EcoGreenHotel.com was launched early in 2008 and is planning for considerable growth in 2009. The planned growth will be with vendor partners that target the hospitality industry, sustainable hotel partners and a consulting arm that will be working with both new and existing properties.

EcoGreenHotel will provide ‘Green’ Consulting Services to include:

Audit of hotel building design and operations

Provide a recommendations report on building and operations

Lay ground work for an environmental management system

Educate and train management for new environmental direction

Conduct on-site environmental workshops for all levels of staff

Develop a customized environmental policy and purchasing plan

Assist with certification processing, including LEEDTM

With plenty of information on green products and services, industry “green” news, basic environmental overview and tools like checklists, green project ideas, book lists and resourceful links for a more sustainable hotel, EcogreenHotel.com is a marketplace.

EcoGreen Hotel follows various green hotel practices. The top ten are listed below:

1. Buying recycled-content products for the office, construction and remodeling projects,

2. Installing energy efficient lighting fixtures, fluorescent bulbs, HVAC and other electrical equipment,

3. Institute a linen reuse program in guest rooms

4. Starting a recycling program for trash from guest rooms, the kitchen and business office.

5. Hiring energy expert to conduct an audit of hotel,

6. Evaluating cleaners, sanitizers, paints, pesticides and other products used,

7. Monitoring, record and post rates of energy and water use. Watch for changes that may indicate repair or equipment change,

8. Providing incentives to encourage staff participation in efforts to “green” the establishment,

9. Installing water conserving showerheads, faucets and toilets in guest rooms,

10. Donating leftover food, amenities and other extras to local shelters or other recipients.

EcoGreen is a valuable resource for hoteliers. EcoGreenhotel.com helps hotels to address environmental issues in a better way and implements environment friendly initiatives.

For more information on EcoGreenHotel or available consulting services, please visit http://www.ecogreenhotel.com

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Is carpooling good? 

Its very nice to write something about carpooling. This concept is getting popular day by day as it has become need of hour for all of us to share car / van / Taxi / Auto or any four wheeler journey to meet the rising fuel price, traffic congestions and air pollution. 
No doubt , Govt of all countries  is working very hard to fight against traffic problem by  widening roads and making flyovers but the most important two facts which we all need to understand are:- First,  there is a limit to widening Roads and making flyovers and thereafter we cannot widen roads or make flyovers. Second , there is no limit to increasing vehicles. Delhi is getting roughly 1000 new four wheelers on road everyday and this number will increase once low cost cars like Tata Nano are introduced to the market. Can we imagine traffic on roads after 1 year? Apart from increasing road capacity of handling traffic, we have to start thing about reducing traffic of the roads too. www.Poolmycar.in is doing efforts in direction of reducing traffic by pooling car other travelers.

 Normally vehicle’s have fuel efficiency of 10 KM/L. If a vehicle runs 20,000 km/year , this means ,  it will consume 2000 L fuel in one year.  Burning 1 L of petrol emits 2.5 kg of carbon dioxide. Thus the vehicle will emit about 5000 kg of CO2 in one year. An average mature tree can absorb about 4.5-5 kg carbon dioxide per year. Thus we need about 1000 mature trees to absorb the pollution (carbon dioxide) emitted by one car. If a single car is pooled, this could reduce four cars from the road which is equal to growing more than 4000 trees   
We all do expect a lot from government in terms of reducing traffic and do something for reducing pollutions too but the question arises that do we understand our responsibilities? While driving to office in the morning, if you have look on all car’s near by your car’s, you will find that each car is carrying only one passenger. If these all people understand concept of carpooling, this number of cars can be reduced to one fifth as each one which was carrying one passenger, will be carrying 5 passengers. I asked few people if given a chance, will they refer carpooling? I got different answers. Some people said they will definitely like this option. Some people said they will definitely welcome this concept but with some terms and conditions like who will take responsibility of security? Some people said they need a good resource to find a right person to pool with. Some people were just willing to pool with people of there own organization. To make carpooling viable one of website, www.poolmycar.in , has taken care of all these security concerns. This website offers corporate carpooling instead of normal car pooling. This has a system of employee code verification which makes it a secure car pooling website.  This website acts like a personal internal website for any company which gets registered on this website. Most of corporate have hundreds of employees who have cars. If these entire employees come together and decide to save environment, I am pretty sure that traffic can be drastically reduced.  We have to educate people about this carpooling concept and also request companies to promote this. Promotion of this concept will be beneficial to everyone who breaths air and live on Planet Earth.

Vinay Arora

www.Poolmycar.in

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Aside from the frightening global warming issue, I am also deeply concerned about our attitude with regard to consumption. Up until just last year, the US was the worlds largest consumer of natural resources. According to David Suzuki’s “Sacred Balance” (I absolutely LOVED this book – everyone should read it), since 1940, Americans alone have used up as large a share of the Earth’s mineral resources as all previous generations put together.

The real scary thing is, as of last year, consumption in China eclipsed that of the United States in all the worlds resources but oil, and China’s 1.3 billion person economy is growing at a frightening 8% annually

Why is this concerning? There are around 6 billion people living on this rock today. Estimating future population growth at only 1% per year, the numbers are staggering. By 2015, experts estimate there will be 7 billion people on the planet. By 2050, there may be as many as 10 billion people living on Earth. Can mother Earth support this extended family? When will we reach the limit of our resources?

We live in a culture where incentives exist to encourage doing more with more – not doing more with less. Doing more with less is called “efficiency”, doing more with more is called “Gluttony”. Bigger, faster, more powerful vehicles that consume more fuel at faster rates, larger meals wrapped in complex, land-fill bound packaging, disposable products filling store shelves – you get the picture. Take the new wave of hybrid cars for example. Hybrid technology that was intended to produce spectacular fuel economy, was flipped around by car makers to instead, produce more horsepower for their new hybrid SUV’s! Less green, more mean.

Human Powered vehicles are all about trying to do more with less. How to go faster or farther with less energy. Technologies Incorporated into human powered vehicles like aerodynamics, wheel rolling resistance, mechanical efficiencies and size and weight optimization are directly applicable to the cars and boats and other vehicles that we rely upon in these modern times. Most importantly though, Interest in human power represents an essential shift in basic philosophy from one of ‘feasting on earths resources’ to a ‘do more with less’ ideal. human power

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This pollution also finds its way into underground aquifers that supply our drinking water, so reducing it is a human health measure and could also save municipalities millions of dollars a year in drinking water treatment facilities and operational expenses.

While government agencies try to craft and implement development and zoning standards to help reduce storm water runoff problems caused by commercial and industrial entities, there is still much that individuals can do to reduce their impact as well. Indeed, upwards of 40 percent of oil pollution in the U.S. comes from the improper disposal of used motor oil by individuals.

What is Used Oil? The Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of used oil is as follows: Used oil is any oil that has been refined from crude oil or any synthetic oil that has been used and as a result of such use is contaminated by physical or chemical impurities. Simply put, used oil is exactly what its name implies—any petroleum-based or synthetic oil that has been used. During normal use, impurities such as dirt, metal scrapings, water, or chemicals can get mixed in with the oil, so that in time the oil no longer performs well. Eventually, this used oil must be replaced with virgin or re-refined oil to do the job at hand EPA’s used oil management standards include a three-pronged approach to determine if a substance meets the definition of used oil. To meet EPA’s definition of used oil, a substance must meet each of the following three criteria:

1.  Origin — the first criterion for identifying used oil is based on the origin of the oil. Used oil must have been refined from crude oil or made from synthetic materials. Animal and vegetable oils are excluded from EPA’s definition of used oil.

2. Use — the second criterion is based on whether and how the oil is used. Oils used as lubricants, hydraulic fluids, heat transfer fluids, buoyants, and for other similar purposes are considered used oil. Unused oil such as bottom clean-out waste from virgin fuel oil storage tanks or virgin fuel oil recovered from a spill, do not meet EPA’s definition of used oil because these oils have never been “used.” EPA’s definition also excludes products used as cleaning agents or solely for their solvent properties, as well as certain petroleum-derived products like antifreeze and kerosene.

3. Contaminants — the third criterion is based on whether or not the oil is contaminated with either physical or chemical impurities. In other words, to meet EPA’s definition, used oil must become contaminated as a result of being used. This aspect of EPA’s definition includes residues and contaminants generated from handling, storing, and processing used oil. Physical contaminants could include metal shavings, sawdust, or dirt. Chemical contaminants could include solvents, halogens, or saltwater.

How is Used Oil Recycled?  Once oil has been used, it can be collected, recycled, and used over and over again. An estimated 380 million gallons of used oil are recycled each year. Recycled used oil can sometimes be used again for the same job or can take on a completely different task. For example, used motor oil can be re-refined and sold at the store as motor oil or processed for furnace fuel oil. Aluminum rolling oils also can be filtered on site and used over again.

Recycling Used Oil Is Good for the Environment and the Economy – Here’s Proof
•Re-refining used oil takes only about one-third the energy of refining crude oil to lubricant quality.
•It takes 42 gallons of crude oil, but only one gallon of used oil, to produce 2 ½ quarts of new, high-quality lubricating oil.
•One gallon of used oil processed for fuel contains about 140,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs) of energy.

To prevent your own oil leaks and spills, take the following into consideration:

•Take steps to prevent leaks and spills. Keep machinery, equipment containers, and tanks in good working condition and be careful when transferring used oil. Have absorbent materials available on site.
•If a spill or leak occurs, stop the oil from flowing at the source. If a leak from a container or tank can’t be stopped, put the oil in another holding container or tank.
•Contain spilled oil. For example, containment can be accomplished by erecting absorbent berms or by spreading an absorbent over the oil and
•Clean up the oil and recycle the used oil as you would have before it was spilled. If recycling is not possible, you first must make sure the used oil is not a hazardous waste and dispose of it appropriately. All used cleanup materials, from rags to absorbent booms, that contain free-flowing used oil also must be handled according to the used oil management standards. Remember, all leaked and spilled oil collected during cleanup must be handled as used oil. If you are a used oil handler, you should become familiar with these cleanup methods. They may also be part of a spill response action plan.
•Remove, repair, or replace the defective tank or container immediately.

By taking care not to contribute to the problem of used oil being improperly disposed of, you can help maintain our clean and healthy drinking water for years to come.

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Earth Day 2006 saw lakes in New England beginning to rebound from their sorry condition after being bombarded by acid rain for decades. The acid rain itself has decreased, as well, and the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that comprise most of our air pollution have diminished by some 50 percent–due in no small part to the fact that the burning of leaded gas is virtually a thing of the past.

Environmentalists have also been encouraged to discover that a number of endangered species, including America’s national symbol, the bald eagle, as well as wolves and grizzly bears, have begun making a promising comeback. All of that good news is even more significant when you compare today’s environment to the way things were on the first Earth Day.

In Ohio, the Cuyahoga River was so polluted that it actually caught fire. In New York, all of the residents of a neighborhood called Love Canal were forced to move away forever when it was discovered that their homes had been built upon a toxic chemical waste dump. Pollution in cities was so bad that residents were told to stay inside because the air was actually hazardous to breathe during “code red” days.

The interesting thing is that the environmental improvements took place in spite of increased pressure in America. For instance, EPA statistics show that the total emissions of the six major air pollutants dropped by more than 50 percent, even though America’s population increased by 40 percent and energy consumption increased by 47 percent. Automobile hydrocarbon emissions also decreased during that time, despite the fact that both the number of vehicles and amount of miles driven more than doubled.

All in all, it appears as if America is headed in the right direction in regard to the environment. It’s been a fierce, hand-to-hand battle, but the country is moving forward, thanks to dedicated environmentalists and bureaucrats at all levels of government.

However, even though American rivers don’t catch fire anymore and the smog levels have decreased in most major cities, there’s still a long way to go. Urban sprawl is still endangering woodlands, prairies, and farmland, and global warming is still on the rise. Even so, the overall trend is positive. But we must all work to continue the momentum set in motion by the first Earth Day in 1970.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

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When it comes to recycling, there are some considerations. Since some items can be recycled for use by companies to make new products, it’s not a bad idea to look into government recycling programs to assist in this effort. And while some communities have mandatory recycling, others do not. No matter where a person lives, however, there are ways to get involved in recycling.

Here are some ideas of how to recycle regular household garbage:
* Cans, bottles, plastics, papers. All of these things are generally accepted by curb side recycling services. Many cities and county governments across America and in other countries require recycling and make the effort fairly easy for their residents to take part in. Glass, too, is sometimes taken by these services. In many cases, special tubs or bags will be required to make the recyclables stand out from the garbage and some sorting and cleaning might be needed, too. All in all though, these services do make it easier to help the environment.
* Composting. A compost bin in a backyard is a great way to put organic waste to good use. There’s no reason to throw out food products and so on when they can serve as a rich fertilizer for trees and plants.
* Tires. Some communities offer tire recycling services. The rubber from the treads can be reused for a number of things. Perhaps one of the most interesting is for playground matting to protect young children from dips, falls and tumbles.
* Boxes, bags and so on. The things gifts and packages tend to come in generally can be stored and used again. Why spend $3 on a gift bag when you got 10 for Christmas and they’re all in good working order? There’s no need to throw these things away when they can come in handy down the road for other occasions.
* Metal scraps. Some industrial recycling sites take metals other than aluminum. Copper, for example, can be worth a pretty penny, too. Check with local recycling places to see what’s accepted and what’s not before driving around to dump off a load. When dealing with wires, such as copper, most places will require the insulation be stripped first, too.
* Soup cans, toilet paper and paper towel rolls and so on. These things are loved by local elementary school art teachers. Even things like tissue boxes, baby food jars and beyond can be used in arts and crafts projects. Check with your local school to see if they need any of these items before you throw them in the trash or consider creating your own projects at home with the little ones.

With a little imagination and some persistence almost anything that’s not dangerous can be recycled. For those things that are pretty basic and routine, many communities offer free recycling services and for those that don’t, there are commercial locations. Depending on what’s being recycled, a person who does the leg work can even get paid.

Copyright (c) 2006

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The fact remains that you are growing old. With advancing years your lifestyle too should be re-oriented in such a manner that you do not put unnecessary strain on the diminishing reserves of your body.

Moderation in everything that you do is the key-word. You may continue with your activities but do it in moderation. Health plays a major part in the lives of the elderly but unfortunately another aspect that is often overlooked is the “Environment”. If due importance is given to this aspect then, many other problems such as Accidents, Loneliness, Health etc. could be easily managed.

Some major environmental problems that should be high priority when you retire are:

1. Finding a suitable place to live after retirement should be priority No.1 Larger cities are good for the younger people but the Retirees should consider moving out to a pollution free town or village in the outskirts of the city.

2. Choose a place not too far from your friends and relatives so that they could be of assistance whenever needed.

3. Ground floor is the best for the elderly. Split level houses should be avoided. If there are steps, good hand rails should be provided.

4. The house should be well ventilated and provide plenty of sunlight.

5. The floors should be well carpeted. Worn out carpets are dangerous since you could trip and fall.

6. Electric wiring should be permanent and all electrical gadgets should be in good working order.

7. Avoid loose and long clothing. Many accidents are caused by tripping and falling. Fractures and injuries during old age could take a longer time to heal and be a source of worry and agony.

8. Clothing should always be appropriate to the season. Inappropriate clothing can lead to health conditions such as, body pain,arthritis, chest cold etc.

9. Entertaining of guests and socializing should also be done in moderation. The consequences of exertion and heavy drinking can be detrimental to your health.

10. Keep your mental faculties active.

One of the best ways to keep yourself well informed, mentally active and to have fun is to spend time on the Internet. The whole wide world is at your finger tips if you can operate the computer. If you are unable to use a computer, it is advisable to take a few lessons that will make you quite proficient in using the computer and the Internet. Sending e-mails to friends, reading the latest international news and visiting interesting websites can be fun. In fact you can even earn an Additional Income. Full details are given in the article, Practical Internet Home Based Business Ideas, for the Young and 50 Plus Entrepreneurs : http://www.business-fromhome.com/article671.html

Old age should not in any way mean that you must give up participating in community activities. It has to be in moderation, that is all. Your lifestyle might have changed but your experience, knowledge and expertise will be needed and much appreciated by your community. Share it with them, enjoy yourself and make life happy and pleasant for the others too.

Change in lifestyle and environment during retirement does have certain emotional under currents such as missing your long time neighbors, some of your old friends and of course some of your favorite haunts. Unfortunately certain changes have to be made in a changing world and changing circumstances.

Make these changes in the right spirit and enjoy your retired life.

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