NAPILI, MAUI, HAWAII—Napili Kai Beach Resort, located on one of Maui’s most beautiful reef-protected bays, has introduced an educational program to encourage visitors to use reef-safe sunscreens. In recent years, coral reefs throughout Hawaii and the world have shown damage and bleaching due to a variety of environmental factors, including poisoning from chemical sunscreen. Many common sunscreen ingredients can lower reef tolerance to bleaching and interrupt the development of marine life, including the coral itself, which is a living organism. Starting in mid-December, Napili Kai now welcomes arriving guests with a free sample packet of Raw Elements reef-safe sunscreen, along with a discount coupon to purchase more and information about the damaging effects of...

NATIONAL REPORT—Soil is a vital resource. Crops require it for production of the world’s food, yet the very people who are fed by those crops often do things that permit erosion of the soil. The buildup of silt in waterways and municipal storm sewers has caused flooding and damage to property, resulting in an ever-growing need to reduce soil erosion. In the simplest terms, prevention of soil erosion comes down to two main features: Establishment of vegetation and management of water flow. Those two techniques are utilized in several different ways, including these common solutions. Runoff Management Perhaps the most obvious culprit...

NEW YORK—HNA Group, a global Fortune 500 company focused on tourism, logistics and financial services, announced its sponsorship of a white paper entitled “2018 Sustainable Tourism Index,” using research carried out by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Tourism accounts for approximately 10 percent of world GDP and just under 10 percent of all jobs. Driven by rising wages in emerging markets, tourism is primed to power further global growth, however the industry can only realize its full potential through sustainable practices. Key findings include: France and Germany exhibit the strongest commitments to sustainable tourism while China and India’s high-growth tourism sectors could provide a...

NEW YORK—Wabu (Wood After Being Used), wood furniture made entirely with reclaimed wood that’s hand-crafted, affordable and easy to assemble with no tools required, is now available on Indiegogo. “It is our duty to leave the planet in better shape than we found it or at least try our best to do so,” said wabu Co-founder Carl Bardawil, who launched the company with his sister, Christelle. “Every two seconds, man destroys an area the size of a football field, meaning 80,000 acres of forest disappears every day—representing 50,000 square miles a year.” With the purchase of each piece in the wabu...

The momentum toward energy efficient buildings is transcending the harsh political climate in Washington, occurring primarily at the state and city levels in the United States, at the level of nonprofit organizations, and in other countries that are the fastest-growing source of climate pollution. Locally initiated policies for improved building efficiency have always driven the bulk of activity at the national level, both in the United States and in countries such as Russia. With the ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change, which calls for the world to pursue action to limit climate change to 1.5 degrees, we see...

BANGKOK—Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has given two old buildings a complete restoration as part of a conservation project in Singapore. Ideally situated in the island city-state’s central district, Six Senses Singapore is located in the eclectic heart of Chinatown where socializing, dining and nightlife take center stage. Six Senses Singapore is split across two buildings that are an easy wander apart. Six Senses Duxton and Six Senses Maxwell will mark the brand’s first city hotels, celebrating local Singapore culture and history while adding a touch of playfulness to the heritage properties. There is a diverse mix of Chinese, Malay...

LAS VEGAS—Wynn Las Vegas will power its multi-use development, Paradise Park, with 100 percent renewable energy sourced from a new 160-acre solar energy facility, making it one of the most environmentally conscious planned developments in Las Vegas. Under the terms of the agreement with Enel Green Power North America, Inc. (EGPNA), Wynn Las Vegas will begin receiving power in the first half of 2018 which will be used to offset up to 75 percent of the resort’s current peak power requirements until Paradise Park opens. This is the largest percentage of renewable energy used by any resort in Las Vegas,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In the latest issue of its “Energy Infrastructure Update” (with data through November 30, 2017), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) notes that proposed net additions to generating capacity by utility-scale wind and solar could total 115,984 megawatts (MW) by December 2020—effectively doubling their current installed capacity of 115,520 MW. At the same time, the FERC report suggests that coal might experience a net decline of 18,723 MW (equivalent to 6.60 percent of current capacity) while nuclear power drops by 2,342 MW (equivalent to 2.16 percent of current capacity). The numbers were released as FERC prepares for a January 10...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—Vail Resorts, Inc. announced that the company has engaged Boulder, Colo.-based Renewable Choice Energy (RCE), a Schneider Electric company, to help identify and implement renewable energy projects that the company may purchase or fund as part of its comprehensive sustainability commitment. In hiring RCE, the company is taking another important step in pursuing its “Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint,” which includes three ambitious sustainability goals: zero net emissions by 2030, zero waste to landfill by 2030, and zero net operating impact to forests and habitat. “This is an exciting step towards our net zero emissions goal,” said Rob...

ODESSA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Odessa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes “One Green Deed Spawns Another,” a new book authored by green manufacturing consultant David Mahood, to the Green Product & Service Directory. It entails his quest for sustainability and conversations with the sources of his inspiration. If you had one green deed you’d like to see heeded, adopted, and passed on, what would it be and why? The book is a compilation of the answers to that question in the context of a 20-year journey. From green architecture pioneers to green product pioneers, from natural fiber farmers...