global Green USA.

The top 10 cities in America, ranked by Yahoo, are:
1. Hastings, Nebraska
2. Pelzer, South Carolina
3. San Carlos, California
4. Mill Valley, California
5. Topeka, Kansas
6. Dover, Delaware
7. Spring, Texas
8. Lawrence, Kansas
9. Walnut Creek, California
10. Fairfax, Virginia

In addition to the top prize, the top 5 placed cities were also rewarded with a delivery of thousands of energy-efficient light bulbs.

Over 350 cities competed for the title which aimed to get Americans to take more action against climate change. Yahoo’s campaign encouraged users to use their tools to help become better planetarians.

The winning city was also given the choice of a gift of a fleet of hybrid taxi cabs or the $250,000 cash donation. Hastings chose to take the money so that it can boost it’s current environmental programs.

Some of the current schemes the city has in place are
- the conversion of methane to energy at it’s pollution control centre
- local production of ethanol E85
- a big network of parks including hiking and biking reails
- energy-efficient street lights

Global Green USA will help Hastings identify areas where they can improve or introduce new schemes such as the expansion of renewable energy programs and energy-efficient restorations for some of the city’s buildings.

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