The US Presidential race has resulted in clouds of hot air.  Currently, Barack Obama leads John McCain in estimated CO2  gas emissions with over 77,000 tons to John McCain’s 58,000.  Combined, the carbon footprint of the two candidates is equal to planting 3 million trees.  Read our full report:

Barack Obama and John McCain Carbon Footprint Analysis

Unlike former candidates Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, Obama and McCain have done nothing to offset their carbon footprints.  This has not kept them both from talking tough on climate change.

Candidates in races for US Congress to county council have taken action to fight climate change before election day through our carbon neutral campaign program.  They deserve a little respect.

There is a recent documentary film called Call+Response that I want to let everyone know about.  We are posting this because many of the people who are on the front lines of climate change advocacy are also on the front of other human justice issues. If you happen to be in one of the major cities where this film is opening, it is worth watching.  There are people trapped in slavery around the globe, and to pirate a line from the presidential race, “we are the ones we are waiting for.”   Please go see it and sign up to help out!

1,000 guests are expected to attend the annual Washington Conservation Voters Breakfast this year.  We will supply 50 tons (100,000lbs) of carbon offsets for the event to make it carbon neutral.  This is equal to the pollution of 5,100 gallons of gasoline, or half of a tanker truck of fuel burned. It is also equivalent to the amount of carbon absorbed by 10 acres of Douglas Fir or 50 acres of grassland in a year.

We are happy to be working with the Conservation Voters to promote policies that protect the environment. Candidates that want to follow the lead of the Conservation Voters and become carbon neutral can calculate and offset the carbon footprint of the political campaign on this website!

We have contacted every Democrat congressional incumbent and asked them to make a commitment to carbon neutrality and offset the emissions from their election campaign.  This is not something unfamiliar to them.  Each member of , whether Democrat or Republican, has a carbon neutral DC Office through the Green the capitol initiative.  However, only individual action will make their campaign green.

The excuses from some congressional ‘leaders’ for not going green reflect on the pathetic approval rating that the current Congress has, which at a whopping 11% should not surprise.  “We don’t have enough time” was the excuse from John Conyers’ Democratic campaign which does not even have a Republican opponent.  Jackie Speier’s campaign in California responded that “this is a safe district, our race was settled at the primary.”   Frequent was the line that “it’s just too expensive.” This one we heard from Ed Perlmutter in Colorado and Ellen Tauscher in California who combined control nearly $2,000,000 in campaign funds, but could not afford $400-500 worth of carbon offsets.

Others, like congressman Jim McDermott’s campaign, are almost understandable, “we really don’t have a campaign, all that we do is go back and forth from the office to the bank and pick up checks.”  The reality is that most congressional “leaders” are just interested in keeping a low  profile and cashing checks when it gets close to election day.  Issues don’t matter.

We will keep trying…