Global warming is having a worrying effect on hospitality and the entire travel industry. Climate change is not only impacting where we stay, but where and when we travel. We see those signs every day, as friends, work colleagues or relatives are forced to change their travel plans—and where to stay—due to our changing weather conditions. Be it flooding in Florida, extreme heat in Europe, wildfire smoke in California’s wine country or air pollution in India and China. The warning indications from climate change are inescapable. Some of today’s popular tourist destinations are becoming intolerable due to highly unusual heat waves. September 2023,...

Growing up, it was common for my father to have a couple of his buddies over for a card game. Sometimes I would join them. My father and his friends would all be smoking like chimneys. When my father joined the air force during World War II, the military gave enlisted men cigarettes for free. (Today I wonder, sarcastically of course, whose side the military was on.) Eventually, our ceiling turned quite dark from the toxins. Maybe you had a similar experience as a child. Today, when I travel, I am very sensitive to cigarette smoke in hotels. My wife...

NATIONAL REPORT—Even though guests may sign a waiver acknowledging that smoking is not permitted in the guestroom, that policy is increasingly being violated—by cigarette smokers, marijuana users, and by those who vape. In fact, currently 24 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana use for adults 21 years and older, while 38 states have legal medical marijuana programs. Fortunately for hoteliers, there are now smoking detection systems that can send an alert immediately if smoking is taking place and that can provide time-stamped, scientific proof that a room has been smoked in—critical information when a guest or even...

NATIONAL REPORT—Minimizing the spread of germs should be top-of-mind for facility managers, especially this time of year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 11 percent of the U.S. comes down with the flu each year. Businesses can help facility occupants stay safe from infections, like influenza or the common cold, by taking the time to analyze and enhance their cleaning programs. Upticks in infections lead to increased absences in schools, offices and other businesses, resulting in lost productivity. Outbreaks can also negatively affect the public’s perception of a business. Implementing cleaning and hygiene best...

Here in Florida, I know too well the sound and fury of the gas-powered lawn mower and other gas-powered lawn equipment. Fortunately, we have hit the dry season, and it will be quiet for a while. In a new report entitled, “Lawn Care Goes Electric,” the authors address the problems associated with gas-powered mowers and other equipment and highlight the advantages of their electric counterparts. Be sure to give the report a read. In the report’s Executive Summary, the authors get right to the problem of gas-powered mowers. “The inefficient engines in gasoline-powered lawn equipment can emit as much pollution...

With its LEED Green Building Program, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has certainly changed the way developers and architects approach hotel design and operations. Walking its talk, USGBC has made its new headquarters in Washington, D.C. a standing example of what to strive for. In fact, USGBC just announced that its headquarters has been awarded a prestigious triple Platinum certification in LEED, TRUE, and WELL. This trio of certifications reflects USGBC’s commitment to healthy, productive, sustainable, and responsible work environments. The headquarters, which also houses Green Business Certification, Inc. (GBCI), reflects the changing office landscape, with a clear emphasis on decarbonization, indoor environmental...

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—AURA Technologies, an innovative provider of technology solutions for health, safety, security, and national defense, launched the AURA Ion Bar, a groundbreaking new product category in the indoor air quality space. The Ion Bar is the only system in the world that creates a germ-destroying barrier across any two spaces safely using Negative Air Ions (NAIs). This first-of-its-kind product addresses a critical flaw in current indoor air quality systems by targeting the contamination that occurs in areas where you feel most vulnerable to germs and contaminants—such as conference rooms, elevators, bathrooms, classrooms, and public transport. The AURA Ion Bar...

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—As rapid growth in demand for clean, chemical-free solutions for odor control and moisture management fuels expansion, FUZE Technologies has launched “FUZE University.” Located at their new headquarters in Salt Lake City, FUZE University will become a regular event. Designed to be a week-long educational and networking opportunity for their rapidly growing base of mills, brands, and manufacturers, the first summit brought together a global collective of FUZE partners from Asia, South America, and Europe. “FUZE is a fantastic solution for brands and mills looking to increase apparel and textile performance while cutting down on their use of...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has introduced a draft of its LEED v5 Operations and Maintenance (O+M) rating system for existing buildings. LEED v5 is the newest version of LEED. It marks a transformative milestone in the built environment’s alignment with a low-carbon future and addresses critical imperatives such as equity, health, ecosystems, and resilience. The LEED rating system is the world’s preeminent green building certification system, with more than 100,000 projects certified globally. While the launch of LEED v5 begins with existing buildings, LEED v5 for Building Design and Construction (BD+C) will roll out in 2024. In conjunction with the...

It is not something that is common where I live in Florida but yesterday there was an air quality alert due to a cloud of Canadian wildfire smoke that drifted down my way. The smoke originated in British Columbia and Alberta. It traveled thousands of miles to Eastern Canada by circulating winds and then was dragged southward by the remnants of Ophelia, as the storm petered out in the Atlantic Ocean. Wildfire smoke is just one of many environmental factors that impact outdoor air quality, and indoor air quality (IAQ) as well. IAQ was on my mind recently when the Asthma...