Earth’s stewards

Going green is not a political issue; it’s a moral issue. The environmental challenges we face — and how we choose to address them — is arguably one of the greatest moral tests of our time. Whether we pass or fail will impact the lives and quality of life for generations to come.  

I and most members of my party side with the vast majority of scientists who link climate change and the actions of humans. But I’m no scientist. I’m a pastor who works in politics, and the scientific argument is not one for me to make.

For me, greening is about stewardship. Regardless of whether you believe in climate change, don’t believe or aren’t sure, we all must recognize the beauty and sanctity of the world God created for us.

Such a precious gift is reason enough to make every effort to preserve it.

As CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC), my goal is to make sure we practice what we preach. This year’s convention will be the most environmentally sustainable Democratic convention in history. We’re not just focused on the four-day event, as we’ve been in the past. We’ve raised the bar and are taking steps to design waste out of the convention by applying sustainable planning principles to every decision we make — before, during and after the convention.

The process of greening the convention has been a learning experience for us, and we want others to benefit. With all the attention the Democratic primary race and our convention are receiving, we’re making the most of this time in the spotlight to lead by example and to educate folks on simple ways to reduce their impact on the environment. We aim to do so through our “Green Pages” at DemConvention.com and also through our actions.

It started with selecting Denver. I can’t think of a better city to host a convention with sustainability as a foundational principle. Colorado’s spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation — and the respect for the environment inspired by the state’s natural beauty — make Denver an ideal city for us to implement a number of these initiatives for the first time ever.  

Upon arriving in Denver, we chose an Energy Star office building for our headquarters, centrally located downtown at the crossroads of public transit hubs. Sixty-four percent of convention staff walk to work, myself included. We hired the first-ever Director of Greening for a Democratic National Convention. We implemented a comprehensive, single-stream recycling program at headquarters.

And we put our entire housing selection process online, saving an estimated 100,000 sheets of paper.

We’ve also included a greening component in the various service projects we contribute our time to in the Denver community. This week, in recognition of Earth Day, DNCC staff will participate in a tree planting of 400 trees in northwest Denver’s Sunnyside neighborhood.

But our commitment didn’t stop there. We’ve enlisted our partner organizations and official providers in the cause. As the convention’s official vehicle provider, General Motors has provided a mix of hybrid, flex-fuel and high-fuel-efficiency vehicles. Qwest Services Corp., our official telecommunications provider, will recycle the miles of cabling used during the convention; and provide special pumps to cool the data center. The pumps, unlike air conditioners, do not use Freon.

In fact, together with Camco International Group Inc., our official carbon adviser, we will measure and analyze the carbon footprint of every aspect of the planning, implementation and restoration phases of the convention. In addition, we’re working with our official providers, contractors and subcontractors to help track and report the carbon footprint of their convention activities.

We’re urging our delegates to pitch in too. Just recently, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) joined me in Denver to announce the “Green Delegate Challenge.” I always like a little healthy competition. This contest encourages delegates to participate in our greening efforts by offering special rewards for the delegation or delegations that demonstrate the highest level of commitment to offsetting their carbon footprint from attending the convention.

Through a partnership with Native Energy, delegates offsetting their trip will contribute to a number of domestic, community-based projects including the community-owned Wray School District Wind Turbine in Wray, Colo. and a Focus the Nation Wind Turbine on a family farm in Rosedell Township, Minn., to set a good example for our friends at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

At the outset, an event that’s likely to draw nearly 50,000 people from places far and wide will no doubt have a carbon footprint. And attempting to host the most environmentally sustainable Democratic National Convention in history requires a great deal of additional planning and effort.

We’d be kidding ourselves if we didn’t acknowledge this.

But the steps we’re taking are lessening our impact on the environment. The legacy of environmental sustainability of the 2008 Democratic National Convention – at future events in Denver, at subsequent Democratic conventions, and for large-scale events everywhere, political or otherwise — will pay dividends for years and generations to come. We think the end result is well worth the extra effort.

Such a precious gift is reason enough.

Daughtry is CEO of the 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee.