GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WYO.—To entice meeting planners to conduct environmentally friendly meetings and conventions, Grand Teton Lodge Co. has introduced a “Go Green, Get Green” meeting package at Jackson Lake Lodge. With the package, meeting planners can earn up to an 8 percent rebate to their master account for hosting a green meeting. Meeting planners will be able to select from a list of eco-friendly elements to incorporate into their program, and the rebate will be calculated based on the number of these components they choose. Some of the choices include: • Printing registration materials...

CONSTANTIA, SOUTH AFRICA—The five-star, award winning Steenberg Hotel and Winery, located just 20 minutes outside of Cape Town, has developed an eco-friendly plan that maintains and preserves the natural beauty of the wine farm while giving back to the local community. The hotel uses “green friendly” pest sprays to promote the healthy growth of plants on the property. With the re-introduction of hundreds of ladybirds in order to defend the vines and indigenous plant life from harmful insects, such as the mealybug, the Steenberg has been able to establish a natural balance between flora and fauna without having...

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING—At the home of Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, laundry personnel at Xanterra Parks & Resorts are working like a geyser in reverse—saving water and energy efficiently. That is a necessity in a park with nine lodging facilities and 11 restaurants. Xanterra Parks & Resorts, which manages the guest accommodations at the park, cleans more than 2.5 million pounds of linen every year at its Gardiner Laundry Services facility. The linens include bed and bath linen and housekeeping cleaning cloths from more than 2,000 guestrooms. It also includes table linen and kitchen cleaning cloths from...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy honor organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. Award winners will be recognized at the Energy Star Awards Ceremony on March 21, 2007 in Washington, D.C. All organizations participating in Energy Star are encouraged to apply for a 2007 Energy Star Award. To be considered, an organization must meet the specific eligibility requirements in the award application and submit a complete application package by December 15, 2006. Categories include: Efficient Products, Partner of the Year, Product...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Marriott International Inc. announced that all of the company’s lodging brands in the United States and Canada will become 100 percent smoke free beginning in September 2006. This represents the lodging industry’s largest move to a nonsmoking environment, with more than 2,300 hotels and corporate apartments and nearly 400,000 guest rooms under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites and Marriott ExecuStay brands. “Creating a smoke-free environment demonstrates a new level of service and care for our guests and associates,” says J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and c.e.o. of...

NATIONAL REPORT—Looking to trim energy consumption and costs in the kitchen? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star “ Commercial Food Service” Web site is not a bad place to start. The site offers guidance on finding appropriate product sizes and models and features information on the four categories of products for which EPA has established energy efficiency specifications: hot food holding cabinets; steam cookers; fryers; and solid door reach-in refrigerators, freezers and refrigerator/freezers. Energy Star-qualified equipment is designed to use less energy and water, while continuing to provide high performance, reliability, efficiency and life-cycle cost benefits. “In general, Energy...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Renaissance Hotels & Resorts is making it easier for travelers to be “green” and save some green, by offering complimentary parking to all guests who drive hybrid cars. Current hybrid cars can get up to 60 miles to the gallon and generate lower greenhouse gas emissions than vehicles with standard gas-powered engines. Effective now through December 31, 2006, guests staying, attending a meeting or dining in a restaurant at a participating Renaissance can park their hybrid for free. “We think this is a fun and constructive offer to our guests who are helping the environment by driving...

NATIONAL REPORT—To maintain the energy efficiency of PTACs and to extend their life, it is important to implement a preventive maintenance program. “The internal filter should be cleaned once a month and once a year the entire unit should be removed from the wall so that the coils can be cleaned,” says Mel Harris, PTAC business development manager for LG Electronics Inc., Englewood, N.J. “The compressor will have to work harder if the PTAC is dirty. A dirty unit will also use more energy.” Be sure to purchase a PTAC that can be easily cleaned. The filter should be easily...

NATIONAL REPORT—From an environmental benefit standpoint, there are few slam dunks like hand dryers. Used primarily in common areas like restrooms, hand dryers—when offered as the only hand drying option and not alongside paper towels—save trees, energy and money. Not all hand dryers are the same; some are more efficient than others. The bottom line, however, is that they eliminate the need to cut down trees to make paper*, the cost of buying the paper, the labor and disposal costs related to waste disposal, and promote a more hygienic environment. “Hand dryers have always been knows as...

NATIONAL REPORT—Humidity refers to the amount of water vapor (moisture) suspended in air. It is measured as Percent Relative Humidity (%RH) or the percentage of water vapor that can possibly be contained in air, at its present temperature. Air at 0%RH is completely dry and free of moisture; air at 100%RH contains all the moisture it can possibly hold at its present temperature and will be exhibited as condensation, fog or rain. The amount or volume of water vapor that can be contained in air varies with air temperature. Air at 50°F and 60%RH contains less moisture in suspension than...