Sustainable Travel

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty recognized the Willard InterContinental for "Outstanding Achievement by a Hotel" along with 18 other District businesses and nonprofit organizations for their environmental stewardship, innovative best practices, pollution prevention, and resource conservation in the first-ever 'Mayor's Environmental Excellence Awards.'

"The Environmental Excellence Awards recognize the very best in sustainable commerce in the District of Columbia," said Mayor Fenty. "Every day, the winners demonstrate that taking care of the environment makes good business sense."

The awards are a component of the Mayor's Green agenda, and an effort to incentivize growth of local green enterprises, green existing businesses and District government, and train local workforce to fill green jobs of the future. Over several months, the management team at the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) accepted and considered 52 applications in 5 categories. Winners received an engraved award from Mayor Fenty in person at a ceremony today.

A leader in "Sustainable Hospitality", the Willard's award-winning, program, Willard InterContinental – The Next 100 Years is based on the Three P's (Profit-People-Planet), the holistic plan comprises interwoven sustainable projects designed for a luxurious urban hospitality experience in harmony with social and ecological consciousness. Visit www.willarddc.com/sd, a comprehensive guide to the Willard's sustainability efforts.

The Willard's Environmental Achievements at a Glance Include:
-100% wind energy to power the hotel.
-Decrease in electricity consumption of 12% over past 5 years, even as occupancy rose.
-Donation of water well to a village in South Africa -Donation of water well to a native American family in South Dakota -Contributes to Earth Conservation Corps Anacostia River clean-up, educational and vocational efforts.
-Overall electricity consumption including Café du Parc restaurant decreased 6.5% from 2007 to 2008 alone.
-100% water reduction with water-free urinals. In its first year, 2005, the Willard saved over 95,000 gallons of water. Projected savings by 2009 are over one million gallons.
-Green chemicals for in-house laundry.
-100% removal of PERC non-renewable dry-cleaning chemicals.
-All papers consumed on property are 30% recycled paper.
-Recycling success: 191 tons in 2008, land fill wastes (non-recyclables) decreased from 1029 tons in 2005, to 635 tons 2008, a 38% reduction, even with a new restaurant added and 27% of this reduction came in 2008.
-In 2005, our first test year, we composted one ton. By 2008, our composting increased to 37 tons with a 33% increase over 2007.
-100% elimination of oil-based paints
-"Adopted" local Thomson Elementary School for ongoing educational opportunities -Partnered with Hermes on Fashion Fundraiser for St. Jude's Children's
Hospital
-Hosted "Cinderella Ball" Prom for Disabled Young Adults

"For the District to continue realizing the Mayor's vision of one of the world's greenest cities, the private and nonprofit sectors have an incredibly important role," said DDOE Director George S. Hawkins. "Today's award winners take that role to the next level. We thank them for helping us start a new tradition in recognizing green businesses each year."

For winners of the 2009 Mayor's Environmental Excellence Awards and a detailed case study of each winning business, please visit http://ddoe.dc.gov/awards.

An American institution and leader in Sustainable Hospitality, the Willard InterContinental is located in the heart of the nation's capital on Pennsylvania Avenue, near the White House, the Smithsonian museums and the downtown business and theatre districts. A leader in Sustainable Hospitality, the Willard is the Washington D.C. hotel of choice for heads of state and leaders of the world's business, cultural, social and political elite. The hotel's 332 well appointed large guestrooms include 40 elegant suites. Dining options Cafe du Parc, the popular French bistro with seasonal outdoor seating and traditional Afternoon Tea in Peacock Alley. The luxurious Red Door Spa offers a wide array of pampering treatments. The classic Willard InterContinental combines heritage and luxury with contemporary comfort and the latest technology. Tel. 202-628-9100, or Web site:
www.washington.intercontinental.com

"Willard InterContinental - The Next 100 Years" is a holistic sustainable hospitality program in harmony with social and ecological consciousness. Visit www.willarddc.com/sd, a comprehensive guide to the Willard's sustainability efforts.

Posted by BrianM at 1:49 PM | Permalink

Day for Oceans Recognized 16 Years After First Proposed

Sixteen years after it was first proposed, the United Nations (U.N.) has notified Oceana of its official resolution to designate June 8 as World Oceans Day. Both the U.N. and Oceana are preparing events to honor the inaugural celebration of the planet’s oceans.

The U.N. decision comes after thousands of supporters of Oceana and other conservation organizations, aquariums, universities, and agencies, signed petitions asking the international body to establish an official day for the oceans. World Oceans Day was first proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

“We applaud the United Nations for formally establishing a day for the other 71 percent of the planet,” said Andrew Sharpless, C.E.O. of Oceana. “Making World Oceans Day official will help us and other ocean groups to engage more people and to increase public support for efforts to reverse the declining health of marine ecosystems.”

According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), three quarters of the world’s fisheries are now overexploited, fully exploited, significantly depleted or recovering from overexploitation. “The good news,” added Sharpless, “is that restoring abundant oceans is the most solvable global ecological challenge that we face today.”

Since World Oceans Day was first proposed in 1992, hundreds of museums, conservation organizations, and agencies have celebrated June 8 as a holiday for the oceans and worked for its official U.N. recognition. Oceana, along with other groups including the Ocean Project, delivered tens of thousands of petition signatures and e-mails to the U.N. asking them to make June 8 an official World Oceans Day celebration.

The U.N. notified Oceana that it will organize events to be held on World Oceans Day at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Meanwhile, Oceana is planning its largest-ever celebration in 2009 in honor of the now official World Oceans Day – including a special contest for its 300,000+ online supporters, a new shark conservation Public Service Announcement (PSA) featuring Mad Men star January Jones, red carpet events on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts (in New York with lifestyle brand Nautica and Vanity Fair magazine, and a separate event in Los Angeles), and special World Oceans Day promotions in major department stores nationwide.

Oceana campaigns to protect and restore the world’s oceans. Its team of marine scientists, economists, lawyers, and advocates win specific and concrete policy changes to reduce pollution and to prevent the irreversible collapse of fish populations, marine mammals, and other sea life. Global in scope and dedicated to conservation, Oceana has campaigners based in North America, Europe, and South America. For members of the media interested in images of the ocean, Oceana has a collection of more than 50,000 compelling images and photo stories that visually engage and help audiences understand the threats and challenges facing our world’s oceans.

Contact Juliana Stein to learn more about Oceana’s activities to celebrate World Oceans Day 2009 at jstein@oceana.org.

Posted by BrianM at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

May 1st to May 8th 2009
Rosalie Forest Eco Lodge
www.rosalieforest.com/ecofest.php

This week long festival will be bringing people together through a mix of seminars, guest speakers, workshops, panel discussions and displays of local and foreign talents. The theme of EcoFest is ‘A celebration of the world’s progress on saving our beautiful planet?’. Through which we hope that open discussion will explore the reality of our advancements, question them and their philosophy, and examine their validity.

So come spend a week, a few days, or just one night investigating the advances we have made towards preserving the planet for generations to come, and learning from the mistakes.

- Learn about the latest renewable energy technology, and how it is being put into practice on both local and nationwide scales. Featured in a full-day workshop will be the BioGas Helpline coming from India to install a biogas plant on site.
- See how local crafts and traditions are being integrated into tourism for all to benefit. Nature artists from Dominica and abroad will be showcasing their provocative pieces.
- Hear about micro-eco-projects from around the world. The International EcoClub will outline how you can do it yourself.
- Discover new and innovative products.
- Hike to some of Dominica’s spectacular nature sites. Join the DHTA in their HikeFest to end in an evening of panel discussions at EcoFest.
- Listen to a variety of quality music. To be showcased at this event will be singers, Free Joseph, Janet ‘Angel’ Azzouz, Brizee’s pan symphony, jinn ping, reggae and calypso stars.
Experience living sustainability, and learn from green minds brought together for this unforgettable event from all around the world!

Buy your tickets in advance and receive an early-bird discount! The price for shall be EC$100/US$40 for an all-day pass and EC$$50/US$20 for a half-day pass (1 event). Also EC$500/US$200 for a VIP all-day week-long invitation and EC$500/US$200 for a VIP half-day week-long invitation (one vent per day). Prices will be more if bought at the gate. Tickets available from Rosalie Forest Eco Lodge.

We also welcome eco sponsors for the event from all fields. You or your business could be showcased throughout the festival. Contact us for more details. If you have something eco you would like to display, and want to participate actively in the event, please contact us about getting involved in our Eco Exhibition.

To learn more please refer to our website or contact us at the following:
Email: ecofest@rosalieforest.com
Telephone: +1.767.446.1886
Website: www.rosalieforest.com/ecofest.php

Posted by BrianM at 9:39 AM | Permalink

The Maldives, which is threatened by rising sea level as a result of global warming, is planning to become the world's first carbon-neutral country. The President of the Island country, Mohammed Nasheed, will reveal details of a plan to achieve full carbon neutrality within ten years on Sunday, the Independent reported. Maldives will join a small group of nations racing to be first, in what environmentalists have described as "the Carbon World Cup." Other countries planning to become carbon neutral are Costa Rica, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand and Monaco. The five nations have signed up to a UN-backed plan to become zero net emitters, but none intend to achieve carbon neutrality as quickly as the Maldives. Local environmentalists welcomed the plan, which requires individual resorts to use solar panels to generate electricity, and sea water for air-conditioning.

Posted by BrianM at 3:26 PM | Permalink

Green Globe International, Inc., the worldwide owner of the Green Globe brand, in partnership with Sustainability Intelligence today announced the launch of the Green Globe Index to provide a common platform for all travel and tourism related companies to measure, rank and demonstrate sustainability.

The Green Globe Index tool, which can be accessed at www.greenglobeindex.com, will allow clients to calculate their CO2e footprint, the financial cost of that CO2e, and to track their performance of energy and water consumption and non-recyclable waste production.

As part of the launch announcement, Green Globe Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Brad Cox said, "The global travel and tourism industry has a wide range of initiatives and measurement processes. The Green Globe Index provides a common platform to enter data and deliver global ranking and education, using the independence of the industry's only global sustainability and certification brand - Green Globe

"The index is based upon company submissions using an online questionnaire and data entry process to deliver a ranking by business type both nationally and globally. Users who achieve a minimum level of attainment are placed on a public index for consumer and corporate buyers to identify sustainable companies," added Mr. Cox.

The entry cost for the index is US$85 per year, with users able to update and increase their data delivery an unlimited number of times each year. Volume users can receive reduced pricing, and all users can receive further licences at a preferential price to engage their supply chain.

The index is global and not country or industry sector specific and designed for all companies in the global travel and tourism industry whether large or small, supplier or principal. The index will be accessible to corpo rate buyers and consumers to identify travel and tourism companies who are making a difference. Alternately users can rank their own performance without having to share it publicly.

Companies who are new to sustainability can identify areas for action and focus using the index. Index reports are automatically generated to assist clients identify future improvements required to increase sustainability.

The index can also be used to assess and improve supply chain sustainability. Index users can demonstrate their achievements to prospective and existing suppliers and clients, supporting increased sustainability focused procurement.

About Green Globe International, Inc.
Green Globe International, Inc., publicly traded in the U.S. under the symbol GGLB, is the worldwide owner of the Green Globe brand, which includes the leading sustainability certification and benchmarking program, carbon footprint calculation and offset programs, and a broad range of consulting services. Green Globe International has been admitted as an affiliate member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the business leaders' forum for the travel and tourism industry, is a 5% common stock owner of Green Globe International. For more information on the company, please visit www.greenglobeint.com.

Posted by BrianM at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)