When Congress was still under Democratic control, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi enacted a series of in-house green initiatives including the use of biodegradable cups and utensils in the congressional cafeteria.
Pelosi implemented compostable paper cups and cornstarch utensils in an effort to reduce Congress’ carbon footprint and set an environmental example for the country.
This plan came to an abrupt end earlier this year when current Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner dismantled Pelosi’s pet project, returning the cafeteria to plastic utensils and Styrofoam cups.
At first glance, Boehner’s actions come off as a petty and political, but further inspection reveals a number of legitimate concerns over the Democrats’ green initiative.
According to Boehner and other Republicans, the starch-based utensils often melt in hot soup and break during regular eating. Republicans also criticized the program’s $475,000 annual cost and asserted the green system had an insignificant effect on Congress’ carbon footprint.
Based on their actions, congressional Republicans do not put much stock in sustainability, while the Democrats who claim a commitment to renewability and the environment are also severely misguided.
Switching from plastic to corn-based disposables is not the path to sustainability. In the same way corn ethanol is not a sustainable version of gasoline, cornstarch utensils are not an alternative to plastic ones.
The system put in place by the Democrats in the last Congress was based on sustainable disposables, which is an oxymoron in itself.
Replacing plastic utensils with biodegradable alternatives makes sense in situations where disposability is required, but not in a cafeteria frequented by our nation’s lawmakers.
There is no reason to use disposable utensils in the cafeteria when representatives could either bring their own mug and utensils to work with them, or invest in reusable utensils and energy-efficient washing machines for the entire cafeteria.
The up-front costs would be higher, both in terms of money and energy, but the system would pay for itself in a few years.
Ceramic mugs require about 70 times more energy to produce than a single Styrofoam cup, but they can be safely re-used for years. New energy efficient dishwashers also minimize the costs of cleaning reusable dishes.
After a few months of use, a Styrofoam cup breaks. Using a mug does not produce several pounds of landfill fodder.
Re-usable cups and flatware would cost less, use less energy, cut back on waste and provide a better dining experience for patrons. Everyone wins — except maybe oil and corn lobbyists.
To the Republicans’ credit, they stated their intention to convert the smaller cafeteria inside the congressional Rayburn House Office Building from disposable to re-usable utensils. Whether this initiative comes to fruition, and whether it can eventually spread to the main congressional cafeteria, remains to be seen.
Republicans hardly have an encouraging environmental record, but if handled properly, this situation could encourage more American citizens and businesses to change their opinion on sustainability.
Our continued use of unsustainable resources like oil harms more than just the environment. Our addiction to oil forces us into uneasy alliances with our ideological enemies and compels us to invade countries just to keep the black tar flowing.
We just finished cleaning up after the worst environmental disaster in our nation’s history — the long-term consequences of which we can’t even begin to predict.
Some of us are already prepared to give BP another chance because we can’t live without Styrofoam.
Andrew Shockey is a 20 year-old biological engineering sophomore from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_Ashockey.
 
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Contact Andrew Shockey at [email protected]