The Jewish Council for Public Affairs commended the U.S. Congress for deciding to reduce its carbon emissions. As part of its “Greening the Capitol” strategy, Congress and federal government buildings will try to use renewable power sources; reconsider its interior lighting, office electronics, computer servers, and heating and air conditioning to reduce energy waste; and give preference to environmentally friendly businesses for its product needs. A recent report by the Capitol’s chief administrative officer shows that the House of Representatives created some 91,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions last fiscal year, roughly equivalent to that of 17,200 cars.
Hadar Susskind, JCPA’s Washington director, expressed hope Monday that the action by Congress would encourage Americans to think about their impact on the environment and combat global warming. The organization, along with the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, has been urging Jewish institutions to take up similar measures.
