Come Aug. 25 (or sooner), some 35,000 Democrats and members of the news media will flood into Denver, where they will eat at local restaurants, explore the metro area’s cultural establishments, and be entertained at more than 1,000 parties and events. But while they’re adding an estimated $160 million to the area’s coffers, will they also be adding to its traffic congestion, air pollution and carbon footprint?
The city of Denver and the Democratic National Committee hope not, so they have joined together as the DNC Host Committee to “green” the convention and create a permanent legacy of environmental improvements for the city.
The committee has established 10 task forces to ease the environmental impact of the convention. One group will focus on educating hotels, restaurants and event planners. Last week, workshops underwritten by the Environmental Protection Agency attracted 150 people from the Colorado Restaurant Association, where they learned how they can minimize water use, offset electricity use, and buy food grown locally to reduce energy used for transportation. Parry Burnap, greening director for the committee, says similar workshops are planned for the hotel industry.
A transportation task force is drawing up guidelines to reduce the amount of time that buses and delivery trucks idle in the streets. Maps will highlight green restaurants and businesses, and encourage convention-goers to walk, bike and use public transportation.
A renewable energy task force is hoping to demonstrate solar and other cutting-edge renewable technologies during the convention. Xcel Energy is involved in the planning, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden is offering its assistance.
The greening effort is spilling over to major Denver facilities, including the Convention Center and Performing Arts Center, according to Paul Schmiechen, program manager with Denver’s Department of Environmental Health. The Convention Center is developing a sustainability plan, water-thirsty landscaping is being replaced and low-flow toilets are being installed.
Burnap says it helps that most of the businesses and organizations involved have “green hearts” to start with. Pepsi Center, for example, wants to become the greenest arena in the U.S., she says.
The committee hopes to establish a website that will allow individuals and businesses to calculate their carbon footprints, then take steps to offset them. For example, Burnap says, an event planner could use the website to enter the number of guests at his or her event, the number of miles those guests traveled, the amount of food consumed and the amount of energy used during the event. The website would assign a dollar value to the carbon footprint, and the event planner could then donate to a carbon offset fund.
Schmiechen predicts that the DNC will offset its carbon footprint by more than 100 percent. The 2004 convention in Boston reached that goal, he says, and Denver is planning a much more comprehensive effort than was pioneered in Boston.
The effort to “green” the convention makes good economic as well as environmental sense. As Schmiechen points out, other cities market themselves as green when working to attract large conventions and new businesses. Denver hopes the environmental changes put into place for the DNC will increase Denver’s future competitiveness.
As they continue their work, the committee should involve other communities in their educational efforts. Imagine what a step forward it would be if a significant portion of the metro area were to join Denver and “go green” for the convention — and beyond.
Susan Thornton (smthornton@aol.com) served 16 years on the Littleton City Council, including eight years as mayor. Her column appears twice a month.
