Is this the attitude toward "Green" initiatives the GOP is promoting? The Republican leadership can't be that insensitive or out of touch, can they?
Yesterday it was reported that, in a political nose-thumbing to the Democrats, the GOP had ditched the biodegradable food packaging that they'd used for four years in the House cafeteria -- and were bringing back old school, trashy Styrofoam.
Congress switched to biodegradable packaging, along with a number of other green initiatives like composting, as part of its Green the Capital program. But the program was lead by Nancy Pelosi, who is unliked in certain conservative circles. So John Boehner -- the new Speaker of the House - and company dismantled her program, largely as a political jab.
This struck a nerve with folks, who recognized the move for what it is: a huge step backwards. And one of the people it ticked off the most just so happens to be someone who has to eat lunch in the Styrofoam-laden cafeteria every day now. An anonymous staffer who works in Congress snapped some photos.
Congress switched to biodegradable packaging, along with a number of other green initiatives like composting, as part of its Green the Capital program. But the program was lead by Nancy Pelosi, who is unliked in certain conservative circles. So John Boehner -- the new Speaker of the House - and company dismantled her program, largely as a political jab.
This struck a nerve with folks, who recognized the move for what it is: a huge step backwards. And one of the people it ticked off the most just so happens to be someone who has to eat lunch in the Styrofoam-laden cafeteria every day now. An anonymous staffer who works in Congress snapped some photos.
Along with the biodegradable packaging, the GOP canceled the composting program, too. So all of this stuff is heading straight to the landfill.
Our contact also sent over his account of how much Styrofoam our Representatives are plowing through at lunch:
It was actually kind of funny. As soon as a trash can started to go over the rim, one of these guys would come push it down and take it out. I had to move my lunch over to that trash can there in order to snap a decent picture in time! The guys on the job didn't seem too happy about working twice as fast either ... They had these guys emptying them every ten minutes, it was tough!
So, the Congressional cafeteria has transformed from a pretty sustainable operation that minimized and reused packaging and food waste into a Styrofoam-stuffed dump where accumulating, non-biodegradable trash needs to be cleared out every ten minutes. Well done Republicans! What's next...coal fired heaters?
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