[OKC] The official release . Transition Town OKC named 27th Transition Initiative in Nation

[okc at sustainableokc.org]

Sustainable OKC members, friends and colleagues, please feel free to pass
this on. 

 

Transition Town OKC Named 27th Transition Initiative in Nation 

Group Brings a Community Approach to Energy Challenges

 

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Lindsay Vidrine

405-802-5572

 

(Oklahoma City) May 21, 2009 - Transition Town OKC was recently named the
27th Transition Initiative in America. This recognition was given by
Transition US, a nonprofit organization that provides inspiration, support,
training, and networking for Transition Initiatives across the country. 

 

The mission of Transition Town OKC (TTOKC) is to help Oklahoma City
transition from foreign oil dependence to local resilience, energy security
and sustainability. 

 

"Working together, we can strengthen our local economy, support our local
farmers, and develop renewable sources of energy," said Shauna Struby, TTOKC
co-chair and president of Sustainable OKC. "We aim to bring information and
resources together in one place about groups and organizations already
working toward making OKC more sustainable and resilient."

 

TTOKC does not plan to launch any projects that overlap or duplicate work
already being done by other sustainability and environmental groups. Rather
it aims to help connect citizens and the general public with such groups and
resources as they journey on the road to energy transition.

 

"Oklahoma City is a special place, with a unique geography, natural
resources, demographics, ideals, and history," said Christine Patton, TTOKC
co-chair. "What works for other cities may or may not work for us - we need
to design our own path to energy security and local resilience. Transition
Town OKC aims to act as a catalyst for our community to explore solutions to
the energy challenges we face."

 

Similar to how communities prepare for severe weather or other emergencies,
TTOKC will serve as a vehicle to empower communities to plan for changes
associated with transitioning away from fossil-fuel dependency. The
Transition Town model engages directly with the public to raise awareness
about key issues, and encourages citizens to create a vision and actionable
plan for a better future. 

 

According to Transition US, the toughest challenges facing us all are those
posed by the current economic crisis coupled with impending fossil fuel
decline and climate change. The main goals of the Transition Movement are to
increase community resilience by developing energy security, strengthening
local economies, producing food locally, building self sufficiency,
improving environmental conditions and increasing social equity.

 

Transition Town OKC is a project of Sustainable OKC. Details about this
group and its network of resources can be found at www.goinglocalokc.com
<http://www.goinglocalokc.com/> .

 

Sustainable OKC is a non-profit, grassroots organization working at the
crossroads of business, environment, and social justice in Oklahoma City.
SOKC promotes community sustainability by facilitating grassroots action,
fostering awareness of sustainability, and serving as an informational and
networking resource in the Oklahoma City area. For more information visit
www.sustainableokc.org <http://www.sustainableokc.org/>  or the community
blog at freshgreens.typepad.com <http://freshgreens.typepad.com/> .

 

 

###

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.sustainableokc.org/pipermail/okc-sustainableokc.org/attachments/20090527/077be279/attachment.htm>