Greening Tinker: Earth Month priorities Published April 26, 2011 By Brandice J. O'Brien Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- April 22 is Earth Day and the remaining 29 days in the month are designated "Earth Month," a time aimed to encourage understanding and appreciation for the Earth's native surroundings. At Tinker, officials said Earth Month and Day are a time to practice conservation and plan for the future. "When 'April is Earth Month' started some years ago, I wanted people to care about the planet they live on for more than just one day," said Diana Cramer 72nd Air Base Wing Civil Engineer Directorate Environmental Protection specialist. "Natural resources, air quality, energy and the entire environment, in most cases, are there for a short time and once they're gone or we use them up, we can't get them back. That's why the base has Earth Month instead of an Earth Day, but actually, every day is Earth Day." Tinker has big plans for the future. During this fiscal year, the goal is to reduce electricity usage by 10 percent and by 50 percent by 2016. In the next year, the water usage reduction goal is 25 percent and 65 percent in the next five years. All four goals are higher than the Air Force as a whole, which are to reduce energy usage by 3 percent per year and water usage by 2 percent. Through several initiatives, including the "How Low Can We Go," an electricity-reduction program, and the 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group's Chemical Cleaning Shop transformation project, Tinker is on its way to achieving its goals. The "How Low Can We Go" program has saved more than $220,000 since introduced in 2009. In the first seven days since the 76th PMXG changed its chemical-cleaning procedures, $36,000 in water and wastewater, plus 2.2 million gallons of potable water has been saved. "The Air Force is doing well," said Britton Young, Tinker's Energy Team point-of-contact. "In the last 16 years, the Air Force has reduced facility energy consumption 33 percent. That's more than $517 million that we avoid paying each year. We should be proud and we should be bumping that up by being aggressive." In fiscal 2010, the Air Force completed 41 facility energy audits covering more than 92-million square feet of space. As a result, the Air Force is funding 250 million projects that cost more than $100,000 to upgrade the spaces. Projects include upgrading lighting, heating and air conditioning and automating the energy management and control systems, Ms. Young said. Earth Month also reminds people to consider other options when planting trees in their yards and to be aware of and protect Tinker's natural habitat. Officials said it is estimated that each year a single adult tree will save an urban community $200 -- $75 in air conditioning, $75 excess storm water and $50 air pollution control. During a recent fair promoting Earth Month, officials offered a list of trees that will thrive in Oklahoma. Categorized by size from largest to smallest, they include Kentucky Coffeetree, Bur Oak, Caddo, Maple Common Persimmon and Mexican Plum. "Earth Month gives us an opportunity to focus on ways to improve and manage the natural environment around us, at Tinker and our personal homes," said Tiffany Whitsitt, 72nd ABW/CE Natural Resources technician. "It also reminds us of ways to enjoy the Oklahoma landscape in an earth-conscious, low-impact manner." Additionally, since 2003, 11 acres of turf-grass has been replaced with native prairie grass, which reduced the cost of mowing by $5,000 annually. Plus, the civil engineer directorate has recycled more than 9 million pounds of white paper, metal and mixed paper, resulting in more than $500,000 in disposal savings. "Environmental programs were brought together to show that Earth Month is more than taking cans, paper and plastics to recycling," Ms. Cramer said. "It was watching what goes into creeks or what is poured on the ground because sooner or later it comes back to you in the form of drinking water." The first Earth Day occurred in 1970 and was brainstormed by former senator Gaylord Nelson.