The long national nightmare is over. Now firmly in control of one house of Congress, Republicans have scrapped former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “Green the Capitol” initiative, which included composting through the use of biodegradable drinking straws and utensils in House cafeterias. “The melting forks are finally gone,” Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck told Politico via email. “The Republican majority has restored plasticware in the cafeterias.”
Not to be outdone, Republicans in the South Carolina legislature have introduced the “South Carolina Incandescent Light Bulb Freedom Act.” The bill seeks to give incandescent light bulbs a reprieve from the death penalty, also known as a federal ban due to go into effect in January 2012. The ban was part of legislation passed, of course, by the Democratic-run Congress in 2007.
Are these moves just a way to tweak Democrats or do they represent a serious willingness to roll back energy and environmental conservation efforts? It’s too soon to tell. But if were Woodsy the Owl, I’d watch my back.