SB1162: A Recycling Bill Is A Jobs Bill
Feb 24From the desk of Michael Patton, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Environmental Trust: I am pleased that there has been some progress in the Oklahoma Legislature in regards to recycling. Last week Senate bill 1162 made it out of committee to be heard on the floor. This bill creates the Oklahoma Recyclable Container Initiative, a working group for the purpose of encouraging and promoting...
Keynote Address, BlueGreen Awards
Mar 23Following is Michael Patton’s keynote address at the Tulsa Business Journal’s inaugural BlueGreen Awards: BlueGreen speech 2010 Thank you for asking me to speak at this awards ceremony tonight. I am honored to be in the presence of such a great group of Tulsans in one of my favorite hotels in town. This inaugural event should become an annual event and I hope to be back here next year...
Valentine's Day & Mardi Gras
Feb 10This week has two days that spur a celebration for dramatically different reasons. Valentine’s Day and Mardis Gras both are fun and I, of course, have found a “green” angle to each. If you are looking for ideas on how to celebrate each, here are my suggestions. First, you don’t have to give away cut flowers to your sweetheart. Just like I don’t recommend killing a tree to celebrate...
Green Super Bowl
Feb 10Like many of the readers of this newspaper, I plan to spend Sunday evening watching the Super Bowl with some friends. Of course, I want to do it as environmentally friendly as possible. Here are some tips that you could try for this game or any other party occasion. Let’s start with food. We always eat something made with pig (the ball being called pigskin and all). But a die-hard...
Recycling Aluminum
Feb 10I realize that not everybody buys drinks in aluminum cans, but so many of us do that it has become the most common container recycled. There are many non-profit groups and individuals who recycle aluminum for money, but there are other positive outcomes of recycling your cans. Recycling aluminum cans saves precious natural resources, energy, time and money. In 2007, 54 billion cans were recycled,...
After-Winter Tips
Feb 10Now that the snow has melted and the ground has thawed, there are some things you should do (and not do) to catch up and recover from the storm. These tips include things for the car, the home, and the lawn and garden. Let’s start with the car. It is important to wash off the sand and salt, but how you wash your car makes a big difference. I recommend going to a commercial car wash, because the...
