“Green” used to be just a color. Now it’s a way of life. Everything from household trash to billion dollar industrial plants can be “green” – meaning we undertake an activity mindful of the impact we’re having on our environment.

We use the word “green” because it’s the most ubiquitous color in nature. In cities we’ve coined a term for urban nature – Green Space.

In New Orleans we have one of the oldest and biggest green spaces in the country. It’s home to an 800 year old oak tree. A carousel. A sculpture garden. A farm. Festival grounds. And much more. You’d think we’d come up with a grander name for such a grand domain but we simply call it, City Park.

John Hopper, Chief Development Officer and Public Affairs Director of City Park, joins Peter on today’s Out to Lunch.

One of the earliest elements of the green movement was recycling. Which is typically plastic, paper and glass. In New Orleans we also recycle houses. And paint. At The Green Project you can get paint that was otherwise headed for the dump, and almost any piece of building material, salvaged from demolished or renovated houses.

The Director of Development at the Green Project, Christal White, is Peter’s guest on Out to Lunch.

In the You Heard It Here First segment of the show, Greg Harris introduces his entrepreneurial concept for resurrecting the spirit of community with a dash of commerce, MEUSU. You can hear a longer conversation about MEUSU here.

The photos on this page were taken at Commander’s Palace by Chet Overall.