Democratic National Convention Committee Aims For Green Gathering

The Democratic National Convention Committee plans to make this year's gathering the most environmentally sustainable political convention to date.

The DNCC said this week that it will use efficient infrastructure, streamline operations, reduce paper use, and reuse equipment and materials, reducing the convention's carbon footprint.

"Using technology to drive our sustainability goals is a forethought, not an afterthought," Brook Colangelo, the DNCC's director of technology, said in a news announcement. "We're combining the best approaches from the public sector with the latest technology from the private sector to ensure that scalability, flexibility, and sustainability are at the heart of our technology platform." The DNCC installed specially designed pumps to cool the computer data center at the convention headquarters with chilled water systems already in the building. That reduces energy use and the need for air conditioning, while doing away with Freon, a contributor to greenhouse gases.

The organization also configured servers for energy-efficient voltage, chose energy-efficient operating and software systems, and selected standardized power management settings for energy savings of up to 80% on PCs. Staffers use Energy Star-rated laptops, printers, copiers, and servers. Virtualization allowed the DNCC to reduce its need for servers by two-thirds.

Staffers take laptops to meetings and use wireless-handheld devices to eliminate the need for paper schedules and communications. Delegates' credentials and housing documents are completely online for the first time, and the DNCC estimates that it will save 100,000 sheets of paper by reducing delegate mailings. The electronic distribution of news and information to delegates, guests, and media during the convention will also reduce paper use.

After the 2008 Democratic Convention ends, most of the DNCC's phones, copiers, computers, and other electronics will be reused, donated, or recycled. Many will be deployed in Colorado communities. More than 43 miles of cable installed for the DNCC Energy Star headquarters office and about 160 miles of cable going to the Pepsi Center will be reused or recycled.

The DNCC said it also chose headquarters near public transit hubs, hired the first-ever director of greening for a Democratic National Convention, required its vehicle provider to supply a fleet of fuel-efficient and alternative-fuel vehicles, chose a transportation consultant committed to offsetting the convention's carbon footprint, hired a construction management firm that will use green building practices, hired a carbon adviser, and launched a "Green Delegate Challenge" to encourage delegations to offset their carbon footprints during the convention.

"Ultimately, the nomination of a presidential candidate and flawless logistics for delegates are at the heart of a great convention, but environmental sustainability is also a critical success factor and one that we are committed to attaining," Andrea Robinson, the DNCC's director of sustainability and greening, said in a prepared statement. "One of the most dramatic ways to reduce our carbon footprint is through cutting-edge technology -- and we're making the most of that opportunity."