In the competition to be greener than thou, officials from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul and the Democratic National Convention in Denver keep announcing new ways in which their events will be ecologically advanced and Earth-friendly.

The latest from the Republicans, announced today: The plastic discount cards that they're giving to the 45,000 visitors to the convention — delegates, media, VIPs and guests — will be made of bio-plastic.

The Minnesota GOParty Cards will be made from 100 percent plant material, they report, produced by Premier Card Solutions of Roseville. The card will offer visitors discounts at restaurants, hotels and attractions. It doesn't appear that they will be available for local folks.

The green effort is quite the rage at the conventions. This is the Democratic Convention pledge, as found on its website.

"Our goal is to make this the greenest convention in history. Our mission is to build a long-lasting green legacy that will thrive in our community and around the world long after the last delegate leaves Denver. What does it take to do this? Lots of coordination and hard work from dedicated staff, volunteers and partners! We're working on setting green standards for events, completing environmental improvements at city facilities, setting up recycling areas, partnering with local restaurants and venues for healthy options, tracking and offsetting carbon emissions, and much more."

The Democrats meet in Denver Aug. 25-28. The Republicans are here in the Twin Cities Sept. 1-4. — Joe Kimball