Convention Wisdom

News & Analysis
In the News Gristmill Blog Muckraker Podcast Features

Columns
Ask Umbra Victual Reality Weekly Recipes The Bottom Line From A to Green The Grist List

Support nonprofit, independent environmental journalism.
Donate to Grist.

ADVERTISING POLICY

[Advanced]

Tools: print | email | write to the editor | subscribe | RSS

Republican convention will go green

Posted at 1:22 PM on 05 Mar 2008

Not to be outdone by the Democratic convention, the Republican convention will, indeed, go green. While hosting divisive delegate debates over the best way to address environmental issues from a GOP perspective, the Minneapolis convention hall will boast recycled-fiber carpet, booths and stages constructed of local, sustainably harvested wood, water in petroleum-free bottles, biodegradable plates, composted food, non-plastic banners printed with soy-based inks, energy-efficient lighting, reduced paper, bicycles available for delegates to pedal to and from hotels, and, of course, an intent to make the event carbon neutral. As would only be expected, says the communications director of the GOP Convention Committee on Arrangements: "Republicans, like all Americans, support responsible stewardship of the land."

source: MinnPost

ADVERTISING POLICY

< Previous | Next >

Comments: (10 comments)

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have a Gristmill account, log in below. If you don't have a Gristmill account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

Another GreenScam

Observers have noted that there were more African Americans on the GOP convention stage in 2004 than there were in the entire lily-white audience combined. These folks know how to bullshit people. The party of James ("Global Warming is a Hoax") Inhofe, Arctic Drilling, oil industry subsidies and industry hacks like Mark Rey can reycle its aluminum cans and fake an environmetal conscience til the cows come home and poop on the floor. Today's GOP is still a criminal conspiracy against the environment, and the greenest thing it could do is liquidate itself immediately and pay reparations to the American public.

by davedenali at 2:13 PM on 05 Mar 2008

That's unexpected

But then it was Nixon who created the EPA and the Clean Air and Water bills into law. California Governor Schwarzenegger is about as progressive as they come among U.S. governors when it comes to pushing "green" initiatives. Go figure.

by cyclelicious at 3:24 PM on 05 Mar 2008

Nixon was to the left of Clinton

Both Bill and Hillary. Which shows how much politics have degraded in the US.

How's that corporate media monopoly working out for everybody?

Put the Carbon Back

by Pangolin at 3:43 PM on 05 Mar 2008
[ Parent ]

re: That's unexpected.

Nixon and Schwarzenegger aren't hard to figure at all. Nixon faced a liberal Dem Congress that had held power for years. He was a crook, but no ideologue, and he came to power long before the Reagan/James Watt era signaled the lunatic right takeover of the GOP. Schwarzenegger lives in California, and if he were not environmentally progressive, he would not be governor.

Faking green is trendy, popular and easy. John McCain has done it for his entire career: look at his actual environmental record at www.lcv.org His career score is under 30 percent -- it stinks. But he fakes it well. .

by davedenali at 4:09 PM on 05 Mar 2008

I wonder...

...how much of this "green" tech was installed in the building already?

I mean, is it really green if they just happen to hold the convention that had been converted to green for other reasons beforehand?

by Tasermons Partner at 4:15 PM on 05 Mar 2008

Huh, everything going green?

It seems as if everything is turning green nowadays. And people just can't understand why consumers aren't buying more of it or voters aren't really into it. Not rocket science - really. People buy and vote for many reasons - not just the environmental impact. You think you can sell a "green" blow-up doll? Maybe look at functionality, price, quality etc first before turning everything green. Then we can start changing the consumers. More on this on my blog at http://angryafrican.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/make-it-bett ...

by Angry African at 4:54 PM on 05 Mar 2008

GOP Does; Dems Say

GOP takes action.

Dems mouth words.

by jabailo at 11:31 PM on 05 Mar 2008

Now if they could just ...

...do so the other 1457 days of the presidential electoral term, and at the local level around the country in all the operations that members of that political party bear public responsibility for.

Actions speak louder, and the daily actions speak loudest. Sustainability is more than something to pursue on TV for a couple days once every 4 years. Public accountability for sustainability needs to be reckoned on a daily basis.

1-20-09: The End of an Error

Moving toward sustainability with hopefulness, one revolution at a time.

by 2wheeler at 9:25 AM on 06 Mar 2008

Minneapolis != St Paul

one itty bitty minor teeny weeny correction to the article above, the site of the convention is actually in St Paul, not Minneapolis.

by mavkato at 9:30 AM on 06 Mar 2008

Heresy

But it's institution's like Grist that make such meaningless gestures as the Republicans are making even appear on the radar. The only thing green about either party is the money that influences their decision-making.

But, heck, Grist is just a PR machine itself, throwing about symbolism and catch phrases and whatever is the most popular hot air about 'green' issues. They effect none of the fundamental change necessary to maintain habitability on Earth.

Do I think the Republicans are really "green?" Yes. They are as "green" as Grist and no greener.

Talk is easy. Change is hard. Green chic won't cut it, here or there or anywhere.

Ecoreason.

"Come to know the landscape in which you live and you will help to restore the world."

by EcoReason at 11:14 AM on 06 Mar 2008

The comments of Grist users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?