If you’ve been taking your home green, you know how ideas can feed off each other. Someone gets picky about paper recycling; someone else becomes the food waste arbiter; pretty soon everyone has their eco-role and the household’s carbon footprint is shrinking.

Hotel Triton Lobby (Photo: Markham Johnson)

Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants realized early on that green grows like that.  The hospitality chain, with roots in San Francisco, has a history of putting eco-friendly ideas in place. Even before green hotel or green restaurant designations were developed, Kimpton was experimenting with eco-friendly practices at its San Francisco properties, such as the Hotel Triton, where motion sensors turn off lights and 60 percent of the waste gets recycled.

Non-toxic products, green cleaners, low VOC paints, low-flow faucets – all these turned up in Kimpton Hotels while other hotels were still on the highway of high-consumption. In addition, Kimpton has restored several historic buildings, supporting pedestrian-friendly urban areas. Stay at a Kimpton and you may find yourself ensconced on an eco-friendly mattress, drinking organic coffee and munching on a Clif bar.

Still, as the Kimpton chain grew greener, it had to figure out how to roll out the plan to all of its properties, including those outside of the Bay Area where environmental practices were not as well understood.

By 2005, the luxury hotel group had decided to standardize its green practices, requiring all Kimptons to adhere to an “Earth Care” program. But it didn’t want to impose a rigid top-down program. The solution: Kimpton named “eco-champions” at each of its hotels and encouraged them to form green teams and let ideas bubble up.

“You’ve got to get people on the front lines, who are doing the work, whose job you’re changing, a voice…and they’re right there, they see where the waste is,” said Niki Leondakis , chief operation officer for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants.

The Kimpton leadership, which currently oversees 48 hotels in cities from New England to California, learned the importance of buy-in earlier. In 2003, when Kimpton decided guests could opt out of having their sheets and towels washed every day, management was surprised that many housekeepers were reluctant to make the change. “The housekeepers couldn’t grasp the idea that they were doing a good job by not changing the towels. They needed training that if the towels were on towel bar, the guest wanted to save water and soap…and it was OK,” Leondakis said.

Today, the staff is more likely to get it, though the hospitality group still treads carefully in determining what clients will tolerate – and remain satisfied customers. That has left several green issues still on the table, such as whether a hotel can reduce plastic water bottles when guests on-the-go seem to expect that perk, or whether guests will accept room amenities in bulk dispensers (foregoing that little souvenir of the trip).

“We were initially, like, ‘We’re going to get rid of bottled water entirely.’ And we’d offer filtered tap water in reusable containers both in the restaurants, and our vision was to create a reusable container almost like a flask that people paid a nominal fee for and then they’d refill it at a water cooler. But the consumer does not seem to be ready for that,” Leondakis said.

Look for the green teams and “eco-champions” to find a solution. So far, the local crews are forging viable new ways on various fronts.

In DC, Chef Robert Weland at the Post Modern Barasserie in D.C. was the driving force behind an herb garden. He not only uses it in his dishes, but gives tours.

In Portland, at the Hotel Monaco, someone decided the facility could get along without those paper-wasting phone books. Now all Kimptons get by without guest room phone books.

Hotel Monaco Chicago (Photo: David Phelps)

In Chicago, the cities’ three Kimpton Hotels, the Monaco, Burnham and Allegro became leaders in the Green Seal green cleaner certification program, prompted by a mayor’s green initiative. Now the three are among just 50 Green Seal certified hotels nationwide.

The 20-year-old program requires the use of green cleaners, energy efficiency and recycling. (For details, see this listing.)

Using green cleaners prevents water pollution, provides for healthier interior air and curbs carbon emissions. The typical silver-ranked Green Seal hotel saves 400 tons of CO2 emissions every year, said Charlotte Teyraud, a spokeswoman for the non-profit Green Seal.

The Chicago hotels also  advocated for a commercial recycling program, that was eventually put into place with the help of city hall, says Nabil Moubayed, manager of the 192-room Hotel Monaco Chicago along the city’s Magnificent Mile:

Now in the “5^th phase” of instituting the Kimpton “Earth Care” program, Moubayed says the Hotel Monaco has found that going green is working on many levels:

• About 60-70 percent of the hotel’s customers use the opt-out linen/towel program, saving money and water.

• The Green Seal-approved cleaners, which the hotel buys in bulk, concentrated form, are saving the hotel about $25,000 a year. The non-toxic cleaners are healthier for staff and guests and biodegradable. (As for that outdated worry about green cleaners not working – Moubayad says surveys burst that myth. “When we look at guest comments. We have the highest score in the company for clean bathrooms and guest rooms.”)

• The hotel recycles about half of its trash, which also saves money because sending out the garbage costs more in trash fees than sending out recyclables, even in this down-market for recyclable material.

Hotel Monaco room overlooking Chicago River

Green ways are catching on among staff, he says. When Monaco’s valet crew discovered that the dry cleaners they were using was discarding hangers after one use, they were aghast. They went to work to find a solution. Now the hangers are reused.

Guests, too, are contracting the green bug. While they remain a diverse group that’s not easily gauged, Moubayed says surveys show that the majority of people stay at Kimpton because of the hotels’ greener rep.

“We’ve seen a pretty high percentage of guests choosing use because we have a strong Green Care program.” he  said. “We don’t want them to feel like everything we doing is in their face. The (guest room) recycling bin for instance is bronze not bright blue. And the low flow shower heads, we don’t’ necessarily want them to notice that, but it  is helping the environment.”

Moubayad had no special sustainability training before coming to the Hotel Monaco, but he has built on what he has learned through Kimpton.

“I found I had a passion for it,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do., not just from the consumer point of view, but as a human, for the future generations. It’s the right thing to do.”

(Another key way that hotels across the US are greening their profile is by building, retrofitting or tailoring operations to meet standards set by the US Green Building Council. For more on these green hotels, see our recent story: A green wave coming, hundreds of hotels finalizing their LEED certification.)

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Though the economy remains weak and the unemployment rate is still high, a new report released by the Chicagoland Green Collar Jobs Initiative cites the job creation potential of green collar jobs in the Chicago region.

The report highlights numerous policy opportunities – including climate legislation, additional resources for environmental programs, and changes to environmental standards – that may help spur the development of new green collar jobs throughout Chicagoland. The specific occupations most likely to experience significant growth are energy efficiency measure installers and auditors, primarily in response to the projected increase in the number of residential retrofits expected to be completed in the coming years.

“Both the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Illinois Capital Bill contain significant investments in environmental programs, including expansion of the Weatherization Assistance Program and Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant, improving building energy efficiency, and developing sustainable transportation,” Paige Finnegan of e-One and a member of the Initiative Steering Committee, said in a statement.

Chicagoland is well positioned to respond to these opportunities by training new workers and providing supplemental training to the existing workforce. The region already has a strong workforce development and training infrastructure, a track record of developing successful industry-specific initiatives, experience in green curriculum development, and an extensive network of workforce development and training providers on which to draw.

Jennifer Keeling, of the Chicago Jobs Council and director of the Initiative, said “the Chicago area has significant experience and resources on which to build. The region has developed successful sector-focused workforce development strategies in the past, and can draw on its extensive network of community-based training providers, community colleges, and other training organizations to respond to these new opportunities. What will be critical is to ensure that the trainings developed in response to these emerging green collar jobs are accessible to a range of job-seekers, including those with low skill levels.”

Though the Chicagoland region already has a strong foundation, to fully realize the potential of the expanding green economy and green collar job opportunities, the Initiative recommends: prioritizing collaboration and partnerships, creating a process for ongoing standardization of curriculum for green training programs, ensuring comprehensive workforce strategies to engage low-skill workers, establishing a standard weatherization process, promoting the development of integrated green workforce and economic development strategies, and establishing minimum common building standards.

GreenTown: The Future of Community is a one day conference that aims to help small, medium or large communities become more sustainable.

Featuring speakers like Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and hosted by Columbia College Chicago and sponsored by the City of Chicago, GreenTown will take place this Thursday in downtown Chicago at the Film Row Cinema. The conference, which is put on by a5 inc. and Seven Generations Ahead, is in its second year and is a carbon neutral event.

The purpose of GreenTown is “to bring together the public and private sector to discuss and determine ways to create sustainable communities. We have mayors and city managers, city council members and public works directors mingling with planners, architects, landscape architects and providers of product and services that can make healthier communities,” said John Harris with a5 inc.

The conference will feature five key environmental aspects, largely based on the climate action plan, including:

• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• Transportation
• Adaptation to Climate Change
• Design and Building
• Waste Reduction

This event showcases national and local leaders who are at the forefront in sustainable urbanism, transit-oriented development, brownfield and riverfront re-development, green building, renewable energy, municipal food scrap recycling, zero waste schools, local food systems and more.

The event’s key speakers include:

• Richard M. Daley – mayor of Chicago, Illinois, that began Chicago’s environmental movement in 2006 with increased rooftop gardens, park space, and renewable energy use.
• Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – named one of TIME magazine’s “Hero’s for the Planet”, currently serves as the Vice Chair and Chief Prosecuting Attorney for Riverkeeper and Chairman of Waterkeeper Alliance
• Bob Dixson – mayor of Greensburg, Kansas, the town that was wiped out by an f5 tornado two years ago that is aiming to be the model green community by sustainably rebuilding.

It is not too late to register. GreenTown Chicago is open to anyone. There are discounts given to companies that have more than one person attending, as well as non-profit organizations, and students.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

By Hosea Sanders and Sylvia Jones

CHICAGO (WLS) — More people are deciding to save energy by installing solar panels — even while the debate continues over whether they are worth the investment. One way to live green while saving money is to conserve energy. If you’ve ever wondered whether solar panels are really the best way to do that, you can find out through an upcoming “solar tour.” >> Read the full story

By Hosea Sanders

CHICAGO (WLS) — You don’t have to change your life to go green. You can always make small adjustments like switching from plastic to paper — or corn. You might be protecting the planet just by having your next meal — and not even know it. >> Read the full story

Green things are starting to shadow us wherever we go, leaping out in unexpected places. Like at the gas station.

Yet this green creep seems so normal. Read our picto-blog and you’ll see what we mean.

This sign, touting how Tom Thumb’s gas stations are now wind-powered, pretty much speaks for itself.

Talk about energy and inspiration. Look at these folks taking control of their neighborhood in Baltimore. They were contributing to the Project Orange Thumb makeover this week of the Oliver area. The project, sponsored by Fiskars and Home Depot, will beautify the neighborhood and provide it with a community veggie garden. How literally green, and smart.

Speaking of neighborhoods, if yours doesn’t smile on exposed laundry lines, try hiding the clothes behind a bush, tastefully hung on a fence. Call it a green outdoor art experience.

And speaking of art, we spotted this très cool bike rack in downtown Chicago. We don’t know where it came from. But we know a bike rack when we see it.

(Photo credits: Oliver park, Fiskars Project Orange Thumb; all others, GreenRightNow)

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

By Hosea Sanders

CHICAGO (WLS) — They say you’re never too young to learn how to take care of the planet. It’s all happening at a child care center in Chicago’s West Loop, where they take the phrase “living green” very seriously. They are making environmentalists out of youngsters who can’t even say the word. In this place, they’re teaching those lessons — almost from birth. >> Read the full story

Eight Midwestern states have agreed to work toward the common goal of developing high speed rail in the Midwest, and hope to access $8 billion in earmarked federal dollars to fund the new services.

Governors from those states — Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin — signed an agreement on Monday, saying they support each other in seeking federal dollars to build a high speed rail network. The hub of the network would be in the Windy City, and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley along with five of the governors attended the Midwest High Speed Rail Summit to solidify the agreement.

Chicago already serves as a hub for Amtrak and many freight lines. The new plan would bring high speed rail into the mix, which advocates say could transform and green transportation in the the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions.

(Photo: Midwest High Speed Rail Association)

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has allocated $8 billion for high speed rail. The Midwest group is likely to find competition for that money from California which has passed the initial bonds for a planned high speed rail that would run from Sacramento to San Diego.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin (D) told the group gathered on Monday that the Midwest wanted to be “in front of the rest of the nation” with it’s high speed proposal, according to news reports.

High speed passenger trains can go 110 mph to over 200 mph, cutting trip times in half or more on Midwestern routes between cities in neighboring states, such as Chicago to Minneapolis; Chicago to St. Louis; Chicago to Detroit. Routes between neighboring cities, like Milwaukee and Madison, could become an easy daily commute.

For more on routes envisioned for a high-speed Midwest network, see the Midwestern High Speed Rail Association website.

The Association of American Railroads, which represents freight trains and Amtrak, announced its support of the Midwest plan on Monday.  In an address to the summit, AAR President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger said the national rail network is “critical to meeting the mobility needs of the 21 century.”

“America’s freight railroads support the goal of increased passenger rail investment,” he said . “It’s good for our economy and the environment when more people and goods move faster by rail.”

Hamberger pointed out that the country’s privately owned freight rail network will provide the initial foundational infrastructure for high speed rail in America and noted that railroads are already greener than other types of transportation or freight shipping.

Railroads account for 43 percent of the freight moved between cities, more than trucks or any other type of transportation, and can move a ton of freight more than 400 miles on a single gallon of fuel, according to the AAR.

The Sears Tower is undergoing a renovation of massive proportions. As the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, the Sears Tower is already relatively eco-friendly, meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria. But now it is aiming to be even greener.

American Landmark Properties, owner of the Sears Tower, has partnered with Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture to design substantial green renovations. The five-year project, estimated to cost $350 million and create 3,600 jobs, aims to turn the iconic tower a green leader whose example can be emulated by skyscrapers around the world, according to a website created to detail the changes.

The renovations focus on reducing energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. Water usage by 24 million gallons per year and electricity usage will be cut by 80%, for a total energy savings of 68 million kWh per year, according to a press release.

The 1,450 foot tall Sears Tower, at 233 S. Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago, will undergo renovations in every area of the building from the ground up:

• All 16,000 single-pane windows will be replaced with new glazed windows that will reduce heating costs. The 104 elevators and 15 escalators will be modernized to require less energy to power.
• Lighting systems will be improved through daylight harvesting, a method that automatically dims lighting based on the amount of sunlight coming into the room.
• Water savings will include an upgrade in restroom features, a condensation recovery system, and water efficient landscaping.
• The buildings gas boilers also will be upgraded to new systems that use fuel cell technologies.
• Solar panels, that will heat the buildings water, will be installed on the roofs. The roof also will be covered by 30,000 – 35,000 square feet of gardens. Wind turbines will be placed atop the building as an alternative energy source.

The 36-year-old Sears Tower is not only blazing a new, greener trail, its managers are trying to educate the public as well. The renovations include plans for a Sustainable Technology Learning Center. This will be open everyone, and is intended help people learn about importance of saving energy and money, and how to do it.

The renovations, beginning immediately, also include a luxury green 500-room hotel that will be located next to the Sears Tower.

(Photo credit: Sears Tower.com.)

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Somewhere in between the sleep-away camps, beach excursions and baseball games of summer, kids and parents alike generally see the appeal of the sand-free floors and refrigerated air of a good museum. Institutions across the country know this is a great time to squeeze some education into kid-friendly, entertaining exhibitions; here’s a list of some of the best nature-oriented attractions for vacationers who’ve felt a bit too much heat this month.

Mainstream Renewable Power, the global renewable energy company based in Dublin, today announced its first U.S. investment, purchasing a portfolio of wind farm projects in Illinois with the potential to generate 787 megawatts — enough energy to power 200,000 homes — by 2013. All of the wind projects are located within 100 miles of Chicago.

The company said it acquired the assets from local wind farm developers Bruce and Joyce Papiech of FPC Services for an undisclosed price. The portfolio comprises three separate projects at various stages of development and will require an investment of more than $1.69 billion over a four-year period to fully develop.

The 120 megawatt Shady Oaks project in Lee County, Illinois, is scheduled to begin construction next year. When finished in 2010, it will generate enough green electricity to power about 30,000 homes, the Mainstream said. During the construction phase, the Lee County project is expected to employ about 120 people and it will provide ongoing employment for approximately 12 people operating the wind farm.

The other two projects are the 467 megawatt Green River project, also in Lee County, expected to begin construction by the end of 2010, and a 200 megawatt project in Boone County.

“The U.S. market is of strategic importance to Mainstream, and the scale of the opportunity is strongly reflected in President Obama’s economic stimulus package, which includes $56 billion in grants and tax breaks for U.S. clean energy projects over the next 10 years and a budget of $15 billion a year to fund renewable energy programs,” Dr. Eddie O’Connor, co-founder and CEO of Mainstream, said in a statement. “The Administration’s goal of generating 25 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025 will help revitalize the U.S. economy and protect consumers.

Mainstream established its U.S. office in Chicago in 2008 and last December appointed Chuck Watson as non-executive director to lead its U.S. advisory board. Watson, co-founder and former chairman of Houston-based energy company Eagle Energy Partners, was formerly chairman and chief executive officer of Houston-based Dynegy Inc., an asset-based, integrated energy provider. Watson founded NGC Corp., Dynegy’s predecessor, in 1985 and served as chairman and CEO until May of 2002.

The Illinois projects are Mainstream’s second North American transaction in three months. The company entered a joint venture with Canadian wind farm developer Alberta Wind Energy Corporation to build an initial portfolio of over 400 megawatts of wind energy plants in Alberta by 2013.

ComEd has selected the City of Elgin to be part of its Advanced Metering Infrastructure pilot, which the utility says is largest test of smart grid technologies in the Midwest. Subject to Illinois Commerce Commission approval, the city will receive 10,000 “smart meters” as part of ComEd’s one-year pilot.

Elgin is among 10 municipalities participating in ComEd’s Community Energy Challenge, a program designed to generate creative, locally-driven approaches to help communities meet their environmental sustainability objectives.

In addition to Elgin, other communities involved in the test include Aurora, Carol Stream, Evanston, Highland Park, Hoffman Estates, Oak Park, Orland Park, Schaumburg and Wilmette. Every municipality in the program will be allocated incentive funding to increase electric energy efficiency in homes, businesses and public buildings in the participating communities.

Smart meters are computerized display units that provide consumers with up-to-the-minute information about their energy consumption and costs.

“Smart meters are a building block of a Smart Grid system. By providing much better information about electricity, they will enable residents to make decisions about energy usage to improve energy efficiency, cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce energy bills,” Val R. Jensen, vice president of Marketing and Environmental Programs at ComEd, said in a statement. “Elgin is in the vanguard of Smart Grid technology implementation in northern Illinois. We will work closely with the town to analyze their findings to help create a model for communities across the country to follow for future Smart Grid implementation projects.”

ComEd filed a petition June 1 with the Illinois Commerce Commission recommending which communities should participate in the pilot. If approved, approximately 141,000 smart meters will be deployed in the City of Chicago, 11 suburban communities and in Elgin in the first-ever pilot to comprehensively assess how customers will interact with this new technology.

Based on the strength of the municipal energy plans, ComEd, along with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), also announced a decision to increase from $2 million to $3.65 million an energy efficiency reserve that will be allocated over the next year for the 10 participating CEC municipalities. The funds will enable the communities to implement projects that deliver cost-effective and verifiable energy efficiency savings in both the private and public sector.

After the community projects are implemented in the next year, the communities will be evaluated on how well the plans were implemented. Based on energy reduction per capita, one community will receive $100,000. All 10 communities are eligible to win the cash prize.