The news wires are abuzz this morning with stories about Congress going Carbon Neutral. Even Fox News carried the Associated Press story that says:

Congress is going to join the war against global warming by cleaning up its own backyard, now cluttered with a coal-burning power plant, a fleet of fuel-inefficient vehicles and old-fashioned lights.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has set a goal of making House operations carbon neutral during this session…

Senator John Kerry has sponsored legislation with the long-term aim of making the entire Capitol complex, 23 buildings where some 15,000 people work, carbon neutral by 2020.

According to the AP story, the Capitol complex currently accounts for about 316,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

Over the next six months, some 12,000 House desk lamps will have compact fluorescent light bulbs installed, saving $245,000 per year in electricity costs. And almost all newly acquired vehicles will be required to be compatible with alternative fuels.

So much for the low hanging fruit.

The biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions–about 1/3–come from the 97-year-old coal-burning Capitol Power Plant. This sacred cow may prove to be a little harder to clean up.

Compare the points of view of Senator Kerry and Senator Robert Byrd of Virginia (a coal-state):

In the shadow of the nation's capital, we should expect more than a dirty power plant that pollutes the air and our community (Kerry).

With the emergence of new clean coal technologies, I believe coal should play a role in meeting the energy needs of the Capitol complex (Byrd).

The simple, yet symbolic, choices Congress makes in cleaning up its own backyard will tell us a lot about which special interest groups we can expect to exert the most influence on policymakers as they consider climate change legislation.

Carbon Neutral Journal's choices are brought to you by Jorgensen Associates.

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