Just over the Nevada border in Nipton, Calif., one man is trying to turn his wholly owned ghost town into model for sustainable living. It helps to actually own the place. That means less red tape for his visionary green town. From the L.A. Times:

For a quarter-century, Freeman struggled to make much of the place, spending roughly $1 million on restoration costs. About 20 people eventually moved into town, most living in recreational vehicles and trailers.

But now Freeman thinks he's finally figured out a way to turn Nipton into a boomtown.

He put up rows of gleaming solar panels, and recently began selling hats emblazoned with the hamlet's new motto: "Nipton, powered by the sun."

It's part of a major push to make Nipton a sustainable wonderland, a green hospitality center for nature lovers headed into the neighboring Mojave National Preserve.