U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi added her praise to efforts to “green” the 2008 Democratic National Convention today, joining Denver and Colorado leaders at a press conference at the Pepsi Center.
Pelosi equated energy security with national security and called protecting the environment “a moral responsibility.”
Pelosi — the first woman to serve the U.S. House as its speaker — was named “permanent convention chair” last summer.
The speaker yielded the floor to Leah Daughtry, chief executive of the Democratic National Convention Committee, who appeared in a spring-green suit coat and dress to issue a “green delegate challenge.”
Daughtry said that delegates who offset the greatest percentage of their travel to Denver through the purchase of carbon credits will be awarded prizes.
Also, the delegations that total the greatest travel offsets will be highlighted at the convention, in part through seating decorations.
Both the DNCC and the city’s host committee have devoted significant time and resources to plan for an environmentally friendly convention and to promote the party and Denver as green-minded.
Last month, the Pepsi Center, the site of the convention, became the first arena in the country to commit to offsetting its energy use with wind power. The facility also is committed to replacing all its incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs and boosting its recycling efforts.
