| The issue of global warming and its impact on our | | | | has to have a total commitment and faith in what |
| lives and the lives of our grand children is a serious | | | | they are doing fully realising their responsibility |
| one, with unbelievable consequences for our planet | | | | towards the well-being of the environment. |
| earth, the universe and all those who breathe on it. | | | | The main areas where the hotels and resorts have |
| While man had started playing with nature for | | | | to concentrate is efficient use of all forms of energy, |
| centuries, it took an ugly turn since the so-called | | | | be it electricity, water, gas, coal or wood. Plugging all |
| industrial revolution. We started emitting huge | | | | sources of energy waste like keeping lights on when |
| quantities of carbon and other harmful gases in the | | | | not needed, flowing taps, overflowing tanks and |
| atmosphere, dumping solid industrial waste in our | | | | cisterns, excessive pressure in gas burners, waste of |
| lovely and pure rivers and created a web of daily | | | | recyclable heat and the list goes on. Another area is |
| comfort materials and gadgets with polluting raw | | | | to tackle temperatures in the air-conditioning system, |
| materials. All this started having negative impact on | | | | hot water temperature monitoring, laundry a source |
| the ecological balance system. Today, it is obligatory | | | | of maximum water and steam consumption, kitchen |
| on every one of us to act and do things to reverse | | | | where the potential could be in three areas, water, |
| this cycle, if not completely, at least to an agreed | | | | gas and steam. External illumination is yet another |
| and acceptable level. Immediately. | | | | area where saving potential exists. |
| Hotel industry has a big responsibility in helping the | | | | Hotels and resorts must look at savings in energy |
| cause of global warming and has responded by | | | | and materials through the hotel guests. There are |
| promoting the green hotel concept, which is fast | | | | hotels that have successfully made hotel guests as |
| gaining popularity with the travelling public. In most | | | | their partners in conservation programmes. Example is |
| countries, the town planning authorities approve a | | | | lighting, linen change, material use to name a few. |
| hotel building plan for a new hotel, only if it complies | | | | These measures, while aiding in hotels commitment |
| with eco friendly design standards. This will ensure | | | | to the environment conservation also add their share |
| that the hotels and resorts of the future will comply | | | | to the bottom line. |
| with prescribed environmental standards; the | | | | Hotel as an enterprise and an hotelier as a responsible |
| challenge is to ensure that the old hotel buildings | | | | member of the society have no option but to go |
| adapt measures that will reduce their carbon | | | | green. Luckily, we are in an industry where we have |
| footprint. The exercise is not only physical that one | | | | educated, intelligent and understanding clients who if |
| changes plants, machinery and equipments with more | | | | not more, are at least equally responsible members |
| energy efficient ones, but it also means that people | | | | of the society. The task therefore becomes a joint |
| working in the hotels become an integral part of this | | | | venture. In this struggle to save and preserve our |
| process for its success. | | | | planet earth, there are no geographic boundaries, no |
| Hotel and resort architects, interior decorators, | | | | religion and no colour, the planet belongs equally to all |
| systems consultants and others who form the core | | | | of us. |
| team for hotel development also have to have a | | | | Go Green, Be One, Make One! |
| thorough knowledge of the green concept. The | | | | You have permission to publish this article without |
| building design and layout has to be energy efficient. | | | | any change what so ever electronically, in print, in |
| Only sustainable materials to be specified to the | | | | your e-book, or on your web site, free of charge, as |
| extent possible and available which would allow | | | | long as the author by-lines are included. |
| emissions within permissible levels. Above all the team | | | | |