Green the Capitol

In March of 2007, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi began the Green the Capitol Initiative to make the U.S. House of Representatives a leader in providing an environmentally responsible and healthy working environment for the House employees and a showcase for sustainability. The goal of the Green the Capitol Initiative is to make the United States House of Representatives carbon-neutral by the end of the 110th Congress. The Initiative is headed by the Chief Administrative Officer of the United States House of Representatives under the direction of Daniel P. Beard.

Up to date, the program has achieved significant progress. Highlights include:
* Purchased renewable wind power for 100% of House electricity usage
* Swithced from coal to natural gas in the Capitol Power Plant for House Operations
* Eliminated all Styrofoam and plastic food service items in House food service operations and replaced them with biodegradable plates, utensils and packaging
* Implemented a House recycling program that sorts compostable waste and use a pulper to reduce waste stream by more than 50% and 118 tons of landfill waste have been diverted since the House began composting in December of 2007
* Purchased all-electric, zero emission GEM car for use in House of Representatives

"The House must lead by example, and it is time for Congress to act on its own carbon footprint." -Speaker Nancy Pelosi, April 19, 2007

References

* This article is mostly cited from [http://cao.house.gov/greenthecapitol/index.shtml CAO.house.gov] , which is assumed to be a Federal Government website not protected by copyright.