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Earth Day at the Capitol

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently marked the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day with a nod to Green the Capitol.

During an April 22 press conference, Pelosi described Green the Capitol and its office greening efforts as "another step forward on the flagship issue of this Congress - clean energy and combating climate change."

Pelosi stood at a lectern with House greening leaders including representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, Peter Welch of Vermont and Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri. They gathered to celebrate unprecedented energy savings at the Rayburn House Office Building’s cafeteria due to energy-efficient LED lighting and advanced building controls. The cafeteria is the first federal government facility to combine the two, resulting in total energy savings that will reach 80 percent.

Green the Capitol Director Bob Lane and Acting Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers were also on hand to announce the release of “Going Green and Saving Energy” a first-of-its-kind assessment of all greening efforts underway at the House. The report is a joint effort of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer and the Office of the Architect of the Capitol.

Pelosi described the House greening efforts detailed in the report as the embodiment of an effort to leave "a legacy of sustainability to future generations."