Archive for the ‘Green Living’ Category
October 5th, 2008
Luxury Hotels Turn Over a New, Green Leaf
For many years, eco-conscious travelers had to stay in hotels that often compromised their values. While at a luxury hotel, in particular, a traveler might have rested uneasy knowing that a stay might be wreaking havoc on the environment, as well as gobbling up energy.
The sins of hotels are numerous and well documented. The daily changing and laundering of bed and bath linens for hundreds of rooms uses heaps of energy and water, creating detergent-laced waste water that ends up in local waterways—or in the case of hotels in the Midwest, as far away as the Gulf of Mexico.
We’ve all stayed in hotels that offered a cursory nod to the green movement by not washing bed or bath linens daily (and in my experience, most have housekeeping staff who forget and take your towels, anyway—even if you’ve followed protocol by hanging them up). Old habits die hard—for both guests and hotel staff. But there are a few hotels which take their eco-vows more seriously, offering more than a perfunctory nod to earth-friendly practices.
Two, in particular, can boast of their strides in turning green: Chicago’s Hotel InterContinental and Boulder’s St. Julien.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has established a goal for his city of nearly three million to be the greenest in America. With a city hall crowned by an immense rooftop garden (one of the largest in the world), the Second City’s mayor is serious about being environmentally responsible. Equally committed to the civic greening goal is a growing number of other businesses, including the luxury InterContinental on the city’s Magnificent Mile.
Located steps from the city’s river, the hotel recently became one of the first LEED-certified hotels in the city—no small task given that the hotel is housed in a 1920’s era tower that required complete renovation.
The hotel has taken so many actions—both small and large—that it’s impossible to name them all. For starters, many light bulbs were replaced with CFLs, reducing energy needs and saving thousands of dollars. And staff have recycled more than 265 tons of material in 2008 alone—the equivalent of nearly 200 trees and more than 4400 gallons of oil!
I’ve long wondered when American hotels would adopt what has become a standard feature in European hotels—heating, cooling and lighting systems that operate only when a room is occupied. One of the first to adopt this eco-savvy approach, the Chicago hotel installed motion sensors in rooms which connect to thermostats, lowering the temperature when rooms are unoccupied.
For an eco-friendly snack, head to Eno in the hotel’s lobby, a wine, cheese and chocolate “bar” that offers many local, award-winning cheeses, most produced using sustainable, artisanal practices.
As of July, 2008, the hotel’s efforts resulted in savings of nearly 8,000 kilowatt hours of energy and more than 81,000 gallons of water, proving that luxury and pampering don’t have to be harmful to the Earth.
To the west in Boulder, Colorado, a smaller hotel has also made mammoth strides in reducing its carbon imprint. (St. Julien pictured above.) It’s amazing that any hotels survive which haven’t hopped aboard the CFL light bulb bandwagon. At the St. Julien, the replacement of the hotel’s bulbs resulted in a 48,000 kilowatt reduction in energy use. Perhaps as relevant to the hotel’s owners was a monthly savings of thousands of dollars, proving that green initiatives often pay for themselves.
In addition to more predictable approaches such as less frequent bed linen changes and the use of recycled plastic, the hotel donates its worn linens to nearby animal shelters—a green initiative that’s popular with animal-lovers and the eco-conscious, as well as many a Boulder area cat and dog.
Hotel leadership stresses the importance of gaining commitment and cooperation from all staff since without their efforts any greening initiative would fall short. Particularly committed to the effort is Executive Chef Jason Rogers, who heads up the kitchen at the hotel’s restaurant, Jill’s. The restaurant has served a zero carbon wine dinner, and Rogers works with local farmers and food producers to source much of the food served at the restaurant. In addition, Jill’s composts nearly all of its refuse (having the waste removed to an off-site facility so as not to attract unwelcome guests such as coyotes.)
For a unique tour of the stunning Boulder environs, guests can book a custom (read, easy or challenging) bicycle tour led by Rogers. After a taste of fresh Rocky Mountain air, the chef will create a custom lunch upon your return to the hotel.
While both hotels are justifiably proud of their efforts, each has established a goal to become even greener in the future. The St. Julien, in fact, plans to reduce its waste by 90% by September, 2010 (for a complete list of its initiatives, check out its website).
In the end, if a luxury hotel isn’t posh, visually stunning or comfortable, it’s not worth the money. But how can staying in a luxury hotel that damages the environment feel good? Thankfully, travelers looking for fetching, posh accommodations in Chicago or Boulder don’t have to choose.
Click here to find more green hotels across the United States
October 3rd, 2008
Senate Bailout Plan Could Be Boon for Alternative Energies
Written by Joel Bittle, courtesy of GreenBuildingElements.com
Lost in the economic and political circus of the recent weeks was the failure of congress to extend tax credits for alternative energy companies and homeowners who install solar-power systems. Both the Senate and the House wrote similar bills extending the tax credits and lifting the cap for residential solar-power installation. Until the end of this year, homeowners can receive a federal tax credit of 30% of the cost of a solar-power system, capped at $2,000. With that cap lifted, tax credits to homeowners installing solar-power systems increase dramatically, potentially saving homeowners over $10,000 on home solar systems. In addition, companies that produce electricity from wind will get a one year extension on tax credits, companies that produce electricity from solar will get an eight year extension on tax credits, and companies that produce electricity from other types of alternative energy will get a two year extension on tax credits.
Unfortunately, the Senate and House could not agree on how the continuation of tax credits would be paid for. In the past, such cuts were paid for by eliminating tax breaks for hedge fund managers and from tax increases on oil profits. With no progress made by the end of the session, these tax credits would disappear at the beginning of 2009. A coalition of renewable energy industry representatives warned that billions in research and hundreds of thousands of alternative energy jobs would be lost if the tax credits were not renewed. As of last week, this seemed the likely outcome. The Wall Street meltdown and the failure of the House to pass a bailout bill have given the tax credits new life.
The sequence of events that could see the return of alternative energy tax credits is convoluted. The House previously passed a bill that included only the alternative energy tax credits, but the Senate included in their bill other tax breaks for businesses, as well as a one year fix to the Alternative Minimum Tax, which would lower income taxes for millions of Americans. Since the Senate bill did not include ways to pay for the new tax breaks, members of the House refused to support it until a compromise was reached. As time ran out without an extension, the alternative energy tax credits effectively died. Congress was to adjourn for the year.
The halls of Congress, which were supposed to be closed this week, were instead the center of the world economic crisis. The House surprised many in Washington by voting down the first proposed bailout bill. In an effort to appeal to a wider range of voters in the House and Senate, members of the Senate have attached to a new bailout proposal various additions, including the extension of alternative energy tax credits. Though the process is far from over, it seems that the once dead alternative energy tax credits have been given new life with the Senate bailout plan.
Of course the alternative energy tax credits are a tiny part of the new bill, which has the support of the White House and the presidential candidates but faces tough opposition by many in the House and Senate. In addition to their reluctance to bail out Wall Street, House members may not appreciate the Senate’s maneuver. Even if the bill passes the Senate, it will face a tough fight in the House.
What the finished bill could contain:
- Lifting of $2,000 cap for residential solar-power system.
- One year extension of tax credits for companies producing electricity from wind.
- Eight year extension of tax credits for companies producing electricity from solar.
- Two year extension of tax credits for companies producing electricity from other renewable resources.
- Extension of tax credits for purchasing plug-in electric vehicles
- Incentives for the use of biodiesel
It is also worth noting that while previous bills from the House and Senate included versions of the above incentives, they also included provisions supporting oil shale and coal-to-liquid fuels, two carbon-heavy processes that environmentalists are very much against.
October 1st, 2008
How-To: Simple Home Sealing Tips for Winter
As we enter fall and head with breakneck speed towards winter, we have many things to look forward to: crisp, clear fall days, beautiful colors on our hillsides, and the return of those pesky drafts underneath our windows and doors.
Believe it or not, a leaky home can waste up to 25% of the energy that you use to heat and cool it - if you add up all of the leaks, it’s the equivalent of having a hole in your wall that you could walk through!
Fully sealing and insulating your home may be a job left to a professional, but you can make a major dent in the problem by doing some simple testing and spending a bit of time on some simple projects. You can make a difference in one day by following the steps below. (more…)
September 28th, 2008
Academy of Sciences Museum Finally Opens in San Francisco
Written by Keith Rockmael, courtesy of GreenBuildingElements.com
It sounds like a war effort or some great new candy bar, but it has been ten years in the making. Yes, the Academy of Sciences museum finally opens in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. We’re totally jazzed to have this Green building icon finally opening up, with some of the old exhibits, the completely updated planetarium and the sustainably based dining options by Charles Phan and Loretta Keller. While most of the advance crowd marveled at the Africa Hall, the various fish aquariums, even the albino crocodile, we turned our attention to the building itself. Yes, a LEED Platinum structure that supposedly marks the largest LEED Platinum building in the U.S. With a building so large, we decided to get cute (or maybe efficient) and do an outside and inside post. And because humans spend 90 percent of their lives indoors, we’ll start outside for a change. Well, actually upside.
Look up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane no it’s a living roof. Not just a green roof with scattered plants but one covered with 1.7 million native plants. Architect Renzo Piano designed the roof as an homage to the hills of SF. Even more creative is how the plants keep from slip sliding off the hills. Rana Creek worked with Piano to use 50,000 porous, biodegradable trays (called a BioTray®), that they made from tree sap and coconut husks as containers for the vegetation to keep the little green guys in place.
In addition to the natural habitat created by the roof, the roof reduces the Urban Heat Island effect and reduces the building’s temperature by an average of 10 degrees versus a nasty old standard roof. Additionally, the roof’s cistern system will captures 90-98 percent rainwater, with 3.5 million gallons of rainwater per year expected to be absorbed by the roof.
With all the time we spent outside the museum it’s a wonder we didn’t get sunburned. But of course we used sustainably concocted sunscreen. Next museum post, we’ll take a green look at the interior.
September 25th, 2008
Green Your Weekend
Every weekend, each of us probably has a long list of things that we need or want to do. We are no different here at Low Impact Living, as our to-do lists seem never ending. Here’s what we’re hoping to accomplish this weekend – with a green twist!
At the Car Wash
Getting tired of the “Wash Me!” directive finger-painted into the dust on your back windshield by an unoriginal thinker? Before you pull the hose out to the driveway, consider this: your dirty, soapy water running down the storm drain is deposited directly into our lakes, rivers and streams, untreated. Many people don’t realize that the storm system is completely separate from the sewage system – but now that you do, remember the adage, “Only rain down the drain!” If you must wash your car at home, park it on the lawn so that the suds can be cleansed by the grass.
Of course, better alternatives exist, including spray-on “waterless” car washes. With these products, you just spray the eco-friendly formula onto the car, and wipe off. No water (other than what’s in the product itself) no mess, and no runoff. We’ve found that this option works best for touch ups – if your car is seriously dirty, you may run out of elbow grease before the job is done.
If you need a real wash, hit the local commercial car wash. When you watch your car go past all of those sprayers, it seems impossible that these systems use less water than you would at home, but it’s true. Commercial systems recycle a lot of the water that they use, plus any runoff is directed to sewage systems where it can be properly treated.
Laundry List
Now that the car is clean, it’s time to do the same for our clothes. Remember the tenants of greening your laundry:
+ Wash only full loads
+ Use cold water
+ Buy environmentally-friendly detergent
+ Hang clothes to dry (and avoid chemical-laden dryer sheets)
If you’re in the market for a new washing machine, make sure to get an Energy Star-rated machine, which will use less water and electricity than standard models.
Green Thumbs-Up
With the first day of fall officially behind us, it’s time for those of us in warmer climates to plant our fall gardens. Leaf and root crops, from spinach and arugula to turnips and carrots, can fare well in many areas. If you’re in colder climates, investigate raised beds, cold frames or greenhouses. Regardless of the method and crop that you choose, you can reap many tasty rewards.
As you get your garden going, make sure to consider the steps needed to make it organic, like using compost and natural pest control methods. For details, check out our post featuring Christy Wilhelmi from Gardenerd.com.
Bam! Let’s Cook!
If you’re like us, you don’t have much time to enjoy cooking during the week. But come the weekend, we like to do it up right! Cooking at home saves money, and allows us to see what we’re actually eating.
Starting with a trip to the garden or nearby farmer’s market, try to use locally-grown, seasonal ingredients in your meals. Cutting the distance from farm to kitchen cuts the energy used in shipping, and generally results in fresher, more nutritious food. Choose organic, and you’re not only reducing the chemicals that you ingest, but you’re also reducing the chemicals that are applied to the earth, which end up in our rivers, streams, and oceans.
Once you’re ready to get cookin’, consider the costs and impact of different methods and foods. For example, microwaving uses less energy than the oven, and is usually faster. Consider using a solar oven. Eat less meat, especially corn-fed beef, which takes a lot of water to produce. Buy in bulk to cut down on packaging. All of these steps will reduce the impact of your meal on the environment.
Reading is Fundamental
For a little quiet time, nothing beats a bookstore. Except maybe, a used book store, where it feels a little more like a treasure hunt, with costs savings as the prize! Instead of ponying up big bucks for the latest hardcover best-seller, take the green route and cruise the shelves of pre-loved books. Most cities have local faves, like Half-Price Books (in 15 states). If you’d rather shop in your pajamas, used options abound from giants like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Or, consider a used book sharing service, like PaperbackSwap or BookMooch. These services generally work on a point system: post what you’re willing to give away, and earn points for sending books to other members. Redeem points by requesting books that you’d like to read from other members. Very simple, very easy, and very green.
Another new option, for those voracious readers among us, is Amazon’s Kindle. Though it’s not cheap ($359), once you buy the device, you simply download books from Amazon’s website. The books aren’t free, but are generally less expensive than new printed copies. Plus, there’s no paper for printing and no shipping required! The quality is great, and now you don’t have to take a pile of books when you go on vacation.
Last but not least, once we’ve completed all of our chores, we hope to sleep – it’s carbon-neutral!
September 23rd, 2008
Chrysler to Sell Electric Cars in U.S. as Early as 2010
Written by Andrew Williams, courtesy of Gas 2.0
Chrysler has announced that it is working on an electric powered version of its Voyager MPV, which could be put into commercial production as early as 2010. The model will most likely be based on the ecoVoyager concept (pictured), first seen at this years Detroit Motor Show. Details are limited at this stage, but it seems that the zero-emission car will have a 300-mile range - pretty impressive for an MPV capable of carrying an entire family and their luggage.
The company has already stated its intentions not to be left behind the competition when it comes to green and fuel efficient vehicle technologies. The electric MPV is the first in a series of three possible production electric cars that will be viewed by dealers later this month, with the one that’s best received going into production first.
As if this news wasn’t exciting enough, ENVI, Chrysler’s eco-technologies division, is also finalising a rival to the Chevrolet Volt, slated for commercial release in 2012. The car will feature a small gasoline engine for topping-up the batteries when they fall below 40% charge.
The plans indicate that Chrysler is raising its game as we move into a new era of intense competition over the market for ultra low-emissions and fuel efficient cars. In helping to meet this challenge, the firm will also be hoping that a proposed $25 billion U.S. government loan, to it and rival ‘big three’ companies Ford and GM, is given the green light.
Related Features:
Chevy Volt: Mass-Market Electric Car Coming 2010
Convert Your Car to Run on Electricity
Turbo Diesels Take on Hybrids
