Great Government Goes Green

Around the country it seems to me as if the government, both on the national and state levels is trying to become green. It is great that the government is getting involved so we can try to save the planet from ourselves. Here are some regional and national examples of the government involvement that is beginning to go into effect.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that during a city council meeting in Salt Lake, green initiatives were the topic of discussion. Talks ranged from becoming a more biker friendly city to recycling initiatives and almost everything in-between.

The Telluride Daily Planet reported on the 4-3 vote by the Colorado Senate Business, Labor, and Technology committee to back the ban on plastic bags in grocery stores and other large stores by 2012. Thank goodness, plastic bags have bothered me for years; it seems like such a waste to just throw these bags away. Mandating the use of canvas bags will greatly reduce the use of plastics.

Then on to the help the national government is giving the cause. With our recently passed economic stimulus package green programs are going to be looking good. Commondreams.org reports that almost $60 billion dollars, of the $787 billion stimulus package, is going to green projects and research.

Now that the national and local governments both on our side we need to take these dollars and policies that are coming our way and work on the future of green. Maybe someday the term green will not have the connotation of being eco-friendly because that is how everybody will be.

Royce Johnson