Priorities - Green Initiatives

A healthy and vibrant Tulsa depends upon our efforts in sustainability. We are working with groups and the business community to find solutions that combine and balance economic and environmental goals. On April 22, 2008- Earth Day, I will unveil BeGreen Tulsa. This initiative will encompass all of the programs we are working on at the City of Tulsa to support our environmental and energy policies.

We know that the environment is at the core of our values as individuals. It is our solemn responsibility to leave the next generation of Tulsans a city that is in better condition than when we found it. Here are a few things we are doing:

• Created BeGreen Tulsa, which will contain the Mayor’s initiatives focused on energy conservation, recycling and green strategies. For more information go to http://www.Begreentulsa.com;

• Launched ReGreen Tulsa that will partner with individuals and groups to plant 20,000 trees by 2010. For more information, go to http://www.regreentulsa.com;

• Secured a $60,000 grant to buy 2 Honda CNG vehicles (ranked #1 “greenest vehicle” on GreenCars.com);

• Ordered Tulsa’s first CNG refuse vehicle;

• Tulsa became a partner in the Blue Skyways Collaborative effort (joined other cities to reduce energy-related air emissions) http://www.cityoftulsa.org/News/Archives/BlueSkyways10-5-07.asp; The effort aims to adopt voluntary measures to implement and utilize innovative technologies and programs to reduce emissions;

• Supported the development of Tulsa Transit (new routes);

• In May 2007, joined mayors of 500 cities (representing 64 million people) by signing the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement http://usmayors.org/climateprotection/agreement.htm

• Developed a plan for reducing City energy costs. http://cityoftulsa.org/Environment/Energy/