Going Green? Bah! GOP Brings Back Foam Cups

The Republicans are back in control of the House, and they're bringing something with them: styrofoam cups. The cups, along with plastic forks and a number of other things seen as not eco-friendly, were done away with four years ago by Nancy Pelosi to reduce Congress's carbon footprint. Now, the Republicans are reversing those initiatives, with the chair of the House administration committee calling the $475,000-per-year program "neither cost-effective nor energy efficient."

John Boehner's press aide announced the change via Twitter yesterday, the Guardian reports, tweeting, "The new majority—plasticware is back." The congressional cafeterias switched to compostable coffee cups and trays and utensils made from biodegradable corn starch as part of the green initiative, though diners complained that the cutlery would often break. Next up: Older lightbulbs were set to be phased out, but House Republicans have introduced a bill to repeal that measure. (More going green stories.)