Obama vows to green the White House

He hopes to show the American people that gaining greater energy efficiency in your home is "not that hard."
By: Megan Treacy: Yahoo! Green
In his interview with Barbara Walters, Barack Obama said one of his first tasks when he moves into the White House is to make it green.

Obama said he plans to sit down with the chief usher and evaluate the mansion's energy efficiency. He hopes to show the American people that gaining greater energy efficiency in your home is "not that hard."

A lot of people have proposed ideas on how Obama could make the White House eco-friendly, like turning the lawn into an organic garden, but this step that he is taking is most important. If he's going to ask the American people to conserve and make changes in their homes, he also has to do it.

I'd personally like to see him install energy and lighting-management systems, which have been proven to go a long way in cutting energy use and costs. Also, installing some renewable energy sources like solar PVs or rooftop wind turbines would be a great example.

We'll be watching closely to see what changes he ultimately makes.