Popular Science magazine earlier this year named Thousand Oaks one of the Top 50 Greenest Cities in the United States.

The top cities were lauded by the magazine as trailblazers, ahead of the federal government and "examples of what's possible when elected officials and local business leaders back up their green visions with scientific knowhow, clout and creative funding."

First on the list was Portland, Ore., because, according to Popular Science, "half of its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of the work force commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation and it has 35 buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council," an organization that rates buildings according to how environmentally friendly they are.

San Francisco came in second, followed by Boston, where a plant that will turn 50,000 tons of leaves into power and fertilizer is in the works. Bacteria feeding on yard clippings and leaves will make methane gas that will power generators, the magazine reported.

Thousand Oaks ranked No. 48, followed by Stockton, Calif., and Greensboro, N.C.

According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, Thousand Oaks has long been a model for local government recycling and waste reduction.

The city selfgenerates 25 percent of the power used in city buildings that include the Civic Arts Plaza and libraries, said public works director Mark Watkins.

The unlikely jewel of the city's green initiatives is Thousand Oaks' Hill Canyon Waste Water Treatment Plant because of its use of solar energy and the creative way the treatment plant captures heat and steam, a natural byproduct of cleaning waste water. The energy given off is captured and regenerated, said Stan Hakes, public works senior analyst. Extra water from the plant is poured into a city-created natural wetland site that attracts wildlife.

The city is also busy planting trees—thousands of them—to beautify the roadways, most recently along Lynn Road and on Hillcrest near The Oaks mall, Watkins said.

They're even planted where they can't be easily seen, such as a forest of more than 1,000 small oak trees being planted between La Jolla Drive's dead end and the 23 Freeway. It's being nurtured for future generations to enjoy, Hakes said.

The city's large amount of open space also contributes to its environmentally friendly rating, Hake said.

And its roads aren't just paved with good intentions; they're covered with asphalt that's been combined with more than 1.5 million recycled tires, Hake said.

"If you lined tires on both sides of every street in Thousand Oaks—that's how many tires we've recycled in our asphalt," Watkins said.

It costs more for the recycled tire/asphalt blend, but it's worth it in the end because it adds to road life, Hakes said.

"This asphalt is ultravioletresistant and goodwearing, flexible," Watkins said.

The pavement isn't the only environmentfriendly item residents pass when they're driving.

Street lamps have been updated to LED (light emitting diode) lights that use about onetenth the power of the former conventional lights, Watkins said. Because of this, the city's been able to add backup batteries to all the traffic lights, preventing blackouts during a power outage.

City buses run on compressed natural gas, and some municipal vehicles are electric or hybrid, Watkins said. The city even recycles fuel and antifreeze for its vehicles when possible.

T.O. also helps citizens recycle. The hazardous household waste drop-offs often accumulate new, unopened antifreeze, brake fluid, fertilizer, paint and other items that are then turned around and offered to the public free of charge, Hakes said.

Getting recognized as a model city for the environment wasn't an accident.

"We're trying to be leaders. We want to show others how easily it can be done," Watkins said.