Obama Seeks to Out-Do Clinton in Greening the White House

President Obama wants to green the White House, and though it’s been done before, he’s going to one-up former Presidents Carter, Clinton and Bush in every way he can. Carter installed solar panels, Clinton embarked on an ambitious effort that successfully improved the efficiency of lighting, heating, A/C, insulation and water use and even anti-environment Bush installed a few solar energy systems. But Obama is focused on reducing the White House’s behemoth carbon footprint, and that will take a lot more work.

From The Huffington Post:

Obama isn’t ready to give details of his broader go-green plans for the White House, but administration officials report that small steps are under way: The housekeeping staff is making the switch to greener cleaning supplies, and complex managers have asked engineers and groundskeepers to use greener products whenever possible. Efforts are afoot to improve and promote recycling.

As for what more can be done, outside experts on green buildings report that the administration is seeking out information about what’s feasible. Given the priority Obama placed on renewable energy in his economic stimulus package and budget, environmentalists are chattering about what further steps he will take at the White House.

Prior to taking office, Obama promised to lead by example and show Americans that it’s really not that hard to go green. The small steps they’re currently taking may not seem all that impressive on the surface, but so far, each thing they’ve done – from the kitchen garden to the eco-friendly playground – can be easily imitated by most Americans. And, there’s undoubtedly much more to come.

Link [The Huffington Post]
Photo credit: WhiteHouseMuseum.org

President Bush Claims to be a Green Local Food Proponent in Latest Speech

Ha ha, President Bush. You’re such a joker. Amidst depressing news of starving children, celebrities flying personal chefs across oceans to prepare a plate of pasta and farmers salivating over the prospect of cutting down trees in the rainforest, your hilarious comments in your most recent speech really gave us a much-needed laugh. What’s that? You weren’t joking? But in your speech the other day, you said something really funny about food prices and your own take on the situation.

From the White House:

In terms of the international situation, we are deeply concerned about food prices here at home and we’re deeply concerned about people who don’t have food abroad. In other words, scarcity is of concern to us. Last year we were very generous in our food donations, and this year we’ll be generous as well. As a matter of fact, we just released about $200 million out of the Emerson Trust as part of a ongoing effort to address scarcity.

One thing I think that would be — I know would be very creative policy is if we — is if we would buy food from local farmers as a way to help deal with scarcity, but also as a way to put in place an infrastructure so that nations can be self-sustaining and self-supporting. It’s a proposal I put forth that Congress hasn’t responded to yet, and I sincerely hope they do.

Since you said this with a straight face and seeming sincerity, you may be surprised to hear that many of us are shaking our heads in disbelief, looking at each other for answers – what proposals? Did we miss something? Did you sneak something in to Congress under a pseudonym? Hello? [Silence]

Link [EnviroWonk]

Photo credit: Flickr user azrainman