EUGENE, ORE.—Sustainable Foodservice Consulting has launched, www.sustainablefoodservice.com, a resource for food service owners and operators interested in adopting sustainable business practices. The website is a free resource promoting environmentally sound food service operations by providing practical information on energy-efficient kitchen equipment, green cleaning products, food waste management, links to private and public sector websites providing technical help, rebates and tax incentives, product information, and energy efficiency information. The “Tools” section offers energy efficiency calculators, energy tracking spreadsheets and a variety of forms and checklists to help implement sustainable business practices. Paul Kuck, the owner and founder of Sustainable Foodservice Consulting,...

LONDON—Mega-resorts are destroying communities and are environmentally unsustainable and lead to widespread alienation and displacement of people from their land, according to a new report from lobby group Tourism Concern. Poor communities in developing countries, which depend heavily upon their natural resources for their livelihoods, are the hardest hit. Huge tracts of public and privately owned land are being “grabbed” and sold off to real estate developers by governments keen to expand tourism in pursuit of economic growth. In reality, little of the profit from internationally managed resorts stays in the local economy, Tourism Concern says. The trickle down of...

LAS VEGAS—Hospitality Design magazine’s 2009 Exposition & Conference will include a Green Day once again. It will be held on May 13, a day before the May 14 to 16 Exposition & Conference, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. Green Day is one of the hospitality industry’s leading events focused on education, idea exchange, and marketplace trends related to sustainable design and operations. New this year, Green Day will exceed the annual AIA sustainable design mandatory continuing education requirement. Green Day will include sessions focusing on sustainability strategies, third-party product certification and what some of...

PACIFIC CITY, ORE.—The Craftsman Bed and Breakfast announced that it is offsetting its carbon emissions with Carbonfund.org, a leading nonprofit carbon offset organization. By joining Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree Partner program, The Craftsman B&B has joined a national movement of businesses and organizations that are leading the fight against global warming. Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree Partner program supports renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation projects in the United States and abroad to reduce CO2 pollution and help hasten the transition to a clean energy future. At The Craftsman B&B, the owners are committed to greener business practices and encourage guests to experience its green ideas....

BURBANK, CALIF.—The Walt Disney Company announced a landmark set of strategic environmental goals and challenging three to five year targets to reduce emissions, waste, electricity and fuel use, and its impact on water and ecosystems. The goals are part of Disney’s 2008 Corporate Responsibility Report, which details the company’s approach to critical corporate responsibility issues ranging from charitable giving to nutrition and from online safety for kids to workplace diversity. “Disney’s enhanced corporate responsibility efforts make our brands and products more attractive, strengthen our bonds with consumers, make the company a more desirable place to work and build goodwill in...

NATIONAL REPORT—Historically, owners of lodging establishments throughout the United States and Canada have ignored the sun as a source of potential energy to heat water. Whether because of concerns about cost or misperceptions about how solar thermal technology works, solar hot water heating systems are rare. That is all beginning to change, however, thanks to improving technologies, tax incentives and rebates, creative financing, better education about solar thermal heating, an increase in the number of developers interested in building to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, and an increase in the number of qualified vendors that sell...

ARCOLA, ILL.—With the second wave of construction on Green Mill Village (GMV) set to begin within the next few months, developers are certain the project will provide an economic boost to Arcola and the surrounding communities. Feutz Contractors, Inc. of Paris, Ill., completed infrastructure work on the roads, sewer and water lines and storm water control in December. The construction of the hotel, conference center, spa and restaurant will begin this spring along with the GMV Retail Center. A service station and out lot restaurant are also planned for this phase of construction. “In order to boost the local economy,...

SAN DIEGO—In an effort to support and enhance its local farming communities, Loews Coronado Bay Resort announced the introduction of “Farmers, Foragers and Fishermen,” a seasonal dinner series that allows guests to dine with the folks who produce, harvest and catch the ingredients they enjoy on a regular basis. “We believe today’s dining experience extends far beyond chefs and wineries,” said Ellen Burke Van Slyke, Loews Hotels’ corporate creative director of food and beverage. “It starts with the source—the farmer—and these dinners are designed to showcase them and their similar passion for sustainable practices.” Similar to a winemaker’s dinner, “Farmers, Foragers...

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—ASTA recently provided assistance to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) in launching its new publication, “Getting There Greener: The Guide to Your Lower Carbon Vacation,” by translating the group’s findings into real-world examples of carbon-friendly vacations that consumers could take without sacrificing fun or excitement. “This guide is a useful tool for travel agents looking for hard data on the carbon cost of various types of travel,” said Chris Russo, ASTA president and chair. “By utilizing this data, travel agents are better equipped to assist those clients wishing to reduce the carbon imprint of their vacations.” At UCS’s recent...

ALICE SPRINGS, AUSTRALIA—The Crowne Plaza Alice Springs hotel set a new benchmark for Australia’s business sector and hotel industry when it switched on the largest building-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system in the Southern Hemisphere and began its $50,000 in-house energy efficiency program. The groundbreaking $3.3 million PV installation will reduce the hotel’s energy consumption by 40 to 80 percent dependant on the time of year, with the energy efficiency program further reducing consumption by 18 percent. Crowne Plaza Alice Springs’ owner, Investnorth Pty Ltd, hopes other Australian businesses will follow their example. “Australia’s movement towards a green economy is not just...