GOP to go green at national convention

From the River Talk newsletter (Spring 2008), published quarterly in conjunction with the Minnesota River Watershed Alliance:

"Green" is going to be a word heard quite a bit at the upcoming Republican National Convention. To be held in St Paul this September, the GOP is planning a more environmental conscious and less trash event than the 2004 convention in New York.

The overall goal of the nonpartisan Host Committee is to make this event carbon neutral and they hired the local company GreenMark, owned by Mark Andrew, a former DFL Party chair and Hennepin County commissioner for this effort.

Participants at the GOP convention will find non-plastic banners, soy-based inks, paper plates that bio-degrade in 30 to 90 days, more energy-efficient lighting at the Xcel Energy Center, water in petroleum-free bottles, less paper and more online communications with delegates.

The Republican Party isn't actually using the words "Global Warming" or "Climate Change," which can still cause outrage by some of the party faithful. Instead they are saying, "A greener convention will use fewer resources and leave a smaller footprint . . . and underscore the Republican Party's commitment to responsible stewardship of the environment."

In addition, Republicans will discover these eco-friendly practices at the convention:

• Recycled-fiber carpet,
• Booths and stages constructed of local, sustainably harvested wood,
• An opportunity to ride environmentally friendly bicycles from their hotel to the convention center,
• Use of flexible-fuel vehicles