I just read they're trying to green the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., because the House side of the Capitol complex created about 91,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2006! That's more pollution than 17,000 cars!
I guess that's because the Capitol building gets really bad gas mileage in stop-and-go traffic! Maybe they can get a hybrid Capitol building?
Well, actually, that is kind of what they are doing! At least that's the plan. Right now, half the electricity Congress buys is still made from burning coal. They even have their own power plant. And only 2% of the energy comes from renewable fuels. But the new House leaders say they'll try to reduce their footprint by buying a bunch of hybrid cars, using recycled paper, using less electricity, and modernizing their heating system.
I know those politicians produce a lot of hot air sometimes (Hey! Maybe we could harness that!) but it is really important to pay attention to what our leaders are saying and doing about the environment. Their actions are often the most important when you're thinking about large-scale change. Way to get interested in politics, Dex! If you're interested, here's some more info.
