WASHINGTON, D.C. —EPA has announced a revised Energy Star specification for televisions. Effective Nov. 1, 2008, TVs that carry the Energy Star label will be up to 30 percent more efficient than conventional models and will save energy while they are on and when they are off. The new modifications are expected to prevent greenhouse gas emissions while offering U.S. consumers the very best in terms of feature-rich, high-quality TVs. “Energy Star’s new specifications for televisions are turning the channel on energy guzzling sets—making them go the way of rabbit-ears and the black and white TV,” said EPA Administrator...

OAKLAND, CALIF.—A new guide offer hotels simple energy-saving tips that can cut costs while increasing aesthetics and comfort. Flex Your Power, California’s energy efficiency marketing and outreach campaign, has released its Hotels Best Practices Guide. Tips come from all aspects of hotel operations, covering lighting, water, HVAC, windows, roofs, restaurants, laundry, vending and ice machines, office equipment, exercise rooms, pools, saunas, hot tubs and demand response programs. The guide was designed with the easiest and most cost-effective strategies in mind, providing information on how hotel operators can make changes on their own or with the help of experts. Aside...

DENVER—The Colorado Hotel and Lodging Assn. (CH&LA) hosted a “Green Practices for the Hotel Industry” workshop for 150 participants last week. It was the second in a series of five workshops aimed at helping businesses in the Denver area and across Colorado create sustainable business practices. Denver is the host site for this summer’s Democratic National Convention, and the workshops help further the host city’s goal of making the August convention the greenest political event in history. The workshops also help Denver build momentum for its Greenprint Denver program, which works to create innovation and provide leadership around improving the...

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS—Dr. David Suzuki, one of the world’s most celebrated voices on preserving the environment, will deliver the keynote address at the 10th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development to be held April 28 to May 1, 2008 at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa (by Sandals), a Green Globe Certified hotel. The conference, organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization in collaboration with the Turks & Caicos Tourist Board and the Caribbean Hotel Assn., is designed to provide attendees with information on the development and implementation of tourism practices in a responsible manner. Many experts have identified...

LOS ANGELES—The credit crunch, a weak U.S. dollar, new construction, green building, globalization and rapidly shifting U.S. demographics are all factors that will shape the U.S. hospitality sector in 2008, according to a report released this week at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) by Ernst & Young. “Conventional wisdom might suggest that the U.S. hospitality sector is likely to suffer if we head into a recession, but the unique fundamentals of the hotel industry over the last few years suggest otherwise,” said Michael Fishbin, Hospitality & Leisure practice director for Ernst & Young U.S. Fishbin points to a supply growth...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has announced the appointment of Brigitta Witt to the new role of vice president, environmental affairs. Witt will assist with the development of a corporate environmental policy that addresses Hyatt’s commitment to minimizing the impact that its hotels have on the environment. The policy she creates will focus on awareness and education to promote and reinforce a culture of environmental consciousness throughout all facets of Hyatt’s global operations. Witt reports to John Wallis, senior vice president of product and brand development, Global Hyatt Corp. “Brigitta will play a vital role at Hyatt,” Wallis said. “As a...

SAN FRANCISCO—Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has launched “Great Meetings, Great Causes,” an innovative program offering eco- and social responsibility incentives to meeting planners and clients. An out-of-the-box approach to traditional incentive programs, “Great Meetings, Great Causes” offers clients who book meetings at Kimpton hotels nationwide the choice of two of the following five incentives: • Complimentary meeting upgrade to Kimpton’s environmentally-themed EarthCare meeting; • $100 donation to one of Kimpton’s not-for-profit partners (The Trust For Public Land, Dress for Success and local HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness charities nationwide), or the client’s charitable partner of choice; • Greensender.com box to help anyone get started or continue...

LOS ANGELES—Jim Burba, chair of this year’s Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), started the event this week by announcing that the travel of every one of the approximately 3,000 attendees would be offset by a donation to the Conservation Fund’s Go Zero program. That announcement set the tone for this year’s ALIS here at the Hyatt Regency Century City. Throughout the three-day event, green hotel development and operations most definitely were hot topics. At the Hotel Leaders Outlook session, some of lodging’s leading executives were asked to give their take on the sustainability movement and whether or not it is...

ALBANY, N.Y.—Audubon International has awarded The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, located on the shoreline of Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, New York, the prestigious Four Green Leaves Rating. Notification of the award was recently received after a lengthy review process. Over the past two years the Golden Arrow has worked hard to become a sustainable, earth friendly business. The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort is the only property in New York State to have a certified Audubon Green Leaf rating and the only property in North America to have achieved the coveted Four Green Leaves status. “We are thrilled to have...

DALLAS—Motel 6, the largest corporately owned and operated hotel chain in North America, has completed the rollout of the first national fluorescent light bulb and battery recycling program within the hospitality industry. Motel 6, with more than 900 properties across the country, is the first U.S. hotel chain to implement this type of recycling program at its corporate properties nationwide without a federal mandate. The program, which launched in June 2007, is a continuation of Accor’s Earth Guest initiatives that demonstrate Accor North America’s dedication to preserving the environment. “We have already embraced the national phasing out of incandescent light...