With pressure mounting on the US establishment to take climate change seriously, the US House of Representatives has hit upon an ingenious solution: buying carbon credits to offset emissions from an antiquated power plant that services the Capitol's needs. The credits, worth US $89,000, were purchased on November 5 through an auction at the Chicago Climate Exchange.

The power plant, which is the only coal-fired utility in the District of Columbia, belches about 30,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases every year. In 2006, the Capitol's functioning led to about 82,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. The plant provides heating and cooling of the building while electricity is purchased from a local utility.

The move is part of the House's strategy called