Dems will stand on green principles

7-foot-tall stage is enviro-friendly by design, they say

By Lisa Bornstein, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 8, 2008 at 8:27 p.m.
Updated July 8, 2008 at 11:53 p.m.

Text size  

• 2 Comments
• Email
• Print

Photo by Matt McClain / The Rocky

Democratic National Convention Chief Executive Leah Daugherty briefs reporters Tuesday on Pepsi Center preparations.

There are decidedly few right angles in the stage design for the Democratic National Convention, fleetingly shown to reporters Tuesday at the Pepsi Center.

The podium rises nearly seven feet in the center of the arena in front of an arcing, high-resolution video wall.

While the color scheme wasn't announced, the stage, along with the rest of the convention, is taking on a green tinge.

"I'm so excited about this piece of it because we gave the production guidelines to our team and to our set designers earlier this year, saying these are our (environmental) standards," said Andrea Robinson, the convention's director of sustainability and greening.

Planners are trying to keep the final appearance of the stage under wraps until the convention opens.

The stage is being built in Las Vegas by entertainment design company PRG, which was given a mandate to rent used materials, including sustainable woods, and to recycle all materials when the stage is torn down.

Another stage may be built for Sen. Barack Obama's nomination acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High. The convention committee has not yet made a commitment on that set's environmental parameters.

"In our industry, it's not often you have a client who specifically wants and is willing to make the economic sacrifices to do a show as green as possible," said Lincoln Maynard, PRG's general manager for scenic technologies. "Most clients want the (set) to be built, thrown in the Dumpster, and who cares."

The convention contract gave PRG the opportunity to develop environmentally conscious methods that Maynard hopes to pass on to other clients.

"We've researched new materials, we've taken new approaches, and we've maximized in every case the use of rental items," he said.

The set is constructed mainly of steel, wood and particle board, with paints that at most have low volatile organic compounds. Paints will be low-formaldehyde, satin sealer will be soy-based, and any leftover paint will be used by PRG. No fiberglass or Styrofoam is planned for the set, Robinson said.

After the convention, the set will be dismantled with steel going to recyclers and wood going to companies that will resell it. The trucks transporting the set from Las Vegas will be powered by biodiesel.

The Democrats may gain politically from going green. But it costs money. Biodiesel is the biggest cost - 25 percent more than oil-based diesel, Maynard said, "You can be slightly green, you can be more green, you can be too green in that you can pay so much that it becomes unviable," he said.

• July 9, 2008

  7:39 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  srh writes:

  Green not really. It would be green if they used locally available resources. It is a sad commentary that DNC cannot find talented local companies to construct the set and avoid the transportation impacts. Did they consider using the pine beetle lumber? One of the basic green building practices is to use local materials and labor. Nice PR too bad missed the real opportunity.

• July 16, 2008

  9:03 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Kathy writes:

  I am a small, LOCAL business that cannot catch anybody's attention. We RENT modular, STEEL wheel chair ramps. TOTALLY GREEN. Steel is recyclable and we use them over and over. Our product is perfect for the convention. Contact American Ramp Systems

Featured

• Rocky Multimedia

  

  The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on what's happening today.

• Holiday Lights

  

  Is your house the jolliest on the block? Submit your holiday lights display.

• Holiday Gift Guide

  

  Looking to get a jump-start on the holiday shopping season?

• Mount Crushmore

  

  Which four Broncos greats should be immortalized on Mount Crushmore? Vote here.

• Bronco Dean's rant

  

  Listen to Bronco Dean's postgame rant on the Jets.

• Broncos-Jets action

  

  Visit our photo galleries for some action photos from Sunday's showdown.

• Calendar wallpaper

  

  Download this month's desktop wallpaper calendar

• Sam Adams' Open Mic

  

  Open Mic: Stirrin' the Soup with Matt Iseman

• The Rocky @ 150 Years

  

  Read the Rocky's coverage of Colorado's cannibal, Alfred Packer, in 1886.