SAN FRANCISCO—Hilton San Francisco Financial District, ParkPod, LLC, and Ace Parking announced the successful installation of San Francisco’s first high speed electric vehicle charging station (Level II) open to the public at a non-government location. Beginning immediately, electric vehicle owners will be able to charge at Hilton San Francisco Financial District Hotel at 750 Kearny Street. Until now, most charging stations have been publicly financed and installed at government-owned locations. Rainer Genschel, ParkPod’s co-CEO, said, “The first high speed installation at a commercial location is particularly significant because, above all, charging has to be convenient. ParkPod’s aim is to make...

SAN FRANCISCO—The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) ruling on mercury labeling will require all compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) manufacturers to provide information on proper handling and cleanup when a CFL breaks. CFLs have gained in market share in recent years because of their energy efficiency. Amy Galland, research director of As You Sow, said, “Consumers have learned that CFLs use less electricity than incandescent bulbs, which is good for the environment. But as more CFLs entered the market we have been concerned that consumers do not fully appreciate the potential dangers if a CFL is broken. There is mercury...

OTTAWA, ONT.—The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) is now accepting entries for the 2010 Hall of Fame Awards of Excellence. Now in its seventh year, the Hall of Fame Awards program continues the association’s tradition of acknowledging the strong standards and values of those involved in and with the lodging industry. Each year the Hall of Fame Awards attracts more and more entries from HAC members across the country. The Awards program recognizes those individuals, companies or properties that have demonstrated significant accomplishments, exemplary leadership and tireless commitment to the industry in several divisions. The Humanitarian Award is given for...

CARLSBAD, CALIF.—The La Costa Resort and Spa, a 400-acre property located near the beach in Carlsbad, Calif., has reduced its kitchen food waste volume by a factor of almost five times thanks to two industrial compost machines that rely on heat and agitation. According to Sam Bumgarner, purchasing director for the property, the machines, which each handle 250 pounds of food waste per day, are located in two different kitchens and compost 182,000 pounds of food scraps annually. Each day, approximately 40 pounds of compost is produced and given to the groundskeeping team to use around the property. "It sends...

LAS VEGAS—Beginning today, October 6, water-efficiency professionals from around the world will convene at the third WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition (WSI 2010), at the South Point Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas. With more than 130 professional sessions and an expo hall featuring nearly 100 exhibit booths, WSI 2010 is the largest conference of its kind in the world, drawing about 1,000 attendees from across the United States and internationally. The conference will conclude Friday, October 8. “WSI provides a venue for professionals in a wide range of disciplines to come together in one place, at one time,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—With an executive order in place setting up the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force to continue the recovery after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, EPA Administrator and Task Force Chair Lisa P. Jackson started a series of meetings today in the region to focus on the next steps. “The president has made clear that he wants restoration plans to come from the Gulf Coast, and not be imposed on the gulf residents by Washington,” Administrator Jackson explained during her meetings on Tuesday. “We’re counting on the people who know these areas best—the people who call the gulf...

MINNEAPOLIS—Carlson, a privately held, global hospitality and travel company, announced the global expansion of its Responsible Business Action Month. In September, Carlson hotels across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia were invited to take action in their hotels and communities by organizing social and environmental activities and raising funds to support Carlson’s corporate charity organization, World Childhood Foundation. “Responsible Business Action Month has been celebrated by Carlson branded hotels in 40 countries for the past six years,” said Beathe-Jeanette Lunde, executive vice president, people development and responsible business, Carlson. “This year, we have taken steps to extend...

TETIAROA, FRENCH POLYNESIA—Located on the French Polynesian island of Tetiaroa and a product of the late Marlon Brando’s vision, construction on The Brando is progressing steadily with completion slated for late 2012. Pacific Beachcomber S.C. is developer of the resort. The president of French Polynesia, Gaston Tong Sang, recently made an official visit to Tetiaroa for a tour of The Brando construction site. Organized by Richard Bailey, CEO of Pacific Beachcomber S.C., and friend of the late actor, the trip was designed to share progress of the project’s construction with the president and his Minister of Environment, Jules Ienfa,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—More than 1,100 U.S. counties—a full one-third of all counties in the lower 48 states—now face higher risks of water shortages by mid-century as the result of global warming, and more than 400 of these counties will be at extremely high risk for water shortages, based on estimates from a report by Tetra Tech for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The report uses publicly available water use data across the United States and climate projections from a set of models used in recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) work to evaluate withdrawals related to renewable water supply....

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne becomes the tenth LEED certified property for parent Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Set along the grassy greens of The Golf Club at Ballantyne in an upscale lifestyle community, Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne is just steps from chic shops and Ballantyne Corporate Park—and a quick trip to downtown. Created to shake up the staid, traditional select service segment of the hotel industry, Aloft Hotels delivers style at an economical rate, with urban-influenced, modern, open...