DENVER—The Colorado Convention Center recently announced its certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB), awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The achievement makes the Colorado Convention Center the largest LEED certified building in the state and one of the three largest convention facilities to earn this designation in the United States. As part of the LEED process, the Colorado Convention Center made significant reductions in energy usage, as well as gains in the area of sustainable purchasing, green cleaning, building occupant comfort, improved air quality and waste diversion. The implementation of the USGBC...

ITHACA, N.Y.—Putting sustainable ideas into practice will be a top focus of the Cornell Hospitality Research Summit (CHRS), scheduled for October 6 to 8, 2010, on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, N.Y. Breakout sessions will cover both sustainable design and sustainable operation, with a focus on the specific areas where sustainability can be most effective. Presenters will share their first-hand experiences with sustainable hospitality practices. Building on his firm’s 150-plus years of experience in innovation, Paul Hamilton, Schneider Electric’s senior vice president for Energy Efficiency, will focus on the immediate and long-term risks and challenges to implementing energy saving...

SALT LAKE CITY—Salt Lake County, owner of the Salt Palace Convention Center, recently announced a project guaranteed to set a new standard for hosting sustainable meetings and conventions: the installation of the nation’s largest rooftop solar array atop the Salt Palace Convention Center in the heart of downtown Salt Lake, scheduled to be completed and online by January 2011. The 600,000-square-foot project—larger than six football fields, including 11,319 solar panels—will more than double the current solar capacity of the state of Utah and generate approximately 25 percent of the annual energy consumed at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Salt Lake...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, LLC announced the introduction of a new eco-friendly beverage menu available beginning this month at North American and Caribbean properties across the brand’s portfolio. Properties also will be able to customize the menu to include local and regional selections and offer promotions that allow customers to contribute to the environment. Created with the environment in mind, the eco-friendly beverage menu is produced with natural and recycled materials, including post-consumer recycled materials that are carbon neutral, Green-e certified and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, which identifies products that provide an assurance of social and environmental responsibility...

PHOENIX—A new enhancement to Best Western International’s website is helping the company meet travelers’ demands for environmentally-friendly hotels. Hotels that comply with a state, national or international eco-labeling program for the hotel industry now can display a green leaf icon next to their listing on bestwestern.com. Travelers also can search for green hotels using this feature. Approved eco-labeling programs include the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification, American Hotel & Lodging Association’s 11 Minimum Green Guidelines, Hotel Association of Canada’s Green Key, Green Seal, Energy Star, and others. “Hotel guests are increasingly more conscious of the environmental impact of their hotel...

NATIONAL REPORT—“Green” is everywhere we look in today’s marketplace—“green building,” “green cleaning,” “green energy,” “green cars,” and yes, “green pest management.” But what’s in a name? Isn’t “green” pest management just another name for IPM (integrated pest management)? IPM has been around for a long time. The stated goal of IPM has always been to reduce the impact of pesticides on people and the environment. Isn’t that “green” pest management? Or, is “green” truly different than the way we have practiced pest management in the past, even IPM? Confused? When I was first designated the “Green Guy” at Terminix International...

BROOKFIELD, WIS.—In the last six months, two states have totally eliminated smoking in the guestrooms of any lodging establishment—Michigan and Wisconsin. In Michigan, the Dr. Ron Davis Smoke Free Air Law went into effect on May 1. In Wisconsin, Wisconsin Act 12 went into effect on July 5. In both states, restaurants are also included in the ban. Steve Yencich, president and CEO of the Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association (MLTA), said that MLTA opposed the Dr. Ron Davis Smoke Free Air Law. “We take the position that business owners should have the right to meet the needs of their customers,”...

SAN DIEGO—The city of San Diego is working with businesses that dispose large amounts of food waste to recycle the material and potentially reduce their disposal costs. Businesses participating in the program could save as much as $30 a ton in disposal fees by recycling food scraps at a discount rate. "Here is a program that benefits businesses in these tough economic times," said Chris Gonaver, director of the city's Environmental Services Department. "This program also helps to extend the life of the Miramar Landfill by diverting food waste from disposal," Gonaver said. "Food scraps are turned into rich compost that...

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—With the addition of a dozen hotels to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Green Lodging program, there are now 650 hotels in the program. The 650th property to join is the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites in Clearwater Beach. “Florida’s Green Lodging Program encourages and enables vacationers to be environmentally conscious even while they are relaxing on a getaway,” said Deas Bohn, DEP director of sustainable initiatives. “While Floridians are vacationing, they can also be conserving water and energy while protecting the state’s natural resources.” To become a designated member of the voluntary program, lodging facilities adopt cost-saving...

HARTFORD, CONN.—There are now 15 hotels, motels and bed & breakfasts participating in the Connecticut Green Lodging program sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism. The lodging facilities participating in the program are redoing operations and gaining a marketing edge through energy savings, water conservation, green cleaning and other environmentally sound practices.    In addition to listings on the state’s Department of Environmental Protection website (www.ct.gov/dep/greenlodging) and the www.CTvisit.com site run by the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, these certified properties enjoy “eco” listings on the websites run by AAA and...