The White House may soon be a “green house” if President Obama has his way. 

President Barack Obama wants the White House to achieve LEED certification. Photo Courtesy Flickr.

The president’s home is well on its way to eco-friendliness with features such as an organic vegetable garden and a swing set made from recycled materials, shredded tires and nontoxic dyes. President Obama, however, wants to take it a step further with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

In order to meet LEED standards, a number of major changes would have to take place at the White House, including updates for energy, water and waste systems. The home’s historical status and required security will also make the process more difficult. Christine Glunz, White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) spokesperson, says the CEQ is looking to reduce the White House’s carbon footprint with features such as computerized energy management systems; automatic light sensors that turn off in unoccupied rooms, low-flow water valves and windows that lessen UV rays. Other efforts include using low-VOC paints and sealants and switching to biodegradable cleaners and recycled equipment for the groundskeepers and engineers. Leftover materials from the renovation will go to local reuse organizations. 

The administration has already taken steps to green visitors’ experience at the White House. Recycling is more accessible, and water fountains have been modified to make it easier for visitors to refill their water bottles. 

President Obama isn’t the first president to make energy-saving changes to the White House. In 1979 President Jimmy Carter had a solar water heater installed on the roof of the West Wing (later removed by the Reagan administration), and President George W. Bush installed a small photovoltaic system and two small solar water heating systems. 

These small steps are good, but we believe it’s high time for a full-on green renovation. What do you think? Should the White House aim for LEED certification? Tell me your opinion in the comments section!

When the Obama family moved into the White House, many people gave suggestions on how to green the first family’s home. 

The Obamas listened. 

For the first time since Eleanor Roosevelt grew a Victory Garden during World War II, the White House will have a vegetable garden. Michelle Obama, along with 23 fifth graders from an elementary school in Washington, D.C., dug up the soil for the 1,100-square-foot organic garden last Friday. The entire Obama family, including the President, was expected to help pull weeds in preparation.  

Michelle Obama shows elementary school children how to dig dirt for the vegetable garden. Photo Courtesy  The White House/ Joyce N. Boghosian  

The organic garden is one way the White House is going green. The beds for the garden will be fertilized with White House compost as well as crab meat, lime and green sand. Ladybugs and praying mantises will help control bugs. The first family will plant cilantro , hot peppers, red romaine lettuce, spinach, collards, Thai basil and many other seeds for a total of 55 vegetable varieties. 

The kitchen staff at the White House will use the vegetables, herbs and berries to prepare meals for the first family, but Michelle Obama hopes the garden’s benefits will extend beyond that. She believes the children helping out will learn about healthier eating. 

Organic advocates around the country hope the Obamas’ garden will become a national symbol for eating healthier food and , more importantly, growing food locally and organically. Much of the nation’s produce is grown on industrial farms, requiring large amounts of oil to transport and chemicals to fertilize. If more people grew their own vegetables or participated in a community garden, we could cut back our dependence on these farms and live healthier lives.

Hello! After a new president takes office, much media attention always goes toward the redecorating of the White House. It's a good sign in our troubled times that yesterday's inauguration has been accompanied by calls to make the White House more efficient and eco-friendly. I've seen great "greening the White House" suggestions out there from a lot of sources, but...as the only major consumer magazine focusing exclusively on green homes, we have to weigh in! And we have some amazing resources that are helping us put together a comprehensive list of ideas. We've contacted a bunch of our most expert and reliable contributors to collect their best ideas for the first step/most important considerations in creating an exemplary presidential home. But at Natural Home, many of our best ideas come from you, our readers! So we definitely want you to weigh in, as well. Our 10th Anniversary Issue in May/June will include all of our contributor and staff suggestions, along with the best reader suggestions we receive. Weigh in with your ideas!