The Zip Line, V. 2.8, April 2010 - Celebrating Earth Day 2010

Celebrating Earth Day 2010 – 40th Anniversary!

Happy Earth Day! It’s hard to imagine, but just forty years ago American cars slurped leaded gas through massive V8 engines; industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press; and air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species acts.

This special Earth Day edition of The Zip Line will focus on the importance of green initiatives in the travel industry. Earth Day 2010 presents an opportunity for our industry to support a healthy, prosperous, green global economy now and in the future.

Learn more about Earth Day.

Featured Destination
Boston, Massachusetts    
One of America’s oldest cities, Boston is leading the way as an environmentally friendly travel destination. With its rich history, grand architecture and world-renowned academic institutions, Boston is one of the most charming cities in America to visit. Many of the most important historic sites blend seamlessly with modern architecture, creating one of the most architecturally diverse and interesting landscapes in the country. Boston is the nation’s center of education and cultural activity. From world-class universities to renowned museums – from the symphony to the theater – Boston has it all!

Learn more about Boston.

Check out what the Go-Girls recommend to do in Boston.     

What makes Boston a “green” destination?

Greater Boston is the ideal destination for visitors who seek a city with easy access to nature, beauty and outdoor recreation, and who desire environmentally friendly hospitality services. Boston boasts:

• Three green convention centers that have comprehensive recycling programs, energy efficiency achievements and other environmentally friendly practices.
• Twenty-five green-certified hotels and many other facilities that are advancing towards certification.
• Twenty-eight green-certified restaurants and event centers, and six more that are approaching certification.
• A compact city layout with a transportation system that allows visitors to leave their cars at home, take mass transit or ride in hybrid taxis. And, as America’s Walking City, Boston is easy to get around by foot.

Boston’s green services complement the area’s natural appeal with a beautiful seacoast location sporting rivers, parks and outdoor recreation. While in Boston, guests may spend time in Boston Harbor, go on a whale watch, visit the Boston Harbor Islands National Park and the New England Aquarium, sail on the Charles, skate on the Boston Commons Frog Pond and visit the Public Gardens.  

Learn about Boston Green Tourism.

Fairmont Battery Wharf 
Adjacent to Boston’s historic North End and new waterfront developments, Fairmont Battery Wharf luxury hotel embraces the rich history of its neighborhood, while providing guests with a contemporary and sophisticated retreat in the city’s most vibrant location. Located just steps away from the Freedom Trail, the North End and Charlestown, the Rose Kennedy Greenway and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Fairmont Battery Wharf luxury hotel in Boston is the ideal location to explore the history of the city and the new attractions it has to offer. A recipient of the Green Key Eco Rating Program 2010, Fairmont Battery Wharf offers150 elegantly appointed guest rooms, including 42 suites, with contemporary and residential décor.

Learn more about Fairmont Battery Wharf.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Green Initiative 
In 1990, Fairmont’s Canadian hotels pioneered the Green Partnership program – a comprehensive commitment to minimizing the hotels’ impact on the planet. This green philosophy has grown to become a core value of the company.

The Fairmont Green Partnership program allows the company to meet and exceed guest expectations of operational sustainability. It focuses on improvements in waste management, sustainability, and energy and water conservation at all of their properties, and innovative community outreach programs involving local groups and partnerships.

The Fairmont’s Eco-Meet program helps meeting planners by providing a meeting structure that encourages maximum waste diversion and environmental awareness for conference delegates. Eco-Meet consists of options that can be tailored to the individual needs of the client; they can meet their environmental goals while choosing how “green” they want to go. There are four main components of Eco-Meet: Eco-Accommodation, Eco-Cuisine, Eco-Service, and Eco-Programming.

Learn more about Fairmont’s Green Partnership.

Travelers Night In - Come Join Us  
The Go-Girls invite you to join them for Travelers Night In, an online tweet-up every Thursday, from 3:30 EST – 5:00 PM, to chat about the latest and greatest of the travel world.

This week’s topic: City Destinations

Our theme for each week will be different, so check out the Twitter Events page for the latest topics. The more the merrier, so invite all your adventure-minded tweeters for a fun, spirited exchange on everything travel!

What's the Buzz
Environmentalists Look to CEOs for Climate Leadership  
Environmentalists are increasingly pinning their hopes for a climate solution not on politicians but on business leaders. With investors and shareholders increasingly demanding that companies clean up their act, there's hope that businesses will begin to take a leadership role in the climate battle.

Source: The New York Times

(3-28-10)

In Search of a Chief Sustainability Officer  
The media likes to describe anyone tasked with improving an organization's environmental performance as a chief sustainability officer, but very few executives actually carry that title. With companies paying more attention to the PR benefits of sustainable business practices, the stage is set for sustainability officers to join the executive suite.

Source: The Energy Collective (3-27-10)

The Best Environmentally Friendly Bars     
A number of bars are putting sustainability on tap with eco-friendly brews and green business mindsets. Though eco-bars are still a fairly new concept, the idea is brewing slowly from coast to coast, much to the pleasure of green bar flies nationwide. 

Source: Forbes

(3-23-10)

Domino Effect Gives Sustainable Businesses an Edge     
Sustainable businesses are benefiting from a "green domino effect" in which one company's environmental leadership effectively forces other companies to follow suit.

Source: Harvard Business Review

(3-22-10)

Shopping Shuttle 
It’s easy being “green” with these Earth-friendly items chosen by the Go-Girls.

Yellow+Blue Wines 
Green wine, a great idea! Check out Go-Girl April's interview

with the company's president. 

Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying
David Bach, Hillary Rosner (Paperback - Apr 8, 2008)

This book is amazing - simple ways to go green, and save money while doing it. Genius

CamelBak BPA-Free Better Bottle with Classic Cap,Grey,1 Liter Camelback

No need for water bottles here! Get a water bottle to stay hydrated all day.

OrganoGuard-Organic USDA Hand Sanitizer OBI/OBO
It's always good to have a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

Metrokane Rabbit Wine Opener Tool Kit, Silver Metrokane
Learned about this wine opener from @intdonline on Tuesday night's #INTDWT tweet-up all about wine.  

Recycled Wine Bottle Earrings by Wild Apple Glass Studio

I haven't tried these yet, but they look fun to wear at the next wine tasting!

Deals and Steals

Value Added Meetings  

Final call for Starwood Hotels & Resorts®  Value Added incentives for meetings booked by April 30, 2010:

* 4% Credit to master
* Up to 100,000 Starpoints® signing bonus
* And at resort properties, a complimentary opening reception

For more information, visit: Starwood Hotels and Resorts

Travel Tips

* Ask hotels what green initiatives they are taking and choose your venue based on their response.
* Pick a location near a major airport hub to avoid layovers and extra travel for your participants.
* Put all of your meeting materials (program of events, etc.) on recycled paper and also make them available online. Collect and recycle these materials at the end of your meeting.
* Serve coffee from mugs or from recycled paper cups.
* Donate excess office supplies to local schools, rather than shipping them back.

Upcoming Events
The 17th Annual Incentive Invitational
Sponsored by the Incentive Research Federation 
www.theirf.org/invitational2010.asp

The Broadmoor | Colorado Springs, Colorado
May 19 - 23, 2010
For more information, contact Lisa Cherry-Perks at The Opus Group, 305-234-1077 or via email at lisa.cherry-perks@theopusgrp.com.

Open Mic
Go-Girl Rachel takes the Open Mic today to discuss the benefits of going green with F&B.

Whether or not you believe in global warming, it just makes sense to be respectful of the environment to preserve it for generations to come. Early this week I attended the Meeting Planners International (MPI) MidAmerica Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. One of my favorite talks, How to Get Affordable Local, Organic Foods for Your Meetings and Events by Greg Christian, was incredibly informative, and really got me excited about green travel, something I am very passionate about. read more ...

Do you like to be heard? Open Mic is your opportunity to voice your opinion or share your expertise on travel-related topics. To submit an article for Open Mic, send an email to dcondron@zipsetgo.com.