Who Says The Republicans Don’t Care About The Environment?

Meeting and convention organizers increasingly require green practices, products.  Green events for both Republican and Democratic conventions are in the works. The fact that the Democrats meeting in Denver will use biodegradable balloons, recycled confetti and carpeting and eco friendly paints doesn’t surprise me.  It’s the Republicans meeting in Minneapolis who are targeting energy effciency by cutting down on paper use and relying electronic communication and the use of fuel efficient vehicles during the convention that made me smile and realize, everyone is “all in”! CNN adds that “the measures highlight a major shift in the meetings and conventions industry” as green meetings have evolved from “a quirky, nice thing to do,” to a mainstream practice “in the past 18 months.” CNN also notes that a “wide range of sectors, including technology, real estate, tourism, and religion, have begun planning sustainable events” that utilize “intermediate practices, such as asking for locally grown or organic food,” and requests for “hotels and convention centers that take energy efficiency and water conservation into account.” CNN concludes that “industry professionals say they choose cities and facilities in the United States and abroad with environmentally sound practices.”   The fact that even in “party mode” you can count on both parties to make intelligent choices about their behavior and its relationship to our environment (albeit on a tiny scale) is encouraging.