How Green Are You?

Go! Green Tulsa Expo to Promote Sustainability

2010-08-30T13:36:00.001-05:00

Tulsa Business Staff
8/30/2010

The 2010 Go!Green Tulsa Expo will be Sept. 18 and provide information about saving money and the environment. The expo will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the University of Tulsa’s Allen Chapman Activity Center, 440 S. Gary Ave.

Mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr. is slated to open the event at 9 a.m. and begin the program with a discussion of City of Tulsa sustainability initiatives.

The remainder of the day will feature seminars led by regional experts. Every seminar is designed to help people learn more about many topics related to sustainability, including “Building a Sustainable City,” “Understanding Your Environmental Footprint,” “Sustainable Food Movement,” “Green Cleaning,” “Sustainable Personal Care” and “Green Renovation & New Construction.”

A special presentation will offer a panel of Tulsa-area university representatives who will talk about the leadership these institutions are providing in sustainability. Other presentations will address home design and finance and the benefits of community medicine.

Registration is required so adequate lunches are available. Registration materials and additional information is available on the AIA Eastern Oklahoma website, www.aiaeok.org, and City of Tulsa website.

EQ purchases hazardous waste facility in Tulsa

2010-08-20T13:03:00.001-05:00

Tulsa Business Staff
8/20/2010

The Environmental Quality Co., based in Michigan, recently announced the company has purchased a hazardous waste management facility located in Tulsa from A Clean Environment Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“The addition of the Tulsa, Okla., facility into EQ’s extensive facilities and services network enhances our western U.S. presence,” said David Lusk, president and CEO of EQ. “We currently conduct business across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. EQ Oklahoma brings us strategically closer to our western customers with new waste treatment and recycling capacity and capability.”

The facility, which will be known as EQ Oklahoma Inc., is an RCRA-permitted hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility that can accept and manage nearly all waste types and waste codes in drum and bulk containers.

The facility consists of treatment operations for both hazardous and nonhazardous wastewaters and solids. Wastes accepted include spent acids and caustics, chemical process wash water, off-specification or discarded chemicals, rinse waters, degreasers, coolants and other processing waste suitable for on-site treatment. Other services include transportation, emergency response and industrial cleaning.

EQ now includes 24 service locations in North America. This is EQ’s second acquisition in 2010.

OG&E wind farm gains regulatory approval

2010-07-30T10:39:00.000-05:00

Tulsa Business Staff
7/30/2010

OG&E announced yesterday that the Oklahoma Corporation Commission has approved a settlement agreement reached by all parties to the company's application to build and operate a new wind farm in northwestern Oklahoma. Known as "Crossroads," the wind farm is expected to be running in the second half of 2011.

"This is a good outcome resulting from collaboration of the various parties interested in the expansion of renewable energy in Oklahoma," said Jesse Langston, vice president of utility commercial operations for OG&E. "We reached unanimous agreement with customer and shareholder groups, state agencies and regulatory officials, which culminated in today's 3-0 Commission vote to approve the Crossroads project."

Crossroads, to be built in Dewey County near Canton, will add at least 198 megawatts of renewable generation. Pending the results of a Southwest Power Pool regional transmission study, today's Commission order allows for Crossroads to be constructed with up to 227 megawatts of generating capacity. Average residential customers could see an increase in their monthly bills of somewhere between 59 and 65 cents per month when Crossroads is in full production in 2012. Beginning in 2013 or 2014, the lower-cost energy produced by Crossroads is expected to result in a net decrease in average monthly residential electric bills and to reduce customer bills every year the wind farm is in operation.

The new wind farm, to be constructed by Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc., will have at least 86 Siemens turbines rated at 2.3 megawatts each and will connect with OG&E's new Windspeed transmission line to Oklahoma City, which was energized earlier this year.

In 2007, when OG&E had 170 megawatts of wind energy on its system, the company set a goal to quadruple that amount by 2012. Today, OG&E has 270 megawatts of wind power capacity, with projects under construction that will bring the total to 550 megawatts this year. With the addition of the Crossroads project, the company will have at least 750 megawatts of wind capacity; approximately 10 percent of OG&E's total from all sources, including natural gas and coal.

OG&E, which serves approximately 779,000 customers in a service territory spanning 30,000 square miles in Oklahoma and western Arkansas, is a subsidiary of Oklahoma City-based OGE Energy Corp., which also is the parent company of Enogex LLC, a midstream natural gas pipeline business with principal operations in Oklahoma. RES Americas has been active in North America since 1997 and during this time has developed and/or constructed more than 3,800 MW, with another 1,000 MW currently under construction.

PSO Signs New Wind Power Agreement

2010-07-16T11:45:00.000-05:00

Tulsa Business Staff
7/16/2010

Customers of Public Service Co. of Oklahoma, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, may soon have new options for the purchase of renewable energy as the result of an agreement reached with NextEra Energy Resources for the long-term purchase of 99 megawatts of renewable energy from a wind farm currently under construction near Minco.

If approved by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, a portion of the electricity generated at the Minco wind farm will be set aside specifically for PSO customers who want to purchase more of their power from renewable resources.

“There is an interest on the part of some PSO customers to be able to have a certain portion, if not all, of their energy coming from renewable energy resources,” said Kathy Champion, PSO’s consumer programs manager. “The addition of this new wind energy resource will provide PSO the opportunity to address our customers’ preferences to have more electric energy from renewable resources and will allow individual customers to decide how much renewable energy will be used to serve their loads.”

PSO is proposing a voluntary program that allows customers to designate the amount of their energy requirement that will be provided by renewables. The program will allow customers to buy their preferred number of fixed kilowatt-hours blocks. Every block would equal 100 kWh. Customers may elect to purchase from a minimum of one block a month up to a maximum of 100 percent of their monthly use.

Champion said PSO chose this format because of the certainty block pricing gives to customers, ease in pricing and billing under the plan and ability to track the results of the program.

The program will also be the first in Oklahoma to have the Green-E certification. Green-E is a nationally recognized, independent certification process that provides, among other things, certainty to the claims of the green utility price offering.

“PSO believes offering a Green-E certified program will add credibility to our program, and we are excited to be the first in Oklahoma to pursue this certification,” Champion said.

Wind energy transmission line proposed

2010-06-25T11:27:00.000-05:00

Tulsa Business Staff
6/25/2010

Yesterday, Plains & Eastern Clean Line Oklahoma LLC, an affiliate of Clean Line Energy Partners of Houston, filed an application with the Oklahoma Public Utility Commission to become a public utility in Oklahoma. This filing is an essential part of the development of the Plains & Eastern Clean Line transmission project. The company filed a similar application in Arkansas in May.

The Plains & Eastern Clean Line will consist of approximately 800 miles of overhead, high voltage, direct current transmission lines, which will be capable of transmitting up to 7,000 megawatts of electricity. Running from the Oklahoma panhandle to the southeastern U.S., the project, when built, will make possible the construction of billions of dollars of new wind energy generation. Currently, these investments cannot be made because there is not enough transmission.

“Oklahoma provides a remarkable supply of renewable energy, but the infrastructure to build more projects and move the electricity from the resource areas to consumers in the mid-south and southeast regions is insufficient,” Clean Line President Michael Skelly said. “This transmission line will create new opportunities for wind energy from Oklahoma and will pave the way for additional development in the wind energy industry.”

Skelly continued by indicating that, in addition to providing utilities with affordable access to renewable energy, the development of the Plains & Eastern Clean Line will provide economic development benefits while addressing the nation’s ongoing efforts to increase energy security. This transmission project will not only increase the region’s attractiveness to wind farm developers, but will also contribute local tax revenue for schools and other local needs.

The project is in the early stages of development and is expected to take five to seven years to complete and cost approximately $3.5 billion. Clean Line will fund all development costs and will not seek cost recovery through the electric rates paid by consumers in Oklahoma. Once built, the project will enable an additional $12 billion in investments in new wind projects which today cannot be built because of the lack of transmission. These projects could ultimately power over 2.1 million American homes.

Company to Use Oklahoma Wind for Power-Hungry States

2010-05-28T13:29:00.001-05:00

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A Houston company has designs on building an 800-mile high-voltage transmission line to take wind energy from the Oklahoma Panhandle to power-hungry states in the Southeast.

An affiliate of Clean Line Energy Partners has applied to become a public utility in Arkansas. Company officials expect to file a similar application in Oklahoma on behalf of affiliate Plains & Eastern Clean Line LLC in the next couple of months, with an eye toward building a direct current transmission line from Texas County to near Memphis, Tenn.

"There is a tremendous untapped renewable energy resource in the Great Plains, but the infrastructure to move the electricity from the resource areas to consumers in the mid-South and Southeast regions is insufficient," Clean Line President Michael Skelly said last week as the Arkansas application was announced.

"This transmission line will provide a solution to that problem and will enable utilities in Arkansas and the Southeast to provide their customers with access to the most affordable clean energy available," he said.

The $3.5 billion project is in the early stages of development.

Officials hope the 7,000-megawatt transmission line will be operational by the end of 2015, but the schedule depends on permitting and environmental authorities.

The line will use high voltage direct current technology that Mario Hurtado, Clean Line's executive vice president of development, said is well suited to moving large amounts of power over distance with minimal loss.

"This is the only thing that we do," he said.

Transmission projects are typically done by utility companies interested in providing more reliable service to their customers, but independent transmission companies are becoming more common. A spokeswoman for the Southwest Power Pool said those companies are important to the region's power grid.

"Our region needs more electric transmission to maintain grid reliability and to bring economic benefits by improving access to the region's variety of generating resources such as wind, nuclear, natural gas and coal," spokeswoman Emily Pennel said. "Independent transmission companies offer additional opportunities to build new transmission that has been identified as needed in the region."

Oklahoma only has one other transmission company that has been granted utility status, as Clean Line intends to pursue.

Hurtado said Clean Line is looking to facilitate the development of renewable energy.

He said wind is the most commercially competitive source of renewable power.

"Our company is just focused on going from where there's a really strong wind resource ... to where there's demand," Hurtado said. "When you look at the map ... the Oklahoma Panhandle and the region around that is one of the richest veins, if you want to call it that, of wind."

"It's a relatively flat area with large open spaces."

Hurtado said Texas County is a natural choice to be the starting point for the new transmission line, citing Southwest Power Pool reports that about 10,000 megawatts worth of wind farms are in development within 100 miles of there.

"It's a good place to be," he said. "It's in the middle of a lot of very good prospects."

Those prospects are expected to develop into electrical power for states in the Southeast that have little access to renewable sources, Hurtado said.

"When you start to think about the kind of volumes you need ... the cheapest resource is really going to be the wind from Oklahoma Panhandle, southwestern Kansas, north Texas," he said. "That's why we thought this project ... makes a lot of sense."

Hurtado said there aren't any arrangements in place yet with wind developers or utility companies, but those will come.

"We're probably talking to every generation developer that's active in the Panhandle," he said.

There are a lot of developers working in the area, Hurtado said, noting the Southwest Power Pool's efforts to connect the region's wind resources to the areas that need that power.

___

Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com

Notes from November Green Office Committee Meeting

2009-11-12T11:19:00.004-06:00

1. The Green Office Committee met on 11/10/09. Present were Dave, Neta, Clint, Kimberly, Scott, and Adrienne.

2. Discussion:

a. To-do list from last meeting: Scott has not set up computers for two-sided printing. Scott brought in an additional recycling bin, but has not bought another one. We decided that since we are now keeping recycling in the cabinets, there is not room for a large recycling bin. Instead, we will continue to use cardboard boxes.

b. Recycling cardboard: Adrienne sent an email asking for volunteers to take the cardboard boxes to the food bank for recycling. Billy told her that he would drive them to the food bank if someone would put the boxes in his truck. Dave and Scott volunteered to take care of that. We decided that it was too much trouble to recycle cardboard boxes in the future.

c. Garden: we discussed problems with the idea of locating a garden on the roof of the parking garage. Someone else suggested using pots in Scott’s office, where there are lots of windows and plenty of extra room. We will continue to discuss.

d. Dishwasher: We now have a dishwasher. People do not seem to be using it. Scott will send an e-mail publicizing the dishwasher, explaining how to use it, and asking people to opt out of a schedule to wash dishes. Members of the Green Committee will keep an eye on the dishwasher and fill in when people forget to wash dishes. Dave pointed out that since we leave the water on at the tap when we are washing dishes, we should make sure that we turn it off before finishing a load and leaving for the weekend.

e. Newspaper: one way to cut down on our recycling needs is to stop the newspaper subscription. Scott said that he subscribes to the paper because the Tulsa World occasionally runs articles supporting Legal Aid, and he wants to support the paper. We discussed whether our subscription makes a difference. The consensus seemed to be that since we can read the paper online, the paper version is a needless expense. Scott will look into terminating the subscription.

3. Next meeting: February 11, 2010, 3:00.

4. To-do:

a. Scott

i. Send memo publicizing dishwasher.

ii. Create dishwashing schedule.

iii. Stop newspaper.

iv. Get cardboard to Billy’s truck.

v. Set up computers for two-sided printing.

85 Ways to be Green

2009-08-25T11:17:00.001-05:00

Tulsa Area United Way published the following in honor of its 85th anniversary.
*Click on image to enlarge

Major Energy Initiative For Tulsa County

2009-08-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

Tulsa Business Staff
8/24/2009

Tulsa County creates energy efficiency initiative.

"The rising cost of energy and its impact on the operations of Tulsa County government requires that we develop a state of the art energy sustainability and efficiency program,” said Commissioner Fred Perry, citing the rising cost of energy use for all of the properties owned by Tulsa County.

In making the announcement, Perry tabbed Chief Deputy Terry Simonson to lead the energy team which will be comprised of Ray Jordan, County Engineer, Jim Smith, County Fiscal Officer, Linda Dorrell, County Purchasing Director and Jim Fissel, Director of Building Operations.

Commissioners awarded Johnson Controls an energy savings performance contract, which covers up to 40 county buildings.

Simonson says commissioners will decide which buildings will get an energy makeover after Johnson conducts an audit. The improvements won't cost taxpayers a dime, Simonson said.

The improvements are paid for by the savings that Johnson Controls, guarantees.

Simonson takes on a variety of activities including meeting with energy company managers and consulting with the National Association of Counties to determine the best practices in developing a county energy program.

“I have found that there are many good practices we can learn from other counties around the country and many resources we can call upon to make the Tulsa County program the best it can be for the citizens of Tulsa County,” Simonson said.

The previously released Performance Audit cited the need for a comprehensive energy policy and plan as a key area where Tulsa County can not only save taxpayers money on current operations but to also prepare Tulsa County for the expected rise of energy costs in the future, Perry said.

“All across the country, county governments are adopting “green” standards and Tulsa County intents to be a leader in Oklahoma in this area” Perry said.

It is expected by the beginning of 2009 the energy team will present to the Board of County Commissioners an energy plan for implementation considerations.

TLO Green office committee: Notes from August 11th meeting

2009-08-13T10:09:00.001-05:00

Thursday, August 13, 2009

1. Present were Billy, Clint, Judy Monroe, Scott, Eric, Sara, Juana, Adrienne, Neta, Julie, and Sunny.

2. Discussion

a. Judy reported on colored paper. She said that pastel paper has very little environmental impact with regard to recycling. Neon colored paper, however, is viewed as detrimental. Neta will stop ordering neon colored post-it notes.

b. Judy also said that manila envelopes with metal clasps present a problem because of the clasps. We decided to stop ordering envelopes with clasps.

c. Adrienne asked if we could get permanent recycling receptacles, rather than using cardboard boxes. Scott said he would bring an extra recycling bin from home and buy another one.

d. Adrienne also asked for a box cutter, so she can break down cardboard boxes. Billy said that he has a box cutter in his office that people can borrow. Julie also volunteered to help break down boxes.

e. Adrienne noted that the newspaper recycling box is full. Scott volunteered to take the papers to the recycling center.

f. Scott noted that Bud had compiled a list of green office efforts undertaken by the various LASO offices. Scott will circulate the list, so we can discuss it at the next meeting.

g. We talked about where to put a community garden next year. Discussion focused on the top level of the parking garage. It is all concrete, so the heat might pose some problems. But, it is unlikely that anyone will use it for parking, and we can drive supplies directly to the garden area. We talked about how to get water up to that level. We will look for a connection for a hose, or a way to transport water in vehicles. Approval from the building management would be required, but we can probably get that.

h. Scott reported that our request to sign up with Show, Inc., for recycling was turned down by OKC for budget reasons. We may be able to sign up for the service in the future, but not until the budget stabilizes.

i. We talked about getting a dishwasher. With no dishwasher, people are using Styrofoam cups. OKC has approved a dishwasher, but we are holding off until we see if the kitchen is going to be remodeled as a part of the Day of Caring on September 11^th.The plan is to buy and install a dishwasher as a part of the Day of Caring project. If that project is not picked up by someone, we will buy a dishwasher and install it in September, in advance of the open house on September 30^th.

j. Reducing paper consumption: We took an inventory of our paper supplies as of June 1, 2009. We will now be able to determine how much paper we have used in a given time period. It is evident that we have reduced our paper consumption considerably. The family attorneys have stopped using paper in the intake process. They are using the Jumbotron instead. We can also use two-sided printing for intake sheets. Scott was planning to set up all computers for two-sided printing as an option, but that effort was disrupted by the move. Billy will show him how to set up two-sided printing, and Scott will set up individual computers. When we print intake sheets, we will be able to choose two-sided printing, which should save a considerable amount of paper.

3. To-do

a. Billy: show Scott how to set up printers for two-sided printing.

b. Scott

i. Recycle newspapers

ii. Bring in recycling bin from home.

iii. Buy additional recycling bin for office.

iv. Set up computers for two-sided printing.

c. All: consider how to set up and maintain a community garden on the top floor of the parking garage.

4. Next meeting: November 10^th at 3:00.

Scott Hamilton

State Rep. Promotes Tax Credit for Energy Savings

2009-08-03T10:44:00.000-05:00

Tulsa Business Staff
8/3/2009

State Rep. Joe Dorman files legislation providing tax incentives for use of KVAR Power Saving Device.

The KVAR reduces heat generation and amperage, resulting in reduced consumption of electricity, and costs around $600.

Dorman says it can save up to 50 percent on power bills.

“We need to look at investments that will cut down utility bills and save money for homeowners in the long run,” says Dorman. “I want Oklahoma to take the lead in energy efficiency and conservation programs.”

There are currently no tax incentives available for this device.

GreenPlay to Hold Parks Plan Forum Tonight

2009-07-13T10:11:00.001-05:00

Tulsa Business Staff
7/13/2009

GreenPlay LLC to present results of preliminary research for parks plan in open forum tonight.

The meeting will be held Monday, July 13, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Central Center at Centennial Park, 1028 E. 6th St.

Private donors are funding the Tulsa Parks Master Plan, the first of its kind in 30 years.

Office Cardboard Box Recycling

2009-06-22T14:36:00.001-05:00

The Community Food Bank has started a cardboard recycling program that helps them raise money. I think it would be great to participate. This is the first time that there is cardboard recycling in Tulsa.

Only corrugated cardboard is accepted. That means that the box is made out of reinforced, or thicker cardboard (think moving boxes).

ACCEPTABLE: Office Depot UPS boxes; copy paper boxes

NOT ACCEPTABLE: Anything like a cereal box, including soda can boxes and the boxes that our file folders and labels come in. Nothing flimsy.

Please store boxes to be recycled under the kitchen tables. Thanks!

Adrienne Watt

Dispose of Old Electronics FREE!

2009-05-22T14:13:00.000-05:00

*Click image to enlarge flier

Cooking Oil Becomes Biofuel

2009-05-22T13:18:00.001-05:00

Source: Tulsa Business Journal
Tulsa Business Staff

The Metropolitan Environmental Trust and Tulsa Biofuels collect used cooking oil from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 23, at the West Tulsa MET recycling center at 51st Street and Union Avenue, in front of Warehouse Market.

“Cooking oil, especially in large quantities, should never be placed in residential trash or poured down the drain,” says Michael Patton, executive director for The MET “Small amounts placed in the trash in a sealed container are acceptable, but large quantities can pose problems for residential plumbing, city sewers and trash haulers.”

Cooking grease is the primary cause of most residential pipeline and city sewer main blockages. This results in sewage overflows. The sewage that is spilled will eventually reach Oklahoma streams and rivers. Fats, oils and grease such as frying oil, salad oil and meat drippings are causes of this problem.

After the cooking oil waste is collected, it is taken back to Tulsa Biofuels and turned into a clean burning renewable fuel called biodiesel. Biodiesel is 70 percent cleaner than petroleum diesel and is created locally.

Saturday’s collection is open to all Tulsa residents. Commercial waste will not be accepted. Oil should be brought in a sealed plastic container. For more information about the event, call 584-0584 or visit www.metrecycle.com.

Oklahomans Spread the Word about State's Future in Biofuels

2009-05-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

Source: Brian Brus, The Journal Record

OKLAHOMA CITY – Steve Rhines had been at the exhibition hall of the BIO 2009 conference in Atlanta for only a few minutes before he started fielding questions about Oklahoma’s switchgrass.

Steve Rhines talks to a woman from Taiwan about
switchgrass. (Courtesy photo)

“They’re interested in what we’re doing here and the reputation that Oklahoma is growing in regard to biofuels,” said Rhines, vice president of the Ardmore-based Noble Foundation.

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) conference is one of the world’s largest networking events for the industry, providing an opportunity to meet potential business partners, clients and investors. About 20,000 people were expected to attend this year, a slight downturn because of the economy.

More than 60 Oklahomans went to the weeklong event, said i2E Inc. spokesman Jim Stafford, who also attended. The contingent is a mix of economic development officers, researchers and entrepreneurs from across the state, including representatives of the state Commerce Department and local chambers of commerce.

Rhines said he received a lot of questions about the Noble Foundation’s work with ag producers near Ardmore to plant small plots of switchgrass and a 1,000-acre project in the Panhandle last year. Rhines called the latter the world’s first large-scale test production of a crop specifically as a biofuel source.

The Noble Foundation originally focused on switchgrass because it is an excellent feed source for livestock in the spring and therefore a potential cost savings for ag producers, Rhines said. The crop grows naturally throughout many areas of Oklahoma and the U.S.

Rhines credited the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center for facilitating partnerships to allow the project to explore switchgrass’s potential as biofuel after the initial grazing period, which would increase the crop’s value dramatically.

“We’re refining the model, which would be really important for Oklahoma and stocker production throughout the Southeast,” he said. “But one of our greatest concerns is how long it would take to transition multi-generational livestock production into a biofuels economy. It’s not going to happen overnight.

“We were a little concerned going into this that the topic of biofuels might be kind of suffering, because you don’t see it in the press every day anymore,” Rhines said. “But it appears that to relevant audiences, it’s still very much in the mind’s eye.”

Rhines said BIO conference attendees have been interested in the Oklahoma project’s progress and how they might be able to move in that direction by securing funds and partners of their own. For example, the Noble Foundation has partnerships with Abengoa, a company that is building a cellulosic biofuels refinery in southwestern Kansas, and with Idaho National Laboratory, which is focused on feedstock logistics.

“We’re also seeing a lot of activity by those in the industry who now understand what we’re trying to achieve,” he said. “We’re seeing some of these players starting to come together as we begin to focus on how we’re going to leverage the 1,000 acres and compete on a nationwide basis.”

Sixth Annual Nania Awards Banquet

2009-05-18T14:19:00.004-05:00

Sixth Annual Nania Awards Banquet marks 1984 Memorial Day Flood with keynote speakers on sustainability and disasters

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the 1984 Memorial Day Flood, a benchmark event for Tulsa's efforts in disaster management. To commemorate this event, Tulsa Partners' sixth annual Nania Awards Banquet will be held on Tuesday evening, May 26 at 6:30 p.m., at the Tulsa Historical Society located at 2445 South Peoria.

The keynote speakers for this occasion are George and Kim Haddow, co-authors with Jane Bullock of the book, Global Warming, Natural Hazards and Emergency Management, which includes a case study of the work of Tulsa Partners and other local organizations since the floods of the 1970's and 1980's.

Kim Haddow was formerly the national communications director for the Sierra Club. Kim is now the Director of Communications for Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation, which builds safe and sustainable housing in New Orleans, meeting "green" certification standards for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and the National Association of Home Builders.

Her husband George Haddow was Deputy Chief of Staff at FEMA in the Clinton Administration. He was involved in the national implementation of the "Project Impact" program, which promoted using public/private partnerships to build a disaster-resistant community.

"Nania" is a Cherokee word that means "All Together." The Nania Awards recognize the outstanding work of local corporate and nonprofit entities in building a disaster-resistant and sustainable community. We also recognize individuals who have done similar work on the national stage. Our awardees this year are the following:

For more information on the Nania Banquet, contact Tulsa Partners, Inc. at 918-632-0044 or see www.TulsaPartners.org/Nania09.asp .

Tulsa Partners, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that uses public, private and nonprofit sector partnerships to build a disaster resistant and sustainable community.

Source: Tim Lovell, Executive Director
Tulsa Partners, Inc.

Tulsa Law Office May 12, 2009 Green Committee Meeting

2009-05-18T11:50:00.001-05:00

Tulsa Law Office Green Committe Meeting
May 12, 2009

1. Discussion: we have not done anything since our last meeting in February. The move took precedence. So, we reviewed our notes from February and re-assigned tasks. We decided to renew our efforts to reduce paper consumption. Neta reported that we have reduced our consumption quite a bit already. The family unit has quit using paper for intake. We decided to do a six month campaign, starting June 1. The community garden has fizzled. Maybe next year. We will publicize the farmer’s market, instead. We decided against using recycled post-it notes—too expensive. We had a lively discussion about colored legal pads. Some people feel that colored paper is essential to their mental health. We decided to research whether colored paper really has any environmental impact.

2. To-do:
a. Neta: take inventory of paper on June 1st.
b. Scott:
i. Check with OKC about dishwasher.
ii. Find out date of farmer’s market at Centennial Park.
iii. Call SHOW, Inc., about picking up our recyclables. How much do they charge? What can they recycle (batteries, newsprint, cans, bottles)? How often do they come? Do they supply bins?
iv. Set up computers for easy 2-sided printing.
c. All: research whether colored legal pads have an adverse environmental impact.
3. Next meeting: August 11, 3:00.

Earth Week Events April 22-26

2009-04-22T15:48:00.000-05:00

Check out these local Earth Week events provided by http://www.okc.gov

Earth Week; April 22-26

Join in the Fun!

Greening OKC

Oklahoma City's future is not just bright - it's green. Start "greening" Oklahoma City by joining us for Earth Week events; April 20 - 26th

Log on to www.okc.gov and check out our new green Web Site, which offers green tips and lets you know what Oklahoma City is doing to green up.

Family Friendly Earth Week Events

Ride the Bus Free - METRO Transit will honor Earth Day by offering free bus and trolley rides from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22. Get route information and learn how to ride the bus by visiting www.gometro.org or call 235-RIDE (7433).

Free Bike Riding Class - Not only is cycling good for the environment, it's also healthy, saves money and can be an enjoyable way to commute short distances. Learn the basics of bicycle riding in Oklahoma City by signing up for a brown bag lunch and learn at noon on Friday, April 24th on the east steps of City Hall. Stay for an optional 90-minute ride around downtown. Bicycle and helmet required. Call 297-3908 or email lance.gross@okc.gov to register.

Earth Fest at Martin Park - Visit Martin Park, 5000 West Memorial Road , from 10 a.m. - 5p.m. on Saturday, April 25 for Earth-friendly educational booths and free seminars.

10:30 a.m. - Save the Earth With Little Blue

11:30 a.m. - Cooking with the Sun

1 p.m. - Earth Friendly Lawn Care

2 p.m. - Recycling Rainwater

3 p.m. - Composting 101

Kids can make recycled art all day long. Visit with a mechanic at our Alt-Fueled Car Show featuring natural gas and electric vehicles from the City's fleet. Call Martin Park at 755-0676 for details.

Recycle your tires, ammo and computers - Saturday, April 25; 9 a.m. - 1p.m. south-side of State Fairgrounds. Enter from Gordon Cooper Blvd. (Gate 5 ) off of North May. This special hazardous waste collection is open to Oklahoma City residents only. Recycler's must bring their current Oklahoma City Water bill stub to prove residency. Televisions, wheels, rims and oversized tires such as equipment or farm implement tires will not be accepted.

Call 682-7038 for details.

Mercury-free Thermometer Giveaway -The first 100 residents that drop Household Hazardous Waste off at the city's Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 1621 S Portland from 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 25th will receive a free, mercury-free thermometer. Don't forget your water bill stub to prove residency. Call 682-7038 for details.

Oklahoma City Zoo Party for the Planet

Sunday, April 26th

11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Leap into action and discover the importance of conserving wildlife and wild places. Enjoy fun, family activities, live music, giveaways and more. Free with Zoo admission. For more information call 424-3344 or log on to www.okczoo.com

Wind Energy Report Reflects Growth

2009-04-17T17:01:00.000-05:00

Tulsa Business Journal
Tulsa Business Staff
4/13/2009

Wind energy leaders in several categories maintained their No. 1 positions even as other leaders emerged in new categories, while 24 states saw new wind turbine and component manufacturing facilities opened, expanded or announced in 2008, according to the annual wind energy industry rankings report released today by the American Wind Energy Association.

The new listings, based on 2008 year-end numbers, show Texas leading in wind capacity and largest wind farms installed, Minnesota and Iowa both generating over 7 percent of their electricity from wind, and Indiana as the state with the fastest growth in wind on a percentage basis.

In company rankings, NextEra Energy Resources, formerly FPL Energy, continues to lead in wind farm ownership; GE Energy remained the wind turbine maker with the largest amount of new capacity installed, and Xcel Energy again leads investor-owned utilities in wind power. Wind power’s recent growth has also accelerated investment in manufacturing: wind turbine and turbine component manufacturers announced, added or expanded more than 55 facilities in 2008 alone, spanning 24 states from Alabama to Wisconsin.

“The wind energy industry today generates not only clean energy for our economy, but also hope and opportunity for American workers and businesses,” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. “Whether it is building or maintaining a wind project, or producing wind turbine components, you’ll find people employed in wind power in nearly all 50 states today,” Bode said.

“But we cannot rest on past achievements. We need the right policies in place for our industry to maintain its momentum. A national Renewable Electricity Standard, requiring utilities to generate 25 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025, is vital to provide the long-term, U.S.-wide commitment businesses need to invest tens of billions of dollars in clean energy installations and manufacturing facilities, and create hundreds of thousands of American jobs,” Bode said.

Highlights from AWEA’s new report include:

— Iowa, with 2,791 MW installed, surpassed California (2,517 MW) for the No. 2 position in wind power generating capacity.

— The top five states in terms of capacity installed are:

- Texas, with 7,118 MW

- Iowa, with 2,791 MW

- California, with 2,517 MW

- Minnesota , with 1,754 MW

- Washington, with 1,447 MW

— Oregon moved into the 1,000-MW club, which now counts seven states, including Texas, Iowa, California, Minnesota, Washington and Colorado.

— Indiana ranked as the state with the fastest growth rate, expanding installations from zero to 131 MW, followed by Michigan (48%), Utah (21%), New Hampshire (17%) and Wisconsin (6%).

— Two states – Minnesota and Iowa – now get over 7 percent of their power needs from wind. Minnesota ranks first in this list (7.48%), followed closely by Iowa (7.1%). The rest of the top five are Colorado, North Dakota, and New Mexico.

— 10 new manufacturing facilities came online, 17 were expanded, and 30 were announced in 2008, according to AWEA estimates. These investments and announcements span 24 states: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Tennessee, Wisconsin, South Carolina, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Illinois, Alabama, Ohio, Indiana, Montana, Texas, Minnesota, Idaho, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Massachusetts.

June Wind Conference in Norman

2009-04-17T15:05:00.001-05:00

Source: Tulsa Business Journal
Tulsa Business Staff
4/17/2009

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce will hold a Wind Commerce June 23-24, at the Embassy Suites Norman.

The objective of the conference, titled "The Future is Now," is to help Oklahoma companies, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities explore business and economic development opportunities involved with Oklahoma's emerging wind industry.

"Considering Oklahoma's tremendous wind resource capacity, the wind industry represents a significant economic development opportunity," said Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce & Tourism Natalie Shirley. "A conference that showcases the business and economic development opportunities for our existing businesses and manufacturers is an important part of ensuring that the wind industry moves forward in Oklahoma."

Shirley said Oklahoma, which could produce almost 10% of the nation's electricity from wind power by 2030, is the ideal location for wind generation, tower and blade production, turbine component manufacturing, repair and maintenance operations, and industry R&D.

Wind Commerce 2009: the Future is Now focuses on the many opportunities to create jobs and generate wealth across the state as Oklahoma fully develops and integrates its wind industry.

Oklahoma eGov News Report: Green Edition

2009-04-15T14:20:00.007-05:00

Oklahoma State Capitol
9am - 4pm | Wed, April 22 | Earth Day

We are re posting this special edition of the Oklahoma eGov News Report honoring Earth Day on April 22, 2009.

Oklahoma's online services reduced paper consumption amongst state agencies by over 35.9 million sheets of paper since January, 2007.

Go Green Oklahoma News eRecycle Your Used Electronics* at the State Capitol on Earth Day. Click here to view the eRecycle webcast video.

Donations received benefit American soldiers and adults and children with disabilities

Oklahoma residents and businesses are encouraged to celebrate Earth Day by eRecycling electronics* at the Oklahoma State Capitol south entrance on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 from 9am to 4pm. The upcoming event is sponsored by gogreen.ok.gov and will benefit two charities: Cell Phones for Soldiers and AMBUCS ASK Project.

"By hosting this event, we aim to increase awareness about eRecycling and further efforts in reducing the amount of electronic material that ends up in landfills," said Governor Brad Henry. "This is a great way to help the environment and promote a wonderful cause."

The first 250 donors will receive a tree seedling to plant and give back to our environment. Additionally all donors will receive a tax receipt. Donors can deliver their used electronic equipment* at the south entrance of the State Capitol. An area will be available to assist donors in unloading equipment.

*The following electronics are accepted for donation. State and stolen property will not be accepted.

* Cell Phones
* Power cords
* Pentium-level computer
* 3.5; floppy disks
* Color monitors
* Hard disk drives
* Mice
* CD-ROM drives
* Keyboards
* Motherboards
* VGA or SVGA monitors
* Memory chips

About Cell Phones for Soldiers
Cell Phones for Soldiers collects cash donations and old cell phones. The cell phones are recycled for cash and the proceeds are used to buy prepaid calling cards for our soldiers serving in the Middle East. Their goal is to provide US soldiers with a way to call home for free. For more information, please visit the Cell Phones For Soldiers site.

About AMBUCS Share4Life Komputers Project
The AMBUCS Share4Life Komputers Project, based out of Norman, OK, refurbishes donated computers and gives them to children and adults with disabilities at no charge. For more information, please visit the Sooner Ambucs website.

Saving Green: 10 Easy Ideas for Your Law Firm

2009-04-08T10:14:00.003-05:00

In every law office, there are many simple steps each person can take to help contribute to the greening effort; saving the office big bucks while helping save the environment.

April's Texas Bar Journal is totally themed around going green and how to push your office in that direction. Here, we would like to give you share with you 10 Easy Ideas for Your Law Firm, a list of steps that were thought up and put together by the Gensler, Haynes and Boone's Interior Architectural Firm. These steps were designed realistically, so that every person can easily follow at least some of these steps. Also, read the rest helpful green info in this month's Texas Bar Journal by clicking the following link: http://www.probono.net/link.cfm?12306

So, what are you waiting for? If you haven't already, start going green today!

Green Law Podcast

2009-03-24T11:22:00.003-05:00

On this podcast from Legal Talk Network, Monica Bay, editor of Law Technology News, welcomes Attorney Jane Fergason, chair of the Gardere Wynne Sewell Women's Council and Jennifer King, assistant director of marketing and business development for Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, to talk about how to plan your next "green" event.

Click here to listen to the full podcast: http://www.probono.net/link.cfm?12176

Biofuels May Speed Up, Not Slow Global Warming

2009-02-18T14:04:00.001-06:00

Tulsa Business Staff

Biofuels could be responsible for pumping far more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than they could possibly save as a replacement for fossil fuels, according to a new study.

"If we run our cars on biofuels produced in the tropics, chances will be good that we are effectively burning rainforests in our gas tanks," said Holly Gibbs of Stanford's Woods Institute for the Environment.

Gibbs studied satellite photos of the tropics from 1980 to 2000 and found that half of new cropland came from intact rainforests and another 30 percent from disturbed forests.

"When trees are cut down to make room for new farmland, they are usually burned, sending their stored carbon to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide," Gibbs said.

For high-yield crops like sugar cane it would take 40 to 120 years to pay back this carbon debt.

For lower yield crops like corn or soybeans it would take 300 to 1,500 years, she told reporters at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

"Biofuels have caused alarm because of how quickly production has been growing: Global ethanol production increased by four times and biodiesel by 10 times between 2000 and 2007," Gibbs said.