Low ranks spur green plans
Environment: Oklahoma City mayor says a cultural shift will have to be made for changes to occur
Low ranks spur green plans in Oklahoma

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By John David Sutter
Published: September 23, 2008

Despite their efforts to appear more green, Oklahoma City and Tulsa again ranked among the least environmentally friendly cities in the country, according to an analysis released Monday by an environmental group.

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Tulsa placed 48th and Oklahoma City 49th on the green cities list, which includes the 50 most populous cities in the country. A group called SustainLane creates the annual list based on a number of criteria that include air quality, commute lengths, energy and climate policy, city planning and the presence of a green economy.

The greenest city on the list was Portland, Ore., followed by San Francisco. The least environmentally friendly city was Mesa, Ariz.

Oklahoma City held its place from last year's rankings, and Tulsa dropped eight spots.

Oklahoma's legacy as an oil and gas state hurt its two largest cities in the report, as did the fact that neither city's bus system is well used by comparison with other cities.

Oklahoma City ranked last, and Tulsa ranked next to last in terms of the number of people who use public transportation.

Both cities also are failing to promote a green economy and energy-efficient buildings, according to the report.

Hope for future
Despite their listed shortcomings, the report says there is cause for hope that Oklahoma City and Tulsa may have greener futures. Tulsa plans to plant 20,000 trees by 2010, and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett has the public buy-in necessary to make green improvements, the group says.

Cornett said Monday that he was "disappointed” in Oklahoma City's low ranking.

"I'm not arguing with the ranking. I'm just pointing out that we've got a long way to go,” he said. "It's something we take seriously. ... We need to do better.”

The city may address its lacking public transit system as soon as next year and is looking to hire someone to address sustainability and environmental issues in the city, the mayor said.

Cornett said it's unclear whether humans are causing climate change. He said Oklahoma City needs a cultural shift in order to be more environmentally friendly.

"We live in a culture that is still surrounded by the automobile,” he said, "and although we've taken some significant steps in the last year ... we've got a long way to go.”


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Related Topics: Science and Technology, Transportation, Environmental Protection, Nature and the Environment, Sciences, Public Transportation, Earth Science, Climatology, Global Climate Change


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You do some research on the states rankings, Russell, and tell me what there is to be positive about, ok?? Education? Nope. Health? Nope. Divorce rate? Nope again. Median wage? Nope. Incarceration rates? Nope. The one thing there is here(and was before I arrived, and will be after I leave) is closed minded, hypocritical, backwards thinking in big old steamy heaping doses, as I mentioned before about the 3 of you....
paul, yukon - Sep 23, 2008 4:38 PM
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Wow paul, I rarely get involved with dumb people, but anything you say on here is void by default. You have never once said anything positive about anything and will continue to bad mouth someone or something every chance you get. I will never expect you to become a better person by virtue or any other respect. Most people try to better themselves through trials and tribulations...YOU on the other hand think your are mightier than God himself because you think you have no flaws. So tell me paul, who is really the one with the backwards mentality? Someone like me living in the real world, or someone like you living in your own world?
Russell, oklahoma city - Sep 23, 2008 4:25 PM
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Russell, Maurice, and "C"...you three personify all the reasons why this state is a cellar dweller, and always will be. I'm no environmentalist by any stretch, but the 3 of you and your backwoods mentality will forever keep this state sucking in all issues....enjoy your smog and risk of early death from chronic lung issues, heart attacks and strokes, ok???
paul, yukon - Sep 23, 2008 2:03 PM
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OK, so what, is SustainLane going to buy all of us a Prius? Since when does not believing in a hysteria mean you are a bad person or city? So people are not using the filthy dirty buses. That means they can afford the gas to drive themselves, which means they are helping to stimulate the economy here in the city. The environmentalists need to look at their own first before passing judgment on the rest of us. When a Prius flies by me doing 80 MPH, I don't want to hear a single word when I am driving my SUV at 65. This just irritates the hell out of me when people are trying to slowly assimilate the rest of us. For every tree-hugging hippie out there, I let my old Ford truck idle one more hour.
Russell, oklahoma city - Sep 23, 2008 12:51 PM
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We need a walking, jogging, bicycling network throughout the city. That would be the best impact for becoming more "green".....and "lean"....where do I sign up!
bob, Oklahoma City - Sep 23, 2008 9:20 AM
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Portland and San Francisco are two of the top tourist destinations in the world, and their economies reap billions in tourism dollars. Businesses seeking to relocate look at a city's ability to adapt, be flexible and resilient in the face of rising energy prices, and in the arena of public transportaion they're looking for efficiecy and affordability for employees. In these areas alone, if Oklahoma City and Tulsa have any thought of remaining relevant in the national and global economy, they have to become visionary (think more than 20 years in the future; more like 100 years in the future), and use smart, innovative solutions to conservation, mass tranporation, development, builing use and reuse, food production and so on, all of which will not only save funds in the long run, but will make our city better, attracting more tourism and buinesses.
ThinkLady, Oklahoma City - Sep 23, 2008 9:02 AM
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Hurray for Oklahoma! We are obviously doing something RIGHT if *these* people don't like us! Portland and SAN FRANCISCO???!! Stupid and ridiculous nonsense from COMMUNISTS who don't matter.
c, Oklahoma City - Sep 23, 2008 8:39 AM
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That group of "greenies" who has rated OKC so low on the pole has obviously never made it to Detroit or other parts of Michigan. By comparison, OKC is a beautiful place.
Maurice, Mustang - Sep 23, 2008 8:17 AM
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Yeah, he attacked it head on all right, and thus far OKC is less than 20% of the way to their goal of a million pounds this year, but 75% of the year has passed. Another failure for the city/state...small wonder............................somebody ought to inform the Mayor that "green" goes far beyond planting trees and stuff, hopefully he realizes this before he spends all the money the city has on lawn fertilizer....
paul, yukon - Sep 23, 2008 6:35 AM
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OK, I'm guessing Paul won't be the person the city hires to address sustainability and environmental issues. Hopefully OKC will be better next year. The mayor is already attacked the fat problem head on. He did such a great job that Subway noticed. Paul, great idea, maybe OKC can use the Thunder to promote some new green ideas. Maybe you could be that guy the mayor is looking for after all...
Justin, Moore - Sep 23, 2008 6:09 AM
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Bwahahaha! Man, OKC has got to be proud. It can lay claim to being one of the fattest/poorly educated/high crime/meth cooking cities in America, and now it can add one more shining star to it's resume, least green. Hey, at 49th place at least there was one city worse......I sure hope the OKC Dunder takes care of all the real issues this city faces...........
paul, yukon - Sep 23, 2008 5:09 AM
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