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On
March 1, 2007 Daniel P. Beard, House Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) was directed
by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Speaker of the House, to develop recommendations
to reduce the environmental impacts associated with operation of the House building
complex. The objective of the Speaker's request is for the House of Representatives
to show leadership to the nation by providing an environmentally responsible and
healthy working environment for its employees and be a showcase for sustainability.
In a letter to Daniel Beard, Rep. Nancy Pelosi noted, "We cannot ask the
American people to address global warming and climate change issues without first
carefully examining ways to reduce our own energy consumption and develop sustainable
workplace practices."
After
reviewing House operating procedures, in a preliminary report, the following recommendations
were made: (1) Operate
the House in a Carbon Neutral Manner. This
will mean taking steps to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions [the] complex creates
through its operations. It is recommended that the House operate in a carbon neutral
manner at the earliest possible date, but no later than the end of the 110th Congress.
This will eliminate the impact of 91,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually,
the equivalent of taking 17,200 cars off the road each year. (2)
Shift to 100% Renewable Electric Power. The
purchase of electricity is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions from
the operations of the House. It is recommended the CAO, working with the Architect
of the Capitol negotiate to purchase 100% of electricity needs from renewable
sources at the earliest possible date. This will eliminate 57,000 tons of the
total greenhouse gas emissions annually, the equivalent of removing 11,000 cars
from the roads. (3) Aggressively
Improve Energy Efficiency. There
are a series of immediate steps House offices can take to reduce energy use. The
following actions are recommended:
a) Immediately convert all 12,000 desk lamps in the House office buildings to
compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). This is the equivalent to removing 255 cars from
the road and will yield a $245,000 savings in electric power costs to the House
per year. b) Direct the
CAO and Architect of the Capitol to no longer purchase standard incandescent replacement
bulbs with funds made available by the House. Standard incandescent bulbs consume
4 times the energy of fluorescents and it is time for the House to eliminate their
use.
c) Instruct the Architect to convert the overhead House ceiling lights
to high efficiency lighting and controls at the earliest possible date. Such action
has the potential to reduce lighting energy from these sources by as much as 50%.
This action will eliminate 7,130 tons of greenhouse gas emissions; this is equivalent
to 1,340 cars. d) Promote
energy efficiency among the 7,000 staff of the House by making CFL's available
at cost in the House office supply store. If all staff members installed just
1 CFL bulb for their own use, it would have a cumulative effect of removing 150
cars from the road. e)
Direct the Architect to expand their fluorescent lamp disposal program to include
the proper collection of used CFL's. (4)
Adopt Sustainable Business Practices. Our
office is a major purchaser of products and services and we should demonstrate
leadership by making purchases that promote sustainability. The following actions
are recommended: a) Purchase
only Energy Star or Federal Energy Management Program designated products. This
will contribute significantly to reduce the consumption of energy.
b) Purchase office equipment that is certified using the Electronic Product Environmental
Assessment Tool (EPEAT) system. This system helps evaluate, compare and select
electronic equipment based on its environmental attributes. EPEAT certified electronic
devices are low in heavy metals and high in recycled plastic content.
c) Give priority to the purchase of climate neutral products that offset the life
cycle contribution of greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, purchase only adhesive,
sealants, paints, coating, and carpets that emit very low quantities of volatile
organic compounds. Volatile organic compounds are major components affecting indoor
air quality and they contribute to climate change.
d) Purchase only furnishings that contain recycled products or wood certified
as sustainable by the Sustainable Forests Initiative, the Forest Stewardship Council
or similar programs. This will make a small contribution toward insuring bio-diverse
forests for future generations.
e) Direct the Architect to finalize the installation of an Ethanol-85 tank, pump,
and related infrastructure for the use of official vehicles within the next 6
months. (5)
Continued Leadership on Sustainability Issues. It
is important for Members and staff to continue to provide leadership on climate
change and sustainability issues. To assist in maintaining this continuing commitment,
the following actions are recommended:
a) Hold a "Green Expo" for House offices to demonstrate the latest in
green products or services available to offices from commercial vendors.
b) Establish a sustainability education program for House employees providing
guidance on how employees can make a contribution to impacting climate change
and sustainability at home and in the work place.
c) Establish a "Green Revolving Fund" where revenues received from various
sources will be placed in a revolving fund to be used to undertake energy and
water conservation initiatives that offset greenhouse gas emissions. (6)
Offset to Insure Carbon Neutral Operations. It
is likely that even by implementing all the recommendations outlines above, the
House will not be operating in a carbon neutral manner. As a result, a strategy
must be developed for offsetting as much as 34,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions
by either: (1) Purchasing offset credits in the domestic market, or (2) Contributing
a per ton payment, based on the current domestic market, of carbon dioxide equivalents
emitted by the Capitol Power Plant boilers and placing these funds in the Green
Revolving Fund to be used to directly to mitigate the emissions. Since the domestic
offset market is in its infancy and lacks uniform standards, it is important the
House carefully screen any offset purchases. A review of possible investments
will be made by June 30th to determine their acceptability. If an acceptable offset
cannot be secured, depositing the offset monies in the Green Revolving Fund would
provide an acceptable alternative. Conclusion The
recommendations in this report are only the first step in the process of creating
a Green Capitol and more sustainable House operations. The final report scheduled
for release on June 30th will introduce additional recommendations and provide
a framework for guiding future decisions. That framework will set benchmarks for
existing energy use; establish meaningful and measurable goals for reducing energy
and carbon; create timetables for implementing various changes in operating conditions;
and define measures for reporting progress on a regular basis.
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