The American Spectator

Bush White House spokesman Scott McClellan warms Jimmy Carter’s heart:

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes. You can look back at some of the steps that we were taking to promote energy efficiency and conserve energy. And some steps that we’re already taking, since yesterday, in terms of the White House, the President has directed the staff to take steps to increase the thermostats, scale back non-essential travel, to look at other ways that we can conserve energy, as well.

The White House has been looking at additional ways that we can conserve energy. We’ll also be sending out notices to staff about — reminding them to turn off lights and printers and copiers and computers when they leave the office. We’ll continue to move forward on more e-government, paperless systems that would reduce the use of faxes and copiers and printers and things of that nature, encouraging all government vehicles to try to consume less. That would include by people sharing rides in government vehicles, not letting cars idle, which wastes gas. We’ll be sending out notices to staff to promote mass transit options, as well, letting them know about Metro stops and encouraging ride sharing, telling them where pick-up and drop-off points are at the White House, or reminding them of that, and just scrutinizing staff travel even more, so that people can videoconference where they can versus actually traveling, and things of that nature.

So, again, these actions that we are taking build upon steps that we’ve already taken. And other areas — the President did want everybody to look at the motorcade, too, to see what could be scaled back there, as well. So I think today we probably have a couple less vans than we normally would.