By Sam Marquit
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://si0.twimg.com/profile_images/1862429750/profile_pic_marquit_scaled.JPG[/author_image] [author_info]Sam Marquit Bio: (fmarquitv.tumblr.com) I am an entrepreneurial independent contractor and home renovation/remodeling expert in New York. I’ve made it a point to share with my readers a day in the life of sustainable building. Forecasting the possible application and implementation of new green building materials and technologies is just one small part of my effort to reduce everyone’s carbon footprint.[/author_info] [/author]
From the Ritz-Carlton to the Palazzo, hotels are learning the value of greener designs. As a building contractor, I have had the opportunity to make many of these structures. The new building methods and materials that are used in each structure are designed to be eco-friendly. They help the building to reduce its negative impact on the environment and help the hotel’s guests to promote sustainability while on vacation. To make a true difference, consumers should focus on eco-friendly lifestyles while they are at home and on vacation.
Located in North Carolina, the Ritz-Carlton has now adopted a host of eco-friendly practices. From its linen programs to plumbing, the entire building is designed to reduce waste and increase energy efficiency. The plumbing in the building is equipped with low-flow toilets and showerheads to lower water usage. In addition, the Ritz-Carlton has a rooftop garden that is home to 60,000 honeybees. These bees are then used to pollinate flowers in the surrounding area and provide honey for the hotel’s guests. The Ritz-Carlton also makes sure that all of the food, drinks and snacks served to visitors are completely organic.
Within the luxurious confines of the Palazzo Hotel & Resort, guests will notice that there is more to the building than meets the eye. The Palazzo was constructed using the best eco-friendly practices. This building is designed with solar panels for heating and a waste-recycling program. To better promote sustainability, the entire complex uses a water recycling system. Because of its notable achievements, the Palazzo was recently named the “Most Eco-Friendly Hotel in America”.
In addition to facilities developing new practices, entire cities are initiating new programs. In recent years, the city of San Francisco has started to work with ESRI and NAVTEQ. The goal of the project is to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. ESRI has innovative ArcLogistics software that can help to run public transportation. With this software, San Francisco can reduce its carbon emissions by optimizing the way each vehicle in the fleet runs. To enhance the benefits of the ESRI program, the city also uses NAVTEQ’s map data. This helps to create the most efficient routes and save on fuel usage. Overall, the two initiatives are expected to provide cost savings of 15 to 20 percent. This energy efficiency is created through innovate route-solving metrics and calculations of vehicle capacities. With the help of the software, dispatchers will be able to instantly see any road closures or traffic and navigate drivers around them.
Each of these programs has the potential to drastically change how we relate to the environment. With the amount of traffic a city like San Francisco and Las Vegas see each year, it is especially encouraging that new green Las Vegas hotels are being built. Also, seeing other cities institute a program like the one in San Francisco is extremely important. Adopting eco-friendly measures is a must because humanity has spent the last few hundred years polluting the earth. While on vacation, visitors can promote sustainable lodging and eat organic products.
