Green Options

Like this post? Subscribe to our RSS feed and stay up to date.

I remember reading the little placard on the bathroom vanity advising me to hang my damp towels with curiosity. We were on vacation and it was the first time I had ever heard of such a thing. We did this at home, but it seemed more practical - a way to avoid doing laundry each night. There was also a note about turning the lights out when we left our room. Little things.

We discussed the hanging of the towels and the turning off of the lights over a shrimp dinner that night at some tourist trap. I remember my mom saying that if we all do a little, we can do a lot. So I thought it was great when I heard of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s new executive order that requires state agencies and departments to hold meetings and conferences at lodgings that meet the new Florida Green Lodging standards.

Imagine the implications of urban sprawl if we had begun building out into the ocean in the ‘50s?  Well, as our world population rises and developed land in cities and surrounding zones becomes more and more scarce, we are starting to see ocean sprawl becoming more popular all over the globe. We are already seeing this with the development in the United Arab Emirates and the overzealous and outrageously expensive projects there and around Abu Dhabi.  They are essentially pouring mounds of sand into the ocean to create new “luxury” land and resort destinations. This is an image of the man made palm in Dubai’s Persian Gulf constructed for the Palm Island Resort. “When completed, the resort will sport 2000 villas, 40 luxury hotels, shopping centers, cinemas, and other facilities.” With these new types of developments this idea of vacationing on/in the ocean without actually needing to leave land is growing in demand.

When planning where to stay while traveling you probably consider cost, location, and comfort. Adding green to that list of criteria isn’t difficult and can make for a more rewarding stay. Here are a few things that can make your next trip a little greener.

Find a green hotel. While you might not be able to find a LEED rated hotel, you’ll more than likely be able to find

[...]

Jeff Lazar, Lone MeadowThe hospitality industry is booming, but still has a long way to go in being green. I spoke with Jeff Lazar, owner of JLF, a leading supplier for custom seating in the hospitality industry, about his new collection of environmentally friendly seating, Lone Meadow and the challenges of being one of the few sustainable designers in this field.

Green Options: Why did you begin Lone

[...]

Photo Credit: State of Michigan
Eco-tourisim is a growing field, but it's not the only sector where people want to find a green option when they need travel accommodations. Whether they are traveling for business or for recreation, even if they aren't headed to an eco-destination, travellers need a place to stay. And while the Building Design + Construction magazine's 2006 white paper on green building suggested that the hospitality

[...]

We do it for business, we do it for pleasure - when travelling, a hotel stay is usually a must. Often, we have many choices to choose from, and we make our decision based on cost and assumed quality. There is, of course, a new factor coming into the picture, and it's green-ness. Today we'll tell you how you can green your hotel stays.