Tulsa, OK

On Earth Day, Mayor Taylor launched the city’s latest initiative, BeGreenTulsa! and introduced Tulsans to a new website, www.BeGreenTulsa.com. The website highlights the City of Tulsa’s energy accomplishments as well as “green” programs and goals.According to Mayor Taylor, “BeGreen Tulsa is a resource for businesses and individuals seeking ways to be more energy efficient and environmentally aware.”

Taylor announced BeGreen Tulsa at Dwelling Spaces, a shop in the Blue Dome District where a new line of T-Shirts and other merchandise will be sold in an effort to raise awareness and education of energy efficiency, sustainability and environmental issues in Tulsa.

Tulsa artist Chelsea Cornell designed the logo for the merchandise, which will also be for sale at local public events.

BeGreen Tulsa is a non-profit entity that will serve as a resource point for citizens concerning green issues. Net proceeds from the sale of merchandise will benefit the non-profit BeGreen Tulsa, which includes other initiatives such as ReGreen Tulsa, a public/private partnership that will plant 20,000 trees by 2010. Funding for both initiatives are administered through the Tulsa Community Foundation.

The website, www.BeGreenTulsa.com provides information about what the City of Tulsa is doing to save energy and provides resources for citizens to find tips and links to other organizations focused on energy efficiency, sustainability and other green issues.

“As citizens, we all share in the responsibility to lessen our impact on the environment,” said Taylor. “As Mayor, I have a fiscal responsibility to save tax dollars by making sure local government is as energy efficient as possible.”

The Mayor also stressed the importance of leveraging ideas and resources from local businesses, citizens and city employees to achieve results. “This website is meant to be a resource, but it also exists to collect input from both businesses and individuals who can bring new ideas to the table.”

“Sustainability is about more than recycling or saving energy,” said Taylor. “It is about creating a vibrant economy that improves our quality of life. It is about safe water, clean air and a city that we can hand to the next generation of Tulsans that is better off than when we found it.”