National party conventions aim to go green
You’ve maybe noticed that green is the Hot New Thing these days — and the U.S. political arena is no exception. The 2008 Democratic and Republican national conventions both plan to get hip to the greenness. Denver, Colo., site of the Democratic potlatch, is primed to beat eco-friendly convention predecessor Boston by providing hybrid transportation from the airport, encouraging biking to and from hotels, reducing paper use, and recycling — which the convention HQ Pepsi Center doesn’t currently do but is, says a spokesperson, “looking forward to exploring.” Delightfully named Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) is jazzed but realistic: “The greatest challenge is getting everyone on the same page.” Presumably that’s even more true when it comes to the Republican rendezvous in Minnesota’s green-leaning Twin Cities; no specific plans have emerged, but there have been mutterings about energy efficiency and flex-fuel vehicles. But hey, by August 2008, voters might be totally over this whole green fad.
