The Office of Federal Sustainability website is a great resource to learn about the energy use of the US government, which is the largest energy consumer in the country. The Office of Federal Sustainability is a sub-department of The Council on Environmental Quality, an executive office of the White House which advises the President on environmental issues and policy.
The site explains the initiatives undertaken by the government to reduce energy use across its 360,000 buildings and 660,000 vehicles. Graphs and charts showing the energy usage of various government agencies are available. There is also a ranking of all federal departments in terms of energy use and sustainability initiatives. The scorecards rate each agency on a green, yellow, red scale in terms of whether or not the agency is compliant with environmental goals in areas such as water use reduction, renewable energy usage, green building development, and emissions reduction. Another section of the site is dedicated to policies, executive orders, and statutes concerning environmental issues. Furthermore, the website provides an array of other resources about energy conservation in the federal government and beyond. It is helpful to understand the US government’s policies regarding the energy use of its own agencies since the federal government serves as an example of sustainability to both citizens and corporations.
Link: https://www.sustainability.gov/index.html
I think its really interesting that we’re able to see how much energy the US government uses. I think its also helpful that they include how they are trying to reduce energy use, and it sets a nice example for others if they want to try to reduce their energy use. Also, I like how the website talks about the policies and executive orders that are relevant in today’s society. This website is a great tool for all citizens looking into the basics of energy use and how to reduce their energy use in their own lives.
It is very important that American citizens know of this resource and can utilize the information in an impactful way. This is why legislation is so important. The federal government needs to be held to strict standards so that they can set an example. Advising the President is a very important role, so advocating cutbacks will be both cheaper and better for the environment in the long run. As you mentioned already, this also helps corporations follow in the government’s footsteps, as any collective organization is bound to leave more of an impact than an individual.
I think this website is really interesting because it allows the public to see where the government falls in terms of being environmentally conscious, and to see how much effort they are putting actually in to do so. The website seems like a tool the government is using to show their transparency regarding environmental policies – to see if they are actually following through with what they are saying, which so far seems be true in several cases. As Trump has loosened up regulations that directly affect the environment, it would be really interesting for the website to have predictions regarding what exactly these changes exactly mean in terms of sustainability and government buildings.
I think it is important to have websites like this to hold government agencies accountable for usage of natural resources. I agree with you that this also sets a precedent for private companies to report on their own energy use and how it affects the surrounding population. This is a positive way to make an impact on climate change and remind people to be mindful of the resources they use overall. Maybe the ranking colors could be exchanged for actual numbers for more accurate measurements and results?