August 26 - NYC 2004 Host Committee
President Kevin Sheekey and Coalition of Environmentally Responsible
Conventions (CERC) Executive
Director Daniel Ruben announced today that the 2004 Republican
National Convention will rely on renewable energy, carbon
offset credits, reuse construction materials, employ the most
comprehensive recycling program, administer a paperless hospitality
support center for the media working in the James A. Farley Post
Office Building, employ hybrid buses and employ food rescue practices
for the official Media Welcome at the Time Warner Center on Saturday,
August 28th.
NYC 2004 Host Committee acquired Renewable Energy Certificates
from ConEdison Solutions
that are generated by New York's Fenner Wind Farm. These renewable
energy credits (RECs) will match the anticipated electricity
use at Madison Square Garden during the convention. CERC purchased
additional renewable energy certificates from Sterling
Planet that are generated by New York hydroelectric and landfill
gas facilities. These renewable energy credits match the anticipated
electricity use by the hotels for the 50,000 convention delegates
and guests. CERC
acquired carbon credits to offset
the greenhouse gases emanating from travel to and from the convention
by the 50,000 guests and delegates.
Construction and trade managers working for the NYC 2004 Host
Committee in the Madison Square Garden arena will reuse and recycle
nearly 80 percent of all building materials used including, steel,
wood, carpeting and draperies.
In the media center at the James A. Farley Post Office Building
and at Madison Square Garden an extensive recycling program will
be employed for paper, bottles and cans, and cardboard. The Host
Committee's hospitality services in the media center at the James
A. Farley Building, operations will be entirely paperless and
will likely reduce paper use by approximately one million pages.
During the convention's business hours, delegates and guests
will ride eight General Motors hybrid buses. These buses will
achieve 60 percent enhanced gas mileage and far lower air pollution
rates than typical diesel buses.
The official Media Welcome reception at Time Warner Center on
Saturday, August 28th, as well as other events of the 2004 Republican
National Convention, will employ food rescue by City
Harvest.
CERC will host convention events for delegates including a cruise
that highlights the Hudson River's resurgence and a Green
Building Tour of the Solaire, the country's first green high
rise apartment.
CERC is a non-partisan, non-profit coalition of more than 50
leading New York and Boston environmental organizations and businesses
such as Union of Concerned Scientists,
Saunders
Hotel Group , CERES,
Starwood Hotels, and New
England Aquarium. CERC's mission is to promote environmental
best practices at the 2004 national political conventions; showcase
these practices to political leaders and the public; and establish
a legacy of environmental best practices for future large conventions.
