By Mary Ellen Ternes
When we think of ecotourism, don’t we tend to think about big-game safaris where the only shots of big game are taken with a camera, and the revenue supports efforts to prevent poaching of protected animal resources?
In Oklahoma, we may not have game as big as an African elephant, but we have our own eco-tourism, with our own Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department eco-certifications. Why is this important? Other than being another great example of how Oklahoma remains on the cutting edge of sustainability, it’s big business! More and more entities are including sustainability requirements in location and event contracts so that now, more than ever, events are hosted at locations that promote sustainability. Oklahoma’s cutting-edge eco-certification program makes this a sought-after event location and allows these contracts to be awarded right here in our home state.
Internationally, eco-certification entities, such as Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) have promoted sustainable tourism for many years. STI offers eco-certification services as well as active marketing of corporate partners, which include Continental Airlines, United Airlines, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara Cruises, Enterprise Rent-a-Car and RockResorts/Vail Resorts Lodging Company.
Just last year, Oklahoma Tourism initiated our state's own eco-certification program called ECO (Encouraging Conservation in Oklahoma), which promotes, educates and encourages sustainable travel in Oklahoma. The program is in partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality Pollution Prevention Program and receives grant funding from the U.S. EPA.
Oklahoma is the first state to partner with Clean the World (www.cleantheworld.org.com), a nonprofit organization which sterilizes slightly-used toiletries from lodging rooms and delivers these still-usable products to parts of the world where soap is rare. The Colcord Hotel is the first hotel in our state to join this effort, and in the last year collected over 9,000 used soaps. That half-ton of soap supplied 83 children with soap for a year instead of being sent to a landfill.
Keystone State Park started the “You CAN Do it” program and now collects aluminum cans at their facility. The money the park receives from recycling aluminum cans is used for park improvement projects.
My favorite has to be the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s “Art on TAP” event. The Museum recycled and composted the majority of the waste generated by the event -- 760 pounds in all -- and provided food waste for composting to the “Closer to the Earth” program, which works with at-risk youth and teaches them how to garden. The Museum saved over $1,000 in waste disposal fees.
Jessica Blackstock, Tourism’s Sustainable Initiatives Coordinator, says she's seeing more and more companies including sustainability requirements in contracts and more event planners asking for sustainable practices.
'People can sometimes feel ‘green fatigue’ with all the jargon and buzzwords going around," she explains, "but at the end of the day, sustainability is about making smart decisions, using your resources wisely and allowing space for creative thought. I think those are ideas that almost anyone can get behind.”
SIDEBAR: BE CERTIFIABLE
Just about everything related to travel and events can be eco-certified. For instance:
Attractions like museums, art galleries and wineries can be certified for efforts toward conservation, cleaning and environmental purchasing. Events can be certified based on sustainable strategies for transportation, food, registration, event materials, vendors and exhibitors. Lodging can be certified based on sustainable practices including reduction in laundry, closing drapes, hazardous waste reduction and sustainable landscaping.
Marinas can adopt best-management practices for managing toxic materials, sedimentation control and fueling. Restaurants can be certified based on reduction and reuse strategies, as well as food management, purchasing, energy and water conservation. State parks and other outdoor recreation can be certified based on water use and conservation for swimming pools, grounds keeping, golf courses and more.
Eco-certifications are issued by Tourism as Platinum, Silver and Gold, after ODEQ reviews the applications and possibly visits the applicants' sites.
Mary Ellen Ternes, Esq. is a former chemical engineer from both the EPA and industry. She is currently a shareholder with McAfee & Taft and co-chair of its Renewable and Sustainable Energy Industry Group, and is serving a three-year term as City of Nichols Hills Environment, Health and Sustainability Commissioner.
This article was published in the January 2011 issue of Slice Magazine. It is reproduced with permission from the publisher. © 2011 Southwestern Publishing.