President Obama Goes Green at His Second Inauguration
At yesterday’s second inauguration of President Obama, the newly re-elected President did his best to prove his awareness of environmental issues, with the creation of a 10,000 square foot inauguration platform made from wood harvested using methods that protect water quality, biodiversity and habitats for endangered wildlife. Not only was it environmentally friendly, but it was also strong – holding the President, his cabinet, former Presidents, Beyonce and her large rear end. Attention was also given to waste reduction, recycling and diversion plans during the ceremony.
It is doubtful whether the Green Inaugural Ball really was that green, though. Caterers used compostable serving materials, reusable items like glass instead of plastic, fried the foods in biofuels and sent food scraps to local farms for composting. Does this really offset the damage done by all the planes flying in VIPs from around the world to scoff haute cuisine at the $6.5 million event?
