Of a cool 'Burg and a cleated Beck

As Greensburg goes Green, Beckham goes Black.

I’m speaking of Greensburg, Kan., the town ripped apart by a massive tornado last May, and David Beckham, the ballyhooed savior of American soccer. Turns out the Golden Boy is anything but the savior of the planet.

Beckham is a petrol-slurping machine, churning out human pollution 17 times greater than the average Englishman, according to Carbon Trust, a British conservation group.

The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder produces 163 tons of carbon dioxide annually — giving him the dubious distinction of lacing up the largest carbon bootprint on the planet.

The trust cites his penchant for cross-continental air travel and fleet of 15 cars for just some of his emissions. Talk about Posh existence. Talk about extravagant exhaust.

Now, on the flipside, take a look at tiny Greensburg, Kan. My friend Amy is visiting there this week, the home of her paternal kinfolk.

Greensburg, population about 1,700 (Beckham has just a few less rigs), is struggling to rebuild after the F-5 blew everything to smithereens. Despite all the adversity, the town is taking the farsighted approach of rebuilding with earth-friendly materials. In fact, the town is pledging that all city owned buildings be certified at the highest LEED — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — level.

The small southwestern Kansas town is the first in the United States to go 100 percent green.

Talk about turning a nightmare into nobility. Talk about patience and persistence.

Maybe Becks should stop through Greensburg someday for a lesson in global sportsmanship.