According to the GAO's recent report, the legislative branch of the U.S. government generated over 300 thousand metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in FY 2006. That's the equivalent of over 57 thousand cars, and is an increase over the average of the prior four years. Most of that comes from fossil fuel power plants generating steam or electricity for legislative branch buildings.
Energy audits, more efficiency and switching to renewable energy sources would help, as would switching to fuel-efficient vehicles, says the GAO (with great supporting detail, data, charts and graphs) in its April 25, 2007 report GAO 07-516
Now, here is something the current Congress can do now, without any science-fiction-based climate change deniers vetoing them or slow-rolling them. Let's see them clean up their own house. And senate.
Thanks to: beSpacific: GAO Report Recommends Energy Audits in Strategy to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
See also: The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), which calls itself "the most widely used international accounting tool for government and business leaders to understand, quantify, and manage greenhouse gas emissions. The GHG Protocol Initiative, a decade-long partnership between the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, is working with businesses, governments, and environmental groups around the world to build a new generation of credible and effective programs for tackling climate change."
Posted by dougsimpson at April 27, 2007 08:07 PM