As Congress morphs from red to blue, the Capitol may soon be turning green. Under a new law that one D.C. Council sponsor calls "the most comprehensive green building legislation in the U.S.," Washington will be the first major American city to adopt the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED standards for new construction and renovation projects.
LEED, which promotes such outlandish design concepts as natural light and windows that actually open, is "the national benchmark for high-performance green buildings" — already used by 18 states, 11 federal agencies, and companies like Ford, Toyota, and Nestlé. Buildings win certification by earning credits for such features as low-flow fixtures, no-flush urinals, and recycled materials — carpeting, for instance, which is "typically replaced every seven years," but "lasts 20,000 years in a landfill." Nationwide, 500 new buildings have the LEED seal of approval so far, with 3,700 more — including Washington's new baseball stadium — on deck.
Of course, it's no small irony to see the congressionally challenged District of Columbia (license plate motto: "taxation without representation") bringing green architecture to the halls of Congress. Meanwhile, while ecophobic legislators may balk at rolling out recycled red carpet for their well-heeled corporate contributors, we expect a few members of the new Congress — 87 out of 535, to be precise — to take the threat of waterless urinals in stride.
