TUCSON, ARIZ.—Noted green building expert, author, water crisis guru and sustainability planning consultant, Jerry Yudelson has released a three-part video series entitled “Water Wars” on his YouTube video channel. The videos are based on Yudelson’s book, “Dry Run: Preventing the Next Urban Water Crisis,” which outlines how cities can prepare for a coming era of water scarcity throughout the United States and much of the world, brought about by global climate change, increasing urban populations and a growing “water footprint” from human activity. The green building consultant spoke about the “Water Wars” videos, by saying, “What we are trying to accomplish...

NEW YORK—Barclay the Bee has landed in the InterContinental New York Barclay’s guestrooms with a question—“to wash, or not to wash”? The hotel’s friendly messaging mascot is highlighting an important aspect of the InterContinental New York Barclay’s sustainable initiatives—water savings—with a new “Don’t Wash” symbol and fun in-room message delivery. A Bee-shaped cut-out sign designed to sit in a holder on nightstands features Barclay the Bee holding a message advising guests of the hotel’s commitment to every-other-day sheet and towel washing. Guests who desire every day service simply remove the bee card from its holder and place it on...

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF.—ClearWater Tech, LLC, a manufacturer of ozone systems for water and air purification, announced it is now a preferred vendor with the Best Western International Group. ClearWater Tech is the manufacturer of EcoTex Ozone Laundry Systems. EcoTex is used worldwide in the hospitality and senior care market.In the spring of 2011, an EcoTex Laundry Ozone System was installed at the Best Western Plus—Tempe By The Mall facility in Tempe, Ariz. With the installation of the EcoTex ozone laundry system and modification of the washer formulas, the facility has reduced its hot water/natural gas by 86 percent,...

RIPON, WIS.—UniMac, a manufacturer of on-premises laundry equipment, announces the launch of its redesigned UC Series hardmount washer-extractors. The washer-extractor series offers supreme efficiency, helping on-premises laundries reduce operating costs and increase throughput. Using newly developed, advanced technology, the UC Series now uses 33 percent less electricity than two-speed models and 11 percent less water on average than previous models. The utility reductions are due to UniMac’s proprietary advanced inverter drive technology and minimized sump design that optimizes the cylinder water, which also maximizes cleaning results. The machines achieve an extraction speed of up to 200 G-Force, which removes...

DES PLAINES, ILL.—Chicago Faucets, a manufacturer of commercial faucets, merges dependable function and modern style with its new HyTronic Curve electronic faucet. This new faucet features a curved spout and brings water savings to any public restroom.“A public restroom doesn’t have to look industrial to be functional,” said John Fitzgerald, vice president of marketing for Chicago Faucets. “The HyTronic Curve is designed not only for longevity and efficiency, but to also add inviting style to any public restroom.”The Curve, with its chrome finish, offers a variety of flow rates and power options. The above-deck electronics, vandal resistance features, and...

WOODRIDGE, ILL.—In its continued commitment to provide educational offerings for customers and partners, Globe Union and its family of companies, including Danze, Inc. and Gerber Plumbing Fixtures LLC, is sponsoring a free online education seminar for designers, architects and other industry professionals to earn valuable continuing education credits.The course focuses on water. No building (residential, commercial, hospitality or other) can be considered sustainable if it wastes water. Wasting water depends almost entirely on the efficiency of on-site plumbing fixtures such as toilets, showers, faucets and urinals. Although early attempts at “efficient” fixtures often led to weak showers and toilets...

LONDON—A report launched July 9 by Tourism Concern reveals the stark inequities of water access and consumption between tourist resorts and local people in developing countries. “Water Equity in Tourism: a Human Right, a Global Responsibility,” demands concerted action by governments and the tourism sector to protect community water rights over tourist luxury.Featuring research from Bali, The Gambia, Zanzibar, and Goa and Kerala, south India, the report finds that the unsustainable appropriation, depletion and pollution of water by poorly regulated tourism are threatening the environment, while undermining living standards, livelihoods and development opportunities of impoverished local communities.These communities often...

MENOMONEE FALLS, WIS.—Alto-Shaam recently added a new, smaller Combitherm oven capable of holding four full-sized hotel pans and eight half-sized hotel pans in a compact footprint. The new 4.10ESi CT Express Combitherm oven equals all the performance benefits associated with Alto-Shaam’s larger Combitherm ovens.The new “bistro size” oven measures just more than 20 inches wide, 36 inches deep and slightly more than 30 inches high. Its EcoSmart design uses less electricity and water than other compact models.The CT Express Combitherm is available in an array of colors and has a controller with basic LED inputs, ExpressTouch controller with 200...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A new online calculator from American Rivers lets individuals discover the benefits of installing green roofs on their businesses. Green roofs are gaining popularity as cities look for cost-effective ways to protect and restore clean water. A green roof is one that is covered with plants and shrubs. By absorbing rainwater and providing insulation for the building, a green roof prevents storm runoff from polluting local streams and reduces heating and cooling costs. The “Get More Green” calculator allows visitors to enter an address via Google Maps, and determine the square footage of a building’s roof. Visitors then get a...

TRAVELERS REST, S.C.—T&S Brass, a leading manufacturer of plumbing and foodservice equipment, recently launched a new online tool to allow facilities to calculate the amount of water they can save through the use of aerators in hand sinks. With both standard and metric conversions, the new tool allows users to see how much they can save in the way of water, energy and sewage costs, based on entering some simple information, such as number of employees working in the kitchen per day, average shift length and total number of facilities. While not specifically designed to calculate restroom water...