A.M. Greenlist: Cleaning house

>> The House aims to go carbon neutral with a green Capitol program, created by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco). The initiative has brought everything from organic food to biodegradable flatware to energy-saving motion-detector lights to the House.

>> Taxpayers shouldn't have to finance lawmakers' gas guzzlers, and thanks to an amendment in last year's energy bill, some House members will need to switch to more fuel-efficient cars.

>> L.A.'s proud to be No. 2 -- on the list of "Top 10 U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Short-Term Particle Pollution." We had the top spot for over a decade, but now Pittsburgh's edged us out.

>> Copper paint on Newport Beach boats are killing fish and mussels! Boaters are urged to consider more eco-friendly alternatives. "Orange County Coastkeepers hopes to solve the problem through education, not regulation."

>> Jake Gyllenhaal plans to open an organic restaurant in L.A. with chef Chris Fischer. Yummy! (via grist)

>> Dealing with higher gas prices, car owners are skimping on maintenance. A less costly, more effective maintenance option: De-car-ing.

>> What a good carbon policy needs: simplicity, political buy-in and efficiency in reductions. Pick two of the above, says Grist's David Roberts, in a 3-parter (one, two, three) analyzing the different policies, none of which contain all three desirable attributes. He concludes he prefers the cap-and-dividend plan as proposed by Peter Barnes, whose reader-friendly booklet on the topic I've discussed previously.

Photo by Gregg Moscoe