Shelley Hopper Green Guide

"I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones." -John Cage

“A
green
mee)ng
or
event
incorporates
environmental
 considera)ons
to
minimize
its
nega)ve
impact
on
the
 environment”
(Conven)on
Industry).

The
importance
of
 crea)ng
green
events
is
to
manage
the
consump)on
and
 resources
to
reduce
environmental
impact,
following
 government
regula)ons
(establishing
preference
clauses),
 adding
value
to
the
planner
(skills
and
knowledge
to
 strategically
plan
and
organize
green
events
and
add
value
to
 your
company),
the
organizer
(ie:
collect
name
tag
holders
at
 events
to
save
money
and
resources
used
to
produce),
the
 des)na)on
(avoid
nega)ve
impact
on
the
des)na)on),
the
 aEendees
(feel
good
about
aEending
a
green
event),
and
 the
suppliers
(meet
sustainable
goals),
(Conven)on
 Industry).


Reduce, Renew, Reuse…! •  Sustainability
is
especially
important
to
the
 hospitality
industry,
seeing
that
they
produce
 millions
of
pounds
of
waste.
Hotels
currently
use
 600
million
gallons
of
water
and
produce
over
5.4
 million
pounds
of
waste.
To
properly
manage
 waste
and
energy
is
important
to
our
future
in
 sustainable
event
prac)ces.
“Throwing
things
 away”
really
has
no
“away”.
Rubbish
doesn’t
just
 disappear
into
thin
air;
that
is
what’s
important
 about
reducing,
renewing,
and
reusing.



•  There
are
many
different
defini)ons
of
 sustainability;
it
is
rela)ve
to
the
event
 industry
because
efficient
use
of
resources
 determines
if
an
event
is
sustainable.
We
need
 to
be
able
to
provide
for
ourselves
without
 damaging
future
genera)ons.
CSR
and
the
 blended
value
approach,
is
important
in
an
 organiza)on,
and
event
planners
need
to
 abide
the
8
principles
to
be
efficiently
 sustainable.



Sustainability! •  Sustainability
and
sustainable
development
are
examples
of
trends
that
 are
not
going
anywhere,
except
spreading
worldwide.
In
fact,
they
are
just
 beginning
to
bloom
into
vast
and
intriguing
ideas,
bound
to
spread
like
a
 wildfire
to
people,
businesses,
and
ins)tu)ons
na)onally,
as
well
as
all
 over
the
globe.
In
some
cases,
sustainability
is
already
quite
present.

 •  Sustainable
development,
defined
in
our
assigned
video,
“meets
the
needs
 of
the
present,
without
compromising
the
ability
of
future
genera)ons
to
 meet
their
own
needs”
(Global
Warming,
2009).
It
“insures
all
internal
and
 external
decision
making
takes
into
account
the
environment,
economics,
 and
social
aspects”
(Global
Warming,
2009).

In
various
places,
 sustainability
is
already
is
taking
people
by
storm.
Sustainable
prac)ces
are
 the
upcoming
necessity
in
global
business.
Decisions
centered
on
 sustainability
and
sustainable
development
issues
could
impact
an
 organiza)on
internally
and
externally,
and
influence
how
its
image
and
 reputa)on
is
projected
to
the
public.




Think Green! •  Because
of
the
increasing
need
for
green
thinking
and
sustainable
 awareness
and
understanding,
some
businesses
are
incorpora)ng
 “green
teams”
into
their
structures.
In
crea)ng
a
green
team,
a
 business
should
verify
the
level
of
support
from
staff;
they
are
one
 of
the
most
useful
tools
for
implemen)ng
policies.
Within
these
 sustainable
teams,
staff
members
are
set
up
into
groups,
centered
 around
sustainable
issues
and
policies.
These
groups
can
provide
 effec)ve
and
efficient
internal
processes
for
sustainable
 development
within
an
organiza)on.
Also,
they
engage
staff
 through
empowerment
and
feeling
a
sense
of
ownership,
to
their
 company
as
well
as
themselves
and
their
environment.
Sustainable
 development
isn’t
inclusive
of
all
organiza)ons;
green
teams
can
 assist
an
organiza)on
in
aligning
decision‐making
for
planning
and
 management
stages.
“Sustainability
is
a
much
wider
concept
that
 includes
corporate
social
responsibility”
(Global
Warming,
2009).


Corporate Social Responsibility! •  Corporate
social
responsibility
is
defined
as
“a
voluntary
commitment
to
 behave
ethically
in
corporate
ci)zenship,
to
honor
responsibili)es
towards
 business
capital,
human
capital,
and
natural
capital,
and
has
a
triple
 boEom
line”
(Global
Warming,
2009).Sustainable
development
and
 corporate
social
responsibility
are
dri^ing
away
from
the
tradi)onal
one
 boEom
line
concept,
and
have
created
a
triple
boEom
line.
It
embodies
 “environmental
and
human
focus
that
is
profitable
to
the
 organiza)on”
(Global
Warming,
2009).
Our
noted
presenta)on
also
stated
 that
“corporate
social
responsibility
is
a
value
embedded
in
an
 organiza)on’s
core
culture.
It
can
be
the
original
purpose
why
the
business
 was
established”
(Global
Warming,
2009).
Tying
sustainability,
sustainable
 development,
and
corporate
responsibility
together,
developing
a
green
 team
that
embeds
corporate
social
responsibility
into
an
organiza)on’s
 core
culture,
can
provide
a
structure
for
sustainable
development.
This
is
 important
to
note
for
green
mee)ng
and
event
planners
because
it
is
a
hot
 new
issue,
that
can
set
you
apart
from
compe)tors.



Green Endeavors! •  
“According
to
Toney
Carey,
green
mee)ngs
are
gatherings
that
do
 no
harm
to
(and
can
even
benefit)
the
physical
environment
now
or
 in
the
future.
They
are
an
aspect
of
sustainability.”
(Global
 Warming,
2009).

This
is
important
concept
of
sustainability
for
 green
mee)ng
and
event
planners.
An
effec)ve
idea
for
companies
 incorpora)ng
these
theories
into
their
own
business
prac)ces
is
to
 partner
with
likeminded
businesses.
For
example,
the
sustainable
 night
club
outlined
in
the
film
is
an
external
businesses
partnership
 that
is
available,
that
supports
sustainable
business
prac)ces.
By
 teaming
up
with
other
sustainable
businesses,
it
shows
the
public
 you
are
serious
about
your
commitment
to
the
planet
and
future
 genera)ons.
It
also
broadens
a
company’s
horizon
to
possible
 increases
in
sustainable
networking,
enhancing
past,
current,
or
 future
partnerships,
and
poten)al
upcoming
green
endeavors.



“Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children" - Kenyan Proverb

Voluntary
standards
to
create
guidelines
for
green
events
 • Des)na)on
 • Accommoda)ons
 • Mee)ng
and
venue
selec)on
 • Transporta)on
selec)on
 • Food
and
beverage
selec)on
 • Exhibi)on
produc)on
 • Communica)ons
and
marke)ng
 • On‐site
office
procedures


•  BS8901
was
the
first
event
standard
in
the
world,
 created
by
the
Bri)sh
Standards
Ins)tute.
It
was
 the
original
standard
put
into
place
to
help
 organiza)ons
towards
sustainable
development,
 which
involves
a
3
stage
process
that
includes
the
 following:
planning,
implementa)on,
and
 measurement.

BS8901
was
the
first
of
its
kind
 that
created
a
road
map
for
clients,
owners,
 organizers,
des)na)ons,
and
venues
for
 sustainable
awareness
and
implementa)on.



*The above information was directly collected from the Wil Wang presentation put together for RECR 498

Plan, Implement, Monitor! •  Planning:


–  Iden)fies
the
key
aEributes
to
an
event,
and
directly
involves
 stakeholder
input.
This
allows
you
to
observe
and
iden)fy
things
 you
want
to
control
and
improve;
which
is
why
it’s
crucial
to
 take
stakeholders’
input.


•  Implementa3on:


–  Make
sure
the
objec)ves
are
clearly
understood
and
 systema)cally
realized,
especially
during
the
implementa)on
of
 the
event.


•  Monitoring
:


–  Check
and
review;
this
allows
you
to
directly
iden)fy
things
that
 can
be
improved.
 –  Should
be
in
place
to
solicit
and
capture
the
data
that
can
later
 be
iden)fied,
reviewed,
and
improved
upon.


Clearly,
it
is
important
to
select
appropriate
des)na)ons
for
your
 events,
emphasizing
on
the
social
aspect.

Like
sustainability,
while
 organizing
a
sustainable
event,
it
is
important
to
ensure
that
visitors’
 holidays
benefit
the
local
people,
rather
than
do
their
home
 environment
harm.
For
example,
for
an
event
held
in
Prague,
it
was
 clever
and
crea)ve
for
the
hotel
to
plan
a
gourmet
snack
box
 scavenger
hunt
to
get
guests
directly
involved
with
the
local
 community.
It
was
innova)ve
that
the
organizer
combined
a
simple
 lunch
and
turned
it
into
a
scavenger
hunt,
which
directly
involved
the
 local,
public
transporta)on.
This
enabled
the
tourist
to
go
about
their
 ways,
while
giving
back
to
the
local
economy,
because
of
having
to
use
 and
pay
for
local
transporta)on.
Also,
par)cipants
had
to
purchase
 items
along
the
way,
enhancing
the
local
Prague
economy.



Top 10 Green Destinations…! Portland, Oregon!

•  “The
recipient
of
numerous
green
and
 sustainability
awards,
Portland,
Oregon,
recently
 earned
the
highest
score
in
a
Popular
Science
 ranking
of

America's
50
Greenest
Ci)es.
The
 city
was
also
the
first
in
the
na)on
to
adopt
a
 Global
Warming
Ac)on
Plan
and
now
half
the
 energy
it
consumes
is
renewable.
Strict
zoning
 laws,
a
bike‐friendly
culture,
and
a
commitment
 to
green
buildings
have
helped
Portland
avoid
 some
of
the
sprawl
and
environmental
 degrada)on
that's
afflicted
other
western
 ci)es”
(Feltner,
2008).



hEp://www.smartertravel.com/travel‐advice/photos/top‐10‐green‐des)na)ons.html?id=2534122


Vermont! •  “It's
easy
to
be
green
in
the
Green
Mountain
 State,
where
residents
have
long
been
 commiEed
to
environmental
protec)on
and
 heritage
preserva)on.
Currently
Vermont
is
 working
on
revitalizing
the
downtown
areas
 of
its
many
historic
communi)es
through
the
 Vermont
Downtown
Program,
and
the
state’s
 Northeast
Kingdom
region
has
partnered
 with
Na)onal
Geographic's
Center
for
 Sustainable
Des)na)ons
to
implement
 tourism
prac)ces
that
protect
the
 des)na)on's
environment
and
 culture”
(Feltner,
2008).

 hEp://www.smartertravel.com/travel‐advice/photos/top‐10‐green‐des)na)ons.html?id=2534122


Great Barrier Reef, Australia! •  “Winner
of
the
World
Travel
&
Tourism
 Council’s
top
des)na)on
award
in
 2007,
Australia’s
Great
Barrier
Reef
was
 recognized
for
the
effec)ve
partnership
 between
the
government
and
the
local
 tourism
industry
that
work
together
to
 protect
it.
The
Reef
is
threatened
by
 toxic
runoff,
global
warming,
and
 overfishing”
(Feltner,
2008).

 hEp://www.smartertravel.com/travel‐advice/photos/top‐10‐green‐des)na)ons.html?id=2534122


Dominica!

•  “Unlike
many
other
Caribbean
islands
 blighted
by
massive
resorts,
cruise
ports,
 and
casinos,
rainforest‐covered
Dominica
 has
made
an
effort
to
protect
its
 environment
and
be
the
region’s
 ecotourism
des)na)on.
In
2004,
 Dominica
was
the
1st
country
to
earn
a
 designa)on
as
a
Green
Globe
Des)na)on
 from
the
eco‐cer)fica)on
organiza)on
 Green
Globe
21.”
(Feltner,
2008).

 hEp://www.smartertravel.com/travel‐advice/photos/top‐10‐green‐des)na)ons.html?id=2534122


New Forest, England! •  “Originally
a
royal
forest
created
in
1079
 by
William
the
Conquer,New
Forest
 Na)onal
Park
was
designated
a
na)onal
 park
in
2005,
making
it
the
U.K.'s
first
 na)onal
park
to
be
established
in
nearly
 50
years.
The
status
was
granted
to
 protect
some
of
Southern
England's
last
 remaining
tracts
of
old
growth
forest,
 unenclosed
pastureland,
and
heath
land
 that
is
home
to
3,000
free‐wandering
 ponies
and
five
species
of
deer”
(Feltner,
 2008).

 hEp://www.smartertravel.com/travel‐advice/photos/top‐10‐green‐des)na)ons.html?id=2534122


Aspen, Colorado! “
Aspen,
CO,
is
one
of
the
greenest
ski
towns
around,
 thanks
largely
to
the
efforts
of
the
Aspen
Skiing
 Company,
which
operates
Aspen,
Snowmass,
 Aspen
Highlands,
and
BuEermilk
ski
areas.
In
 2007,
the
company
won
the
top
Tourism
for
 Tomorrow
Conserva)on
award
for
its
efforts,
 including
being
the
first
U.S.
ski
resort
to
purchase
 wind
power
and
build
cer)fied
green
buildings.
It
 also
uses
100
percent
renewable
energy
and
 created
a
nonprofit
employee
organiza)on
to
raise
 money
to
protect
mountain
ecosystems”
(Feltner,
 2008).



hEp://www.smartertravel.com/travel‐advice/photos/top‐10‐green‐des)na)ons.html?id=2534122


F n a i g e

w r o N

! s d jor

“In
2006,
Na)onal
Geographic
Traveler
Magazine
awarded
 Norway’s
West
Fiords
the
highest
score
in
the
des)na)on
 scorecard
ranking
of
94
UNESCO
World
Heritage
sites.
Experts
 who
graded
the
area
were
impressed
by
the
rords'
unspoiled
 scenery
and
small
farming
communi)es.”
(Feltner,
2008).

 hEp://www.smartertravel.com/travel‐advice/photos/top‐10‐green‐des)na)ons.html?id=2534122


San Francisco, California! •  “A
long‐)me
forward
thinker
and
actor
on
 social
and
environmental
issues,
San
 Francisco
has
had
a
sustainability
plan
in
 place
for
nearly
a
decade.
Almost
half
of
 San
Francisco's
residents
commute
by
 public
transit,
walking,
or
biking;
more
 than
17
percent
of
the
city
of
is
green
 space;
and
voters
recently
chose
to
 allocate
$100
million
in
bonds
to
finance
 renewable
energy
projects”
(Feltner,
 2008).

 hEp://www.smartertravel.com/travel‐advice/photos/top‐10‐green‐des)na)ons.html?id=2534122


Greenbox, Ireland! “A
unique
approach
to
conserva)on,
 Ireland's
newly
established
Greenbox
 ecotourism
zone
comprises
a
por)on
of
 northwestern
Ireland
rich
with
unspoiled
 wilderness
areas
and
ancient
archeological
 sites.
The
Greenbox
works
to
cer)fy
local
 tourism
business
in
ecotourism
and
 promote
environmentally
friendly
travel
 through
the
region”
(Felton,
2008).

 hEp://www.smartertravel.com/travel‐advice/photos/top‐10‐green‐des)na)ons.html?id=2534122


“Famous
for
its
beau)ful
 beaches
and
harbor
and
its
 outdoor‐loving
populace,
 Australia's
Emerald
City
recently
 launched
Sustainable
Sydney
 2030.
Among
the
goals
of
this
 long‐term
ini)a)ve
are
 revitaliza)on
of
the
city
center,
a
 more
sustainable
transporta)on
 system,
more
green
space,
and
 greater
energy
 efficiency”
(Felton,
2008).

 hEp://www.smartertravel.com/travel‐advice/photos/top‐10‐green‐des)na)ons.html?id=2534122


5 Environmentally Responsible Practices! •  Start
by
asking
the
food
and
beverage
provider
if
they
 have
a
sustainable
menu
or
environmentally
prac)ces
 (remember
to
include
environmental
prac)ces
in
your
 proposal)
 –  Choose
not
to
serve
individual
water
boEles
 –  Choose
food
in
season
 –  Choose
seafood
from
sustainable
fisheries
 –  Choose
food
based
on
the
history
of
the
aEendees’
 preferences
and
aEri)on
 –  Choose
china
service



 






!

Reduce, reuse, recycle!

3 Green Requests I Would Choose…! 
1.
Choose
not
to
serve
individual
water
 boEles
 –  I
believe
in
Klean
Kanteens
and
aluminum
water
boEles
 that
can
be
filled
with
tap
water
ok
for
drinking
or
 purified
water
out
of
the
tap.

 –  This
tac)c
also
saved
a
tremendous
amount
of
money
 for
a
host;
US
$5‐10
per
person
(Spatrisano,
A
and
 Wilson,
N).

 –  Not
only
saves
money
but
saves
tons
of
plas)c
from
 sitng
in
landfills



 




2.
Choose
china
service
 –  If
choosing
china
is
possible
I
think
this
is
one
of
the
easiest
 ways
to
reduce
waste,
or
even
become
a
zero
waste
event.

 –  Using
products
that
are
thrown
away
right
a^er
use,
such
as
 plas)c
or
paper
cups,
plates,
plas)cware,
or
paper
napkins
sit
 in
landfills
and
aren’t
eco‐friendly.
However,
using
china
is
not
 always
prac)cal,
so
when
this
isn’t
possible
because
of
 overwhelming
crowds,
one
should
request
the
venue
use
 biodegradable
products
as
a
subs)tute.



3.
Choose
food
in
season
 –  Choosing
to
purchase
and
serve
local
food
not
only
reduces
 greenhouse
emissions
from
long
transporta)on,
but
it
also
 supports
local
farmers
and
the
local
economy.

Choosing
local
 produce
“is
a
great
way
to
celebrate
the
local
flavor
of
the
 region…local
and
organic
products
are
certainly
the
best
if
 they
are
available”
(Spatrisano,
A
and
Wilson,
N).


Reduce waste! • 
Purchase
organic
and/or
local
 products
whenever
possible
 • 
Request
minimal
packaging
on
 all
food
products
 • 
Purchase
environmentally
 responsible
cleaning
products.
 (www.greenseal.org)


“The Kandalama Hotel in Sri Lanka is world renowned as one of the first environmental hotels in Asia, which led to the greening of an industry. Alex Joseph visited the Kandalama Hotel twice and writes on the green hotel features, personal observations and lessons learned from his travels in this hEp://whygreenbuildings.com/images/kandalama.jpg
 part of Asia” -World of Environmental Design Magazine

2 Common Green Requests:! 1.
Guests
base
their
opinion
on
their
stay
at
your
 hotel
or
venue
by
their
overall
experience.
 They
no)ce
how
environmentally
responsible
 you
are
and
consider
it
to
be
a
reflec)on
of
 your
commitment
to
the
environment
by
 implemen)ng
green
prac)ces.


Most
environmentally
conscious
decisions
can
be
 cost
saving,
for
example,
the
following
are
 environmentally
responsible
prac)ces
that
should
 be
included
in
minimum
mee)ng
guidelines:
 •  •  •  •  •  •  • 

Linen
and
reuse
program
 In‐room
energy
savings
program
 Ameni)es
 Recycling
program
 In‐room
and
property
recycling
programs
 Paperless
registra)on
and
communica)on
 Environmentally
responsible
purchasing
prac)ces


2.
Who
from
the
hotel
should
be
included
from
 the
beginning
when
reques)ng
green
 prac)ces?
 –  Many
aspects
of
the
hotel
such
as
the
following:
 housekeeping,
opera)ons
staff,
food
and
beverage
 department,
and
guest
services.



Environmentally
responsible
prac)ces
are
based
on
two
varie)es:
facility
and
 opera)ons.
Both
have
to
do
with
how
you
reduce,
reuse,
and
recycle,
taking
a
look
at
 your
green
prac)ces
as
a
whole.



What should you do to ensure the green practices that the hotel agreed to will be implemented?! •  Conduct
a
site
inspec)on
to
ensure
that
the
green
 prac)ces
you
put
into
place
are
actually
being
u)lized
 and
implemented.

 •  Conduct
back‐of‐the‐house
tours
to
ensure
these
 policies;
ie:
look
at
the
kitchen
and
take
no)ce.
Look
at
 packaging
being
used,
observe
the
recycling
taking
 place,
and
where
and
how
food
is
stored
that
is
 scheduled
for
dona)on
to
local
food
banks.


Cont…! •  INSPECTION,
INSPECTION,
INSPECTION!
 •  Include
environmental
commitment
as
a
 factor
in
ra)ng
proper)es.
Don’t
be
afraid
to
 speak
up;
ask
hotels
what
their
recycling
 policies
are
before,
during,
and
a^er
events.

 •  Support
other
hotels
in
their
urge
towards
 green
prac)ces.



When do you discuss your green meeting expectations with the venue?! •  Start
the
conversa)on
about
green
mee)ng
expecta)ons
during
 ini)al
contact
with
the
venue;
make
sure
the
minimum
green
 guidelines
are
discussed
here
and
request
the
venue
takes
part
in
 your
sustainable
requests.

 2.
What
is
the
next
step
once
the
venue
has
agreed
to
implement
 green
prac)ces?
 •  First,
you
should
conduct
an
on‐site
inspec)on
of
the
facility
to
look
 if
green
prac)ces
are
truly
being
implemented.
Make
sure
to
take
a
 back‐of‐house
tour
to
observe
waste
and
energy
conserva)on
 tac)cs;
make
sure
green
prac)ces
are
actually
happening
and
the
 data
that
can
be
measured
is
being
tracked.


What should you do to verify the green practices are being implemented?! •  Take
a
back‐of‐the‐house‐tour
 –  Take
a
kitchen
tour
 •  Observe
waste
management
 •  Observe
energy
conserva)on


•  Ask
if
the
venue
has
properly
been
green
cer)fied
 by
a
third
party
 –  Have
they
established
an
environmental
management
 program
and
training
for
staff?


•  Take
note
of
their
recycling
program
 •  Take
a
look
at
their
energy
conserva)on
prac)ces


Cont…! •  Observe
their
water
conserva)on
prac)ces
 •  Note
their
restroom
upkeep


–  
Do
they
use
recycled
products
for
their
paper
products?
 –  Do
they
have
hand
dryers
or
hand
towels
instead
of
paper
 towels?
 –  Do
they
have
automa)c
sinks
and
dispensers?
 –  Do
they
use
environmentally
friendly
cleaning
products?



•  Find
out
what
their
environmentally
responsible
purchasing
 prac)ces
are.
 •  Make
sure
you
clarify
environmental
prac)ces
you
wish
to
 implement
in
the
ini)al
contract;
make
sure
the
contract
 supports
your
commitment
to
staying
environmentally
 friendly
and
keep
to
green
prac)ces.



! s e u n Ve •  Worldwide
sustainable
development
has
called
for
 event
planners
to
look
out
for
sustainable
changes
in
 the
future
in
many
different
aspects;
one
being
venues
 and
their
sustainable
prac)ces.



–  Take
the
Sacramento
Community
Conven)on
Center,
for
 example,
where
100%
recycled
toilet
paper
is
used.

 –  Vancouver
was
voted
one
of
the
most
livable
places
in
the
 world,
and
has
many
sustainable
ameni)es
to
offer.

 –  In
PiEsburg,
the
Pennsylvania
David
Lawrence
Conven)on
 Center
is
one
of
the
top
green
buildings
in
the
na)on.
 –  In
Portland,
Oregon,
they
were
the
first
city
to
have
a
LEED
 Conven)on
Center,
being
extremely
resourceful
(reduce,
 renew,
and
reuse).



Green AV! •  Green
AV
is
using
ligh)ng,
audio,
and
video
related
technology
to
 live
events
by
applying
sustainable
prac)ces
to
create
unique
and
 successful
outcomes.
It’s
minimizing
the
use
of
electricity,
to
 minimize
the
genera)on
of
electrical
power
by
fossil‐fuel‐fired
 genera)ng
sta)ons.
This
can
be
reduced
by
using
sustainable
 electrically
powered
equipment.
In
events,
staging
and
ligh)ng
the
 event
takes
up
a
massive
amount
of
power,
which
can
be
harmful
to
 the
environment.
By
incorpora)ng
a
company
policy
to
demand
 selec)ng
high
efficiency
equipment,
you
can
significantly
reduce
the
 burden
in
the
budget.
A
company
has
the
opportunity
to
choose
 the
most
effec)ve
and
efficient
ligh)ng,
audio,
and
video
 equipment,
so
they
should
take
advantage
of
this.



Renewable Energy and its Impact on a Venue ! •  Renewable
energy
is
the
“new
form
of
power
product”
 that
is
considered
to
be
“electric
power
generated
 from
a
source
that
is
renewable”
(Toolkit,
2009).
The
 toolkit
stated,
“renewable
energies
are
natural
 phenomena
such
as
wind,
sunlight,
and
)des”
(2009).
 Because
of
the
need
to
go
green,
the
use
of
renewable
 energy
sources
are
being
considered
more
and
more
 frequently
to
businesses,
homes,
and
organiza)ons
 world‐wide.
“Their
use
is
being
driven
by
the
urgent
 need
to
reduce
impact
on
the
environment
caused
by
 electric
power
genera)on”
(Toolkit,
2009).



•  The
toolkit
states,
“A
venue’s
choice
to
purchase
 renewable
energy
demonstrates
management
 support
for
reducing
nega)ve
impacts
on
the
 environment”
(2009).

 •  Choosing
to
switch
to
renewable
energy
sources
 can
have
a
greater
impact
than
one
may
imagine.
 For
example,
changing
light
bulbs
to
energy
 efficient
types
has
the
power
to
eliminate
2
 million
tons
of
CO2
from
the
air
(if
every
CA
 household
replaced
5
regular
light
bulbs
with
 compact
fluorescent
light
bulbs.)


•  Minor
changes
can
have
enormous
impacts
on
the
 environment
and
help
present
and
future
genera)ons.

 •  A
venue
who
uses
renewable
resources
can
not
only
 save
the
environment
one
switch
at
a
)me,
but
can
 actually
save
money
and
make
their
organiza)on
more
 efficient
and
effec)ve,
as
well
as
eco‐friendly.
 •  Having
an
eco‐friendly
venue
that
uses
renewable
 sources
can
gain
respect
from
the
community
and
 clientele,
gain
posi)ve
media
feedback,
and
increase
 revenue.



TOP TEN GREEN TRANSPORTATION TRENDS OF 2008! By:
Jorge
Chapa





 •  2008
has
been
an
incredible
year
for
green
transporta)on
 as
the
world’s
automakers
made
strident
efforts
to
green
 their
produc)on
lines,
ci)es
decided
that
it’s
)me
to
give
 our
car‐centric
lifestyle
a
much
needed
rethink,
and
some
 incredible
new
vehicles
proved
once
and
for
all
that
green
 transporta)on
can
be
sexier
and
perform
just
as
well
as
any
 other
method
of
transporta)on.
Rather
than
picking
 individual
stories
from
the
past
year,
we
decided
to
analyze
 some
of
the
incredible
trends
that
made
2008
a
landmark
 year
in
the
transporta)on
sector.
Read
on
for
an
in‐depth
 review
of
ten
green
transporta)on
trends,
and
what
we
 believe
2009
will
bring
us!
 


 hEp://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/30/top‐ten‐green‐transporta)on‐trends‐2008/


1) The Green Car will Save the Industry! –  The
Toyota
Prius
has
long
been
hailed
as
the
hallmark
of
 hybrid
vehicles,
so
we
were
not
surprised
to
see
 compe)tors
flock
to
the
fledgling
market
in
an
aEempt
to
 develop
the
ul)mate
“Prius‐killer”.
This
past
year,
the
 Mini‐e,
the
Ford
Fusion,
the
Audi
A1,
and
the
 Honda
Insight
were
all
revealed
as
the
latest
and
greenest,
 but
none
caused
as
much
ruckus
as
the
Chevy
Volt.
 General
Motors
has
built
an
electric
plaxorm
that
they
 hope
can
be
deployed
throughout
their
en)re
line,
first
in
 the
Volt,
and
then
in
cheaper
and
cheaper
cars.
The
Volt
is
 such
an
integral
part
of
Chevrolet’s
future
that
last
month,
 the
General
Motors
CEO
drove
to
congress
on
a
vehicle
 ouxiEed
with
the
Volt’s
powertrain.
Ironic
that
the
firm
 that
killed
the
electric
car,
is
now
hoping
to
create
one
to
 survive.
 hEp://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/30/top‐ten‐green‐transporta)on‐trends‐2008/


2) Compact is Cool! •  Who
can
forget
this
year’s
astronomical
gas
prices
(and
 their
now
monumental
fall)?
2008
was
the
year
that
 clearly
showed
how
silly
it
was
to
drive
hulking
vehicles
 for
personal
transport
in
our
ci)es.
We
declared
 the
SUV
dead
(we
stand
by
that
asser)on),
and
we
saw
 all
car
manufacturers
look
towards
the
future
and
 envision
smaller
vehicles
as
integral
to
our
way
of
 travelling.
Nissan
brought
us
the
cute
Nuvu
and
the
 robot‐assisted
Pivo
2,
Chrysler
peeked
into
their
crystal
 ball
and
developed
their
neighborhood‐friendly
 GEM
Peapod,
and
Mitsubishi
debuted
the
I‐Miev.
2008
 proved
that
the
future
of
personal
transporta)on
is
 small,
cute
and
efficient.
 hEp://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/30/top‐ten‐green‐transporta)on‐trends‐2008/


3) It’s not Just about Efficiency! •  Everyone
is
looking
at
emissions
as
the
greatest
contributor
 to
global
warming,
but
there
is
so
much
more
that
we
can
 do
to
improve
our
methods
of
transporta)on.
This
past
 year
Mazda
showcased
the
Kiyora,
a
car
that
cleans
water,
 while
BMW
showed
a
car
that
not
only
ran
on
hydrogen
but
 also
cleaned
the
air
as
it
moved
through
the
city.
But
none
 was
as
exci)ng
to
us
as
the
super‐environmentally
friendly
 Eco‐Elise,
which
was
revealed
by
Lotus
in
July
of
this
year.
 The
vehicle
was
not
just
an
energy‐efficient
vehicle,
but
was
 created
with
the
greenest
materials
that
the
company
 could
find.
It’s
like
they
read
our
minds!


hEp://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/30/top‐ten‐green‐transporta)on‐trends‐2008/


4) Get your Mileage On! •  Every
)me
that
we
thought
that
cars
couldn’t
get
more
 efficient
we
were
pleasantly
surprised.
We
were
 thoroughly
impressed
with
the
Solo
by
the
Hungarian
 company
Antro,
which
clocked
in
at
an
impressive
150
 miles
per
gallon.
Next
we
were
ecsta)c
to
hear
that
 Volkswagen’s
235mpg
concept,
the
VW
1L
would
 actually
go
into
produc)on,
albeit
in
limited
numbers.
 And
of
course,
can
anyone
really
not
be
impressed
by
 the
8923
miles
per
gallon
French
Microjoule
vehicle?
 Sure,
we
won’t
be
seeing
these
on
the
road
any)me
 soon,
but
let’s
not
forget
that
what
seems
impossible
 today
may
soon
be
commonplace.
 hEp://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/30/top‐ten‐green‐transporta)on‐trends‐2008/


 5) Breaking the Alternative Energy Record! •  2008
saw
an
impressive
array
of
record
being
 broken.
First
came
the
Zephyr
solar
plane,
which
 was
able
to
beat
its
own
unnmaned
flying
record.
 Then
came
the
Xof1
solar
car,
which
went
around
 Canada
to
break
the
longest
distance
travelled
by
 a
solar
vehicle,
and
finally,
the
Earthrace
biodiesel
 boat
recently
completed
a
carbon‐neutral
tour
of
 the
world.
Clearly
alterna)ve
energy
is
ready
for
 prime‐)me
in
the
field
of
transporta)on.


hEp://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/30/top‐ten‐green‐transporta)on‐trends‐2008/


6) Muscle Cars go Green! •  2008
was
the
year
that
clearly
showed
that
green
 muscle
cars
are
nothing
to
sneeze
at.
Tesla
finally
 started
distribu)ng
produc)on
vehicles,
Honda
showed
 the
FC
Sport,
Chrysler
came
out
swinging
with
the
 Dodge
EV,
and
Fisker
wowed
us
with
the
Karma.
If
 there
is
one
trend
worthy
of
being
called
wicked
cool,
 this
is
it.
2008
clearly
showed
that
sleek
and
incredibly
 high‐performing
vehicles
can
not
only
be
green,
but
 are
worthy
of
compe)ng
against
their
fossil
fuel
 counterparts.
Let’s
face
it,
when
even
 Ferrari
is
going
green,
who
can
honestly
s)ll
claim
that
 it’s
just
a
passing
trend?


hEp://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/30/top‐ten‐green‐transporta)on‐trends‐2008/


7) We Love Bikes! •  We’ve
always
featured
bikes
here
at
Inhabitat,
but
 2008
brought
us
some
incredible
innova)ons
in
cyclery.
 From
Mercedes‐Benz’s
Trailblazer,
to
Yamaha’s
wicked
 City‐C
bike,
to
Strida’s
sleek
folidings
offerings,
bikes
of
 all
types
came
out
beEer
looking
than
ever.
It
wasn’t
 just
bikes
though
‐
IKEA
rolled
out
bike
trailers,
and
 bike
sharing
was
announced
for
London
and
even
for
 the
city
of
Washington
DC.
Heck,
we
even
implored
you
 to
ride
your
bike
to
vote!
And
of
course
we
must
admit
 that
we
can’t
help
but
want
an
 Ultra‐bright
Down
Low
Glow
light
for
our
bikes.
 hEp://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/30/top‐ten‐green‐transporta)on‐trends‐2008/


8) THE SKATEBOARD GOES GREEN! •  We
never
thought
that
the
skateboard
was
an
 item
with
a
large
environmental
impact,
but
 a^er
learning
that
the
skateboard
industry
is
 the
largest
contributor
to
maple
deforesta)on
 we
started
to
pay
aEen)on.
Both
the
 BambooSK8
skateboard
and
the
 Dry
Leaf
Skateboard
present
eco‐friendly
 alterna)ves
that
look
way
cooler
than
their
 standard
counterparts.
AEen)on
skaters,
you
 now
have
a
choice.
 hEp://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/30/top‐ten‐green‐transporta)on‐trends‐2008/


9) DO-IT-YOURSELF! •  All
of
these
sleek
designs
are
great
news,
but
we
 must
admit
that
there
was
one
trend
that
really
 caught
our
eye:
if
you
can’t
buy
it,
do‐it‐yourself.
 First
came
Phil
Bridge’s
cardboard
bicycle,
then
 Kyle
Dansie’s
electric
bike.
Finally,
we
must
admit
 that
we
never
expected
to
see
a
DIY
hybrid
 vehicle,
but
Robert
Riley’s
XR3
turned
heads
by
 clearly
showing
how
to
make
a
hybrid
capable
of
 achieving
a
whopping
225mpg.
 hEp://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/30/top‐ten‐green‐transporta)on‐trends‐2008/


10) BIG THOUGHTS! •  While
many
of
the
year’s
transporta)on
trends
focused
on
 the
personal
vehicle,
it
was
ci)es
that
produced
the
biggest
 news.
China
and
Germany
both
banned
cars
‐
the
former
in
 order
to
reduce

pollu)on
in
)me
for
the
olympics,
while
 the
laEer
aimed
to
reduce
conges)on.
London
recently
 announced
a
new
hybrid
double
decker
bus,
while
three
 ci)es
in
California
announced
their
plans
to
become
the
 electric‐vehicle
hub
of
the
na)on.
And
while
we’re
on
the
 subject
of
exci)ng
new
infrastructure,
Californians
recently
 voted
to
create
an
800
mile
high‐speed
rail
system
that
will
 link
every
city
from
San
Diego
to
Sacramento.
Now
that
is
 the
future!
 hEp://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/30/top‐ten‐green‐transporta)on‐trends‐2008/


Predictions For 2009:! •  Let’s
face
it,
)mes
are
tough,
and
innova)on
tends
to
suffer
 under
economic
turmoil.
We
hope
that
Obama’s
 infrastructure
plan
recognizes
that
for
America
to
be
green,
 mass
transit
is
the
way
to
go.
We
hope
to
see
all
types
of
 trains,
buses
and
light
rail
systems
being
proposed
‐
this
is
a
 key
opportunity
for
the
redevelopment
of
a
na)on.
A^er
 all,
even
when
discarded,
these
systems
can
s)ll
find
a
 great
use,
such
as
London’s
Village
Underground.
Let’s
hope
 this
chance
is
not
wasted.
As
for
the
personal
vehicle?
Well,
 we
know
what
the
new
Prius
will
look
like.
Look
for
other
 manufacturers
to
release
more
plans
to
become
greener,
 and
hopefully
we’ll
see
some
cutng‐edge
innova)ons
from
 the
big
three
carmakers
(they
beEer,
as
this
will
literally
 save
or
doom
them).
Here’s
to
2009!
 hEp://www.inhabitat.com/2008/12/30/top‐ten‐green‐transporta)on‐trends‐2008/


Tradi)onalists:

1922‐1945
 Baby
Boomers:
1946‐1964
 Gen
Xers:










1965‐1980
 Gen
Ys:














1981‐2000


Generational “Green” Communicating! •  The
following
informa)on
was
taken
straight
out
of
the
green
guide,
 discussing
how
to
consider
genera)ons
while
making
decisions
on
green
 prac)ces:
 •  Tradi3onalists:
 
“Be
prepared.
They
prefer
a
formal
presenta)on
that
allows
them
to
have
 all
ques)ons
answered.
They
were
the
first
genera)on
to
recycle.
Once
 they
see
the
value,
they
most
likely
will
support
the
project”
(Spatrisano,
A
 and
Wilson,
N,
2007).
 •  Baby
Boomers:
“Be
cau)ous.
While
getng
ready
to
re)re,
the
corporate
 world
pulled
the
rug
out
from
under
them
through
downsizing,
etc.
They
 now
fear
radical
change
that
could
nega)vely
impact
their
lives
 economically.
Leadership
roles
will
en)ce
them.
They
love
causes,
work
 hard,
and
love
to
be
the
star”
(Spatrisano,
A
and
Wilson,
N,
2007).



Generational “Green” Communicating! • 

Gen
Xers:
“Be
knowledgeable.
They
focus
on
results
not
years
of
experience.
 Dissolu)oned
by
many
social
changes
during
their
forma)ve
years,
they
are
more
 independent
and
less
loyal.
Genera)on
X
believes
they
will
see
a
UFO
before
 getng
a
social
security
check,
according
to
Lynne
C.
Lancaster,
co‐author
of
the
 book,
When
Genera)ons
Collide.
If
you
show
them
how
green
prac)ces
can
be
a
 resume
builder
or
have
financial
advantages,
they
will
show
an
 interest”
(Spatrisano,
A
and
Wilson,
N,
2007).



• 

Gen
Y:
“Change
is
expected.
They
ask
when
not
why.
They
have
grown
up
with
 change
and
see
it
as
progress
and
necessary.
They
have
been
trained
to
adapt
to
 change
rela)ve
to
technology
and
will
show
the
least
resistance
to
 sustainability”
(Spatrisano,
A
and
Wilson,
N,
2007).



(Spatrisano,
A
and
Wilson,
N,
2007).


Printing Considerations! •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  • 

Print
on
recycled
paper
 Design
to
conserve
paper
 Print
double‐sided
 Use
vegetable
inks
(inks
with
a
lower
VOC)
 Include
environmental
informa)on
on
the
paper
 Avoid
printed
materials
if
event
informa)on
can
be
sent
electronically
 Use
100%
post‐consumer
waste
paper,
whenever
possible
 Use
processed
chlorine‐free
paper
 Use
forest
stewardship
council‐cer)fied
products
 Support
products
made
with
renewable
energy
sources
such
as
wind,
geothermal,
and
solar.

 Recycle
paper
that
was
printed
by
mistake/you
find
errors
in


•  •  •  • 

Consider:
 paper
companies
that
use
only
recycled
wood
fiber
and
tree‐free
fiber
 Non‐chlorine
bleaching
agents
 Products
that
contain
at
least
50%
post‐consumer
fiber
or
higher,
whenever
possible


Office Considerations! •  10
steps
an
office
can
take
to
go
green:
 1.  2.  3.  4.  5. 

Office
policy‐
establish
an
environmental
office
policy
 Responsible
paper
usage‐
Avoid
prin)ng
PDFs,
whenever
possible
 Break
room‐
avoid
disposables;
use
washable
items
(ie:
plates,
glasses)
 Purchasing
products‐
purchase
fairtrade
products
such
as
teas
and
coffees
 Water
conserva)on‐
don’t
let
the
water
run
when
brushing
your
teeth
or
 washing
dishes
 6.  Equipment‐
use
power
strips
for
ease
of
turning
off
mul)ple
machines
and
 appliances
 7.  Maintenance‐
use
non‐toxic
cleaning
supplies
 8.  Waste
management‐
dispose
of
hazardous
materials
properly
and
recycle
 9.  Energy
efficiency‐
use
energy‐efficient
compact
fluorescent
bulbs
 10.  Social‐
donate
food,
used
furniture
and
equipment
to
non‐profit
 organiza)ons


The Most Important Step…! 


The
most
important
step
in
these
10
steps
is
to
 create
an
office
policy.
By
crea)ng
an
 structured
office
policy,
you
can
have
an
 efficient
and
effec)ve
system.
Plus,
when
 implemen)ng
an
office
policy,
you
can
include
 steps
2‐10
in
your
report;
therefore
combining
 all
10
steps!
By
doing
this,
all
the
other
steps
 are
inevitable,
as
long
as
they
are
included
 into
your
office
policy
report.