This Energy SmartPARKS program will receive $1 million “seed money” for 2009 from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

“Our national parks are a showcase of this country’s natural beauty and historical significance. With this agreement, we’re ensuring that these parks are also models of energy efficiency and clean energy technologies,” says Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman.

“Our parks have always been an important way for Americans to learn about the environment, now they can learn about energy use as well.”

The ground-breaking program will deploy cutting-edge technology like retrofit lighting systems. Funding will also purchase electric utility vehicles; install solar panel systems; upgrade meters and thermostats; replace windows and furnaces; study wind power and conduct energy audits.

Image courtesy of the National Park Service

Share This

Toronto Star writes Going Green doesn’t have to put you in the red

Glasgow Evening Times writes about Cash boost for travel info bus

4Hoteliers write about China’s first carbon-neutral hotel

The Telluride Watch reports Vail Leads the Way in Sustainability

HotelClub Travel Blog lists Nine Trouble-free Ways to Travel Greener

Share This

The guide features 100 clean, green accommodations that are environmentally friendly and work to support local communities.   Practical information covers the greenest ways to get to your destination, social and environmental ratings for each listing, the best time to visit and room rates.

Eco-Lodges and Earth Friendly Hotels range from budget beds to luxury accommodations, solar-powered yurt camps to eco-chic city hotels.  Examples are the Black Sheep Inn in Cotopaxi, Ecuador and Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa, in Queensland, Australia.

Its section Choosing Eco-Travel looks at the increasing availability of green travel experiences and ethical traveler’s issues including poverty, the politics of boycotting destinations and the environmental impact of travel.

Fodor’s Green Travel is divided into six chapters - North America & the Caribbean, Central & South America, Europe, Africa & the Middle East, Asia and Australasia.  Readers will find green credentials of each hotel and lodge, first-hand accounts of green travel experiences on each continent and ethical travel dilemmas.

Buy a copy at Amazon.com.

Share This

Bournemouth Echo write about the Green green grass of home

Forbes reports on Inside The World’s Coolest Hotels

Charlotte Sun writes that Motel 6 joins green program

Business Daily Africa writes Serena wins awards in ecotourism

Share This

The department suggests these “green” guest practices:

• “Keep your showers short, and turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth.”
• “When you leave the room, turn off the air conditioning, heat, television, lights or any other electric devices.”
• “Reuse your sheets and towels instead of having them changed every day. Many hotels will not replace your towels if you leave them hanging up neatly; if you’re not sure, write a note for the housekeeping staff or notify the front desk.”
• “Bring your own toiletries and drinking cup rather than using the prepackaged ones provided. If you do use the hotel’s toiletries, take them with you and use them at home or during the rest of your trip.”
• “Know your hotel’s recycling program and sort your trash accordingly. If your hotel doesn’t recycle, consider taking your empty bottles or other items home with you to recycle them there.”
• “Give your hotel feedback. Express your appreciation for any eco-friendly programs it currently offers — or if it doesn’t, encourage the management to go green in the future.”

Image courtesy of Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Share This

TravelDailyNews reports that The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) launched its green strategy

Jamble Magazine writes Hawaii launches green travel site

Greener Living Today writes about Green Family Summer: On the Eco-friendly Road

The Perpetual Tourist asks Are Luxury And Environmentalism Mutually Exclusive?

Share This

The independent, online UK guide has published the book Eco Hotels of the World.   In the book, the best eco hotels in the world have been rated from one to five Green Stars.  The hotels range from ones in safari parks to tiny islands to beaches in Alaska.

“If you decide to stay in a desert, shower in a bucket and eat your food by the light of a kerosene lamp under the stars, your conscience can be positively crystalline,” says Eco Hotels of the World.

“But if you can’t live without fluffy towels, massage, and proper marmalade, then there is hope even for you.  Because the hotel that provides both the towels, and the marmalade, composts the orange-pips, eco-cleans the fluffy towels, and recycles its jamjars.”

Image courtesy of Eco Hotels of the World

Share This

“Sustainability and green tourism are becoming major economic drivers for the tourism industry and we are delighted that Sri Lanka is gaining international recognition for its eco tourism initiatives,” says Heba Al Ghais Al Mansoori, Middle East Director of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

Situated 250 km from Colombo, in the Okkampitiya, the echo lodge borders the Kumbukkan Oya, a Sri Lankan river that never runs dry .   Its eco plan includes “a commitment to preserving the habitat, planting a tree and helping the rural economy reeling under the shackles of poverty and protecting the wildlife.”

Image courtesy of KumbukRiver Eco Extraordinaire resort

Share This

NEWS.com.au writes that Climate Change to cut back tourism

Stuff.co.nz writes about NZ ‘clear leader’ in green tourism

MSNBC reports on Ecotourism in Belize

Share This

 The Green Hotels Association suggests the following features of the “ideal green hotel guestroom”:

-Linen program asking guests to consider reusing towels and not having sheets changed daily

-No smoking

-Low-flow 1.5-2.5 gpm showerhead and 0.5 gpm sink aerators

-Recycling basket

-Fluorescent lighting - CFLs in lamps

-Dispensers for soap and shampoo

-All natural, biodegradable amenities

-Organic cotton or bamboo bed and bath linens

-Energy-management system

-Energy Star PTAC, TV and appliances

-Fresh smell (not the smell of cleaning products), which hopefully means non-toxic cleaning products and HVAC filters changed appropriately

-Houseplant to help clean indoor air

-Washable glasses and cups

-Painted walls (with no-or low-VOC paint) rather than vinyl wall coverings that can encourage mold and mildew

-Recycled bathroom paper products

-Ceiling fan

-Newspaper on request only

Share This