House quietly fails to become carbon neutral

WASHINGTON - It was a bold promise: the House would "lead by example" to fight global warming, becoming the first legislative body in the world to zero out its carbon impact on the planet.

Too bold, perhaps.

The House quietly shelved the idea late last month, the word delivered in an e-mail to a couple of reporters. It turned out that the House's goal to become carbon neutral - by removing as much carbon dioxide from the air as it releases - could not be guaranteed.

"No one can really tell you if you are truly carbon neutral, and the lack of that standard bothered us," said Jeff Ventura, a spokesman for the House's chief administrative officer.

The House already had spent $89,000 to cancel out 24,000 tons of emissions that it couldn't erase by turning out lights, buying better light bulbs and making the Capitol's power plant burn more natural gas.

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Stern said the cap-and-trade portion of the bill was not the only way to cut U.S. emissions.

"There may be other things that contribute to emissions reductions in the United States that aren't part of that ... bill," he said.

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The "carbon fast" the bishop called for in collaboration with the Christian charity Tear Fund encouraged people to reduce their carbon footprint at home and during travel.

Actions included improving building insulation, reducing the number of lightbulbs in homes, and conserving water and energy.

"Carbon fasting is something not just for Lent, but for life, but you have to start somewhere," he said.

The bishop said he and wife Wendy were offsetting the carbon emissions from their visit to New Zealand by donating to an organisation that worked to improve the environment.