Say what you will about the Left, but one thing that they can't be faulted for is good intentions.  If only they weren't so morally pompous and totalitarian in the process it would be more forgivable.   But sometimes the wastefulness of these feel-good programs become so incredibly self-evident that even their most staunch supporters drop their cause and run to the next battle.  Such is the case with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's much hyped "Green the Capitol" initiative.

The "Green the Capitol" program was of the best of intentions, and in true Leftist fashion, it was one which demanded compliance.  Under Princess Pelosi's utopian vision, the House dining commons would set the example for the rest of the country in pushing the Green initiative. 

Fatty, fried, and traditional cafeteria staples were replaced with the best organic alternatives and animal conscious foods.  Plastic flatware was replaced with compostable cornstarch based cutlery.  Rules on disposal with corresponding receptacles were generously distributed throughout the cafeteria and recycling rules religiously enforced.  Ok, maybe choice and freedom were sacrificed in the name of health and environment, but people can't be trusted with such decisions. 

But there was trouble in paradise.  For starters, everyone hated it.  The cornstarch cutlery was about as sturdy as Gumby and was jokingly believed to be able to dissolve in one's coffee.  Staffers used to traditional staples like hamburgers or chicken were left guessing what the "cuisine" of the day was.even after eating it.  The added cost of organic goodness left many underpaid staffers grumbling. 

Maybe we are missing the big picture.  The goal was saving the world and "going Green".  Costs are all relative and pleasures can be sacrificed in the name of the Cause, right?  Unfortunately, going Green didn't just go into the red (at a cost of nearly $500,000 a year on the taxpayer dime) the program demonstrated very little benefit ecologically speaking.  Energy consumption actually increased under the program when accounting for the pulping and waste management.  Additionally, with the composting process the net result is methane which supposedly is more harmful than carbon dioxide.  The net benefit of the program in global warming terms: the equivalent of one less car on the road.  By all accounts, "Green the Capitol" was an utter failure and received no opposition when it saw the chopping block with the change of the gavel. 

So Obamacare is still in flux and the budget is still up for debate but the cafeteria is a little less green...that is unless you're talking profitable and fiscally responsible.  Take heart, Pelosiphiles out there, at least she has a choice what she can eat even if she can't force it on the rest of the House anymore.