Posted February 22, 2008

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee -- The CBS News Early Show recommended Chattanooga this week as one of the best environmentally-friendly places in the world to visit on vacation. The salute to Chattanooga also appeared on the network’s www.CBSNews.com website. 

Chattanooga was described on the February 19 edition of the CBS program as “a walk able and bike-friendly city, very eco-oriented.”

“This coverage places Chattanooga among the world’s great eco-friendly destinations,” said J.Ed. Marston, vice president for marketing and communication at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.

The other featured “green” vacation spots were the Galapagos Islands, Car-Free Islands and Burlington, VT.

“To be mentioned in the same breath with the celebrated Galapagos Islands is high praise indeed,” Marston said, “and will support the Chamber’s efforts to call attention to our respect for the environment through our industries and the way we live as individuals.

The report noted that “Memphis loves to sing the blues, but in Chattanooga, the tune is ‘Go Green.’  The river town has come a long way since being designated America's most polluted city in 1969. Today, 22 miles of once inaccessible riverfront have been reclaimed for public use, and revitalization projects have made the city a model eco town and tourist hotspot.”

Plenty magazine editor Jessica Tzerman presented the report.

To read the full report log on to http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/19/earlyshow/living/travel/main3844136.shtml.