There is good news and bad news.  First the bad.  With millions of excited Americans heading to Washington next week to celebrate the Inauguration of President Obama, the impact on the planet of this historic event will not be trivial. 

     The good news is that Obama’s Inaugural team and other Inaugural event organizers are working to minimize the environmental impact.   Says Linda Douglass, spokesperson for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, ”We are committed to making the Inauguration as environmentally friendly and as sustainable as possible.” 

     And while there is a list of steps being taken to green the Inauguration, I must admit I was disappointed that the list is not longer.  Still, to make a public effort to green an event that the whole world will be watching is a positive step, and perhaps a consciousness-raising one as well for us Americans and for people around the globe.

     Below are some of the things the Obama team and others are doing to make the January 20 events  eco-friendly.  If I have missed any, I invite THE EARTH CONNECTION readers to fill in the blanks.

• The Presidential Inaugural Committee is working with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency liaison who is offering guidance to the Committee on green practices.
• To minimize congestion on city streets and to encourage local residents to reach Inaugural events in a non-polluting way, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (of which I once served as Acting Director) will offer valet bicycle parking.  Riders may park their bikes at one of two sites relatively near the events.  Bikes will be watched;  riders need not bring locks for them.  Riders will be given a commemorative ticket to reclaim their bikes.
• Offical Inauguration invitations were printed on recycled paper.
• Some of the floats in the parade will be recycled from previous Inaugural parades, including a 60-foot long, 24-foot tall American flag float built for Ronald Reagan’s Inaugural parade.
• Those attending any Inaugural event are encouraged to take public transportation or carpool, even if they are wearing evening gowns or tuxedos.  People who must travel by car are encouraged to drive hybrid vehicles or to purchase carbon offsets.
• There will be at least two Green Inaugural Balls, one featuring Nobel Prize winner Al Gore.
• The bathrooms at the inaugural balls will have air dryers installed, and no paper towels.  (In my mind, the jury is still out when it comes to the impact of electric dryers versus paper towels). 
• Organizers of some of the balls are planning to use energy-efficient lighting.–April Moore

    

This entry was posted on Monday, January 12th, 2009 at 12:22 pm and is filed under Good news for Mother Earth!. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.