Greening effort at DNC looking pale

Greening effort at DNC looking pale : DNC - Going "green" : The Rocky Mountain News

Just three of 50 state delegations have committed all their delegates to being "carbon neutral" during their stay at the Democratic National Convention, a fact that has green planners wringing their hands over how to get more states signed up, faster.

California, Nevada and Vermont have met the challenge. Eleven other states have agreed to participate at least to some degree, according to Damon Jones, spokesman for the Democratic National Convention Committee.

But the majority of Democratic delegations haven't purchased carbon offsets for their delegations. They have until Aug. 1 to do so.

Money spent on the environmental credits goes to specific climate friendly undertakings, such as tree plantings and wind farms, which reduce the amount of carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere, and help offset the effects of jet travel, which puts more in. Delegates can, if they chose, purchase the offsets individually for $7.50.

On a DNC map that tracks state participation, large chunks of real estate remain starkly white, nearly three months after the party announced the initiative. Those states that are 100 percent committed are coded dark green, while those that are partly participating, are pale green.