WASHINGTON, D.C.—Can you picture what it means to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 1 million metric tons? News stories are packed with measurements of greenhouse gas reductions, but it has been difficult to understand them—until now. EPA’s new Greenhouse Gas Calculator helps you turn greenhouse gas savings into more easily understood everyday terms. The calculator converts greenhouse gas-related savings estimates, typically presented in “million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents,” into familiar terms such as the greenhouse gas emissions that would result from: • Driving a particular number of cars for a year; • Using a particular amount of gasoline...

KISSIMMEE, FLA.—Gaylord Hotels and The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) welcomed Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center into the Florida Green Lodging Program. The 1,406-room resort is one of the largest in that state to participate, and the first in Osceola County’s popular Kissimmee resort corridor. In addition, the resort announced the upcoming rollout of a new guest communications program, called “We’re Eco-Logical”, designed to share the spirit of the resort’s eco-friendly initiatives with guests and meeting planners, while encouraging them to take an active role in the programs. “Together with the citizens of Osceola County, we have created one...

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA—Mercure hotels across Australia have gone green on conferencing, with the hotel group being among the first to offer a national Carbon Neutral Conferencing product. The new initiative was unveiled at the Asia Pacific Incentive Meetings Expo (AIME) in Melbourne. Accor’s Mercure hotel brand is one of Australia’s largest, with 17 hotels in every state capital of Australia, as well as in a number of regional centers. Under the Mercure Meetings initiative, Mercure hotels will fully fund offsets for carbon emissions produced during a conference. This means the offset cost of making a conference Carbon Neutral is covered by...

DALLAS—Accor North America announced a new agreement between its Sofitel Hotels and wind energy supplier Community Energy, Inc. to purchase clean, renewable, wind energy for all nine Sofitel locations in the United States. This purchase of wind-generated power in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) qualifies Sofitel Hotels as an EPA Green Power Partner, making them the first hotel chain to choose green power for each of the brand’s hotel locations in the country. “We’re proud to step up as a leader in our industry and to do our part for the environment,” said Robert Moore, Senior Vice President...

TORONTO—Almost 400 people attended the Hotel Association of Canada’s 2008 Conference this week at the Hilton Toronto Hotel. Green hotel trends and operations were highlighted in a session entitled, “How Big is Your Carbon Footprint and Who Really Cares? How Can Going Green Make Some Green?” The session was moderated by Allan Gregg, Harris/Decima Research Inc. Panelists included: Bruce Cords, Vice President, Environment, Food Safety & Public Health for Ecolab Inc.; John Lambert, Direct Energy Business Services; Ted Manziaris, Turtle Island Recycling; Vince Quattrociocchi, Vice President of Operations, Metro Toronto Convention Centre; and Michelle White, Director, Environmental Affairs, Fairmont...

ORLANDO—The Orlando Airport Marriott received Green Lodging certification from the State of Florida during a recent ceremony held at the hotel. As a member of the Florida Green Lodging Program, the Orlando Airport Marriott is recognized as a true environmental leader in the state’s hospitality industry. The eco-savvy meeting venue, which is fresh from a complete renovation, has taken measurable steps to reduce its environmental impact. “With so many travelers environmentally-conscious today, we had an obligation to help reduce our carbon footprint on our planet and become not only green, but stylishly green,” said Roy Nassau, Orlando Airport Marriott’s general...

ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO—As consumers embrace ecotourism as “travel with ethics”, one resort is looking beyond simply reusing towels and installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, to actively investing in its community and strengthening the area’s long-term economic viability. Located on the west coast of Mexico near Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa in the town of Juluchuca, Playa Viva is demonstrating that a truly sustainable resort invests in people, in place, and in principles. “Buying their land and then employing locals as housekeepers is not a sustainable business model for anyone,” said David Leventhal, founder of Playa Viva. “We can only have a vibrant successful project...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Building project teams pursuing certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System now have the opportunity to view the Innovation & Design Credit Catalog—a listing of proven green building strategies that have been submitted and utilized by LEED Certified projects. Building projects earn Innovation & Design LEED credits by demonstrating quantifiable environmental benefits through new strategies and techniques not specifically specified in the LEED Rating System—innovative strategies and techniques that go above and beyond. Points, or credits, are awarded to projects that develop innovative solutions, employ new technologies...

LAS VEGAS—Last July, when Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. announced its approximately $1 billion expansion of Caesars Palace—an addition that includes a new 665-room hotel tower and 263,000-square-foot meeting and convention center—it did not talk about one important element of the project: its pursuit of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. According to Eric Dominguez, Director of Energy and Environmental Services for Harrah’s, the LEED initiative is just one of many of the company’s efforts to build and operate in an environmentally responsible fashion. The new Caesars Palace hotel addition—named Octavius Tower for the...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. ranked among the top 10 on Computerworld magazine’s first-ever “Top 12 Green IT Companies” list. Marriott, the only hospitality company named, was recognized for IT energy conservation, IT recycling and reduction of carbon emissions. Marriott’s IT environmental achievements include: • Establishing Energy Star compliance standards for all IT assets; • Eliminating 25.6 tons of CO2 output annually by replacing printers; • Reducing IT energy consumption by utilizing server virtualization, resulting in the elimination of 300 servers; • Replacing 5,000 desktop PCs with thin client computers, reducing energy consumption by 50 percent per device; and • Archiving data, resulting in 65 percent reduction in power usage. “We...