The first attempt to turn the White House into a green house occurred in the 1970′s when President Jimmy Carter installed a solar energy water-heating system. The system cost $30,000 to install and only saved $1,000 a year. That was obviously a failure.

Twenty-three years later in 1993 Bill Clinton successfully saved more than $1.4 million in six years thanks to his “greening the White House” project. Now it’s Barack Obama’s turn to show America that anyone can turn their home into a green home.

Lead by Example

From the moment that Obama took office he wanted to create a plan that would reduce the carbon footprint of the 132-room White House mansion. He basically wanted to show the American people that if he cares enough to do it, so should they.

So, what two major changes have the Obama’s already made to turn their home into a green house?

• Michelle Obama planted an organic and herb vegetable garden in the South Lawn (you can read more here)
• They built an eco-friendly wooden swing set with recycled rubber tire cushioning

There are still many other plans to turn the White House into a green house, such as using green and natural cleaning products and promoting recycling, but Obama won’t give any specific details yet.

That’s okay because it’s good to know that the President is going green and proving to be a positive example for the green movement.

Source: MSNBC