As I am writing this, Earth Day is just one week away. How will your property mark this important day? This is my 16th year writing an Earth Day column. While there is certainly much good news to share about our industry’s efforts throughout the year, I often wonder if our industry’s net carbon impact on the planet will ever decrease (it may have during the pandemic) given our industry’s business model built on never-ending growth.
As citizens of this planet, we certainly are not doing enough. Earlier this month, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that countries are not on track to deliver their climate commitments—and even if they were, humanity could still fall short of the transformative changes needed to avert a climate catastrophe. Yet, there was hope in the report. It emphasized that protecting nature not only provides climate benefits, but it is also inextricably tied to human well-being as it helps clean our air and water, prevent flooding in coastal areas, safeguard fisheries and more. But despite the upsides, natural climate solutions currently receive less than 3 percent of all global climate funding.
“Nature remains a woefully underinvested solution,” Conservation International CEO M. Sanjayan said. “We can save our climate, and protect the nature we need to thrive, and live in a world that is more equal and just. There is still time; our future remains to be written. But it’s going to take everything we have, and we need to start now.”
Be sure to visit the IPCC website for its latest report and think about the ways you can support the preservation of nature in the coming year(s).
Examples of Earth Day/Month Activities
I did hear from some of you about your property’s activities in honor of Earth Day. Here are some details on those activities:
The Shelborne South Beach Hotel joined forces with Clean Miami Beach as sponsor for an Earth Day Beach Cleanup on Saturday, April 16. Clean Miami Beach is dedicated to keeping Miami Beach and its natural habitats free of garbage and harmful pollutants with a focus on single-use plastics.
In the spirit of a friendly competition in honor of Earth Day, The Marker Key West Harbor Resort is partnering with Reef Relief, a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to improving and protecting the coral reef ecosystem, for a cleanup event in Key West on April 22. This will be a friendly competition among local hotels to determine which team can pick up the most debris by 2 p.m. that day.
Grenada’s Mount Cinnamon Resort in Grenada came up with an Earth Day Everyday package and planned two beach cleanups. Every Wednesday throughout the month of April guests can enjoy cocktails while getting to engage with a local artist who creates art from plastic. Also, throughout April, each Sunday morning guests are invited to tour the Mount Cinnamon flora and fauna grounds with Mount Cinnamon’s gardener.
As part of its “B ORIGINAL” series, the craft hotel Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger in partnership with Hawaiian Aroma Caffe, are presenting “Think Globally, Art Locally,” an interdisciplinary art exhibition celebrating Earth Day. For the month of April, the Waikiki Beachcomber lobby has transformed into an art gallery, exhibiting a wide array of mixed-media installations from local legend Mark Cunningham, California-based artist and marine scientist Ethan Estess and Hawaii-based artist Stacey Garmshausen.
Planning an Earth Day/Earth month activity? Tell me about it by writing to greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers, and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
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Green Suppliers Spotlight is published weekly on Thursdays to general managers, owners, management companies, directors of sustainability, directors of engineering, facilities managers and many others who are either in purchasing positions or who influence purchasing decisions. Suppliers of green products and services throughout North America and beyond are invited to participate in the e-blast. (Minimum two suppliers per e-blast.) Green Suppliers Spotlight was created to give vendors an opportunity to reach a high number of industry purchasers at a very low cost—as low as $200 per e-mail. (Click here for rate sheet.)
Those advertising in Green Suppliers Spotlight can include up to 100 words, one image, contact information and multiple links to their website in their ad. At the end of each week, a report will be sent to each supplier with information on delivered e-mails, opens and click-throughs.
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