Holy Igloo, Batman! The New York Times reports that after an avalanche destroyed the energy transmitters that provide Juneau, Alaska with 80% of its power, the town is suddenly the bastion of green:

 JUNEAU, Alaska
— Conservationists swoon at the possibility of it all. Here in Alaska,
where melting arctic ice and eroding coastlines have made global warming
an urgent threat, this little city has cut its electricity use by more
than 30 percent in a matter of weeks, instantly establishing itself as
a role model for how to go green, and fast.

How are they doing it?  Some of its calculating the cost of things, sure. 

Comfort has been recalibrated. The public sauna has been closed and the
lights have been dimmed at the indoor community pool. At the library,
one of the two elevators was shut down after someone figured out it
cost 20 cents for each round trip. The thermostat at the convention
center was dialed down eight degrees, to 60. The marquee outside is
dark....

...Hotels consult safety regulations to be sure they have not unscrewed
too many light bulbs in the hallways. On a recent weekday, all but one
of the dozens of television screens on display at the big Fred Meyer
store were black — off, that is.

 But what got me most excited was one line, "Schoolchildren sacrifice Nintendo time and boast at show-and-tell of kilowatts saved." How awesome is that?!? The teacher that came up with it should get an award--elementary schools should definitly be on the frontlines of teaching sustainable habits.