Yesterday President Bush, who in the past has not attached great importance to the question of energy conservation, issued an order to the heads of all executive departments and agencies to “take appropriate actions to conserve natural gas, electricity, gasoline, and diesel fuel to the maximum extent consistent with the effective discharge of public responsibilities.” Today, according to the White House pool report, press secretary Scott McClellan brought up the issue during the president’s flight to Texas:

McClellan said president has directed White House staff to find ways to conserve energy, including shorter motorcades on this trip. Early evidence of that on first stop, with poolers counting about a dozen or so vehicles at the Southeast Texas Regional Airport in Beaumont. One sacrifice appeared to be one less press van, and McClellan mentioned staff doubling up as well. However, said motorcade carried the presidential entourage not even a mile — and probably shy of a half-mile –across the tarmac to his meeting with Texas officials at terminal.