Skyscrapers, pollution, traffic jams, dense (and growing population): That’s Manhattan. But could it possibly be the greenest city in America?

That’s the claim of David Owen’s new book Green Metropolis. Owen used to live in Manhattan, before moving to Northwestern Connecticut, a move he’s called an ecological disaster. Though his family now has easier access to leafy green spaces, clean air, and local produce---it’s a version of American life that isn’t quite sustainable. He says you can drive a Prius to your suburban home decked out with solar panels—and you still don’t have an environmental leg up on a New Yorker. He says it’s a climate predicament we can’t buy our way out of.

Join the conversation – is your urban existence as “green” as it could be? Leave your questions and comments below.

Today's program originally aired on October 13, 2009.