WASHINGTON, D.C.—From lawn mowers and weed trimmers, to personal watercraft and speedboats, gas-powered engines will soon contribute to healthier and cleaner air for Americans. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set strict new standards for gas-powered lawn equipment and marine engines, enhancing public health by substantially reducing the amount of gas fumes, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and smog-forming pollutants emitted from a wide range of engines. The regulations will take effect in 2010 and 2011. “EPA’s new small engine standards will allow Americans to cut air pollution as well as grass,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.

GAINESVILLE, FLA.—Officials of the 248-room Hilton University of Florida Conference Center announced it will be the host hotel for the inaugural Florida Green Lodging Conference from November 10 to 12, 2008. Entitled “Being Green, Saving Green & Making Green,” the conference is sponsored by VisitGainesville and the University of Florida TREEO (Training, Research & Education for Environmental Occupations) Center. The Hilton University of Florida Conference Center is the only Green Certified hotel in Gainesville. To receive this certification, the hotel implemented a number of state-mandated procedures related to water conservation, including utilizing low-flow features on showerheads, faucets and toilets.

NEW YORK CITY—Central Park South (CPS) Events at The Plaza, manager and operator of The Plaza Grand Ballroom, the exquisitely restored and glamorous site of countless memorable New York affairs and events, recently hosted a 100-Mile Menu dinner for a select crowd of New York City insiders. Serving a menu comprised solely of ingredients sourced within a 100-mile radius of New York City, CPS Events indulged more than 250 invited guests with a “Country Chic” buffet dinner featuring locally grown food, wines and spirits. The evening celebrated CPS Events’ partnership between Delaware North Companies and Great Performances, two companies known for consistently supporting sustainable agriculture and local growers.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Offering a detailed road map for sustainable operations, a new Green Hotel Industry White Paper from Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research details the comprehensive program implemented by the Willard InterContinental Washington Hotel. The report, “Sustainable Hospitality: Sustainable Development in the Hotel Industry,” is written by Hervé Houdré, general manager of the Willard, and is available for download at no charge from the center’s website. In addition to explaining the Willard’s sustainable eco-friendly hotel development program, the Cornell Industry Perspectives paper outlines environmental efforts by several of the industry’s major companies.

PITTSBURGH—The Green Meeting Industry Council announced that their 2009 “Greening the Hospitality Industry” Conference will be held February 24 to 26 in Pittsburgh at the LEED Gold certified David L. Lawrence Convention Center. This conference will provide timely, professional education and invaluable networking opportunities through presentations, workshops, and a tradeshow. Key industry leaders will discuss green meeting practices for meeting and event planners, hotel properties, convention and conference venues, and suppliers to the meeting and event industry. Participants will have an opportunity to share practices in roundtable discussion groups. The latest environmentally responsible meeting products and services will be showcased.

SEATTLE—The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle, a 450-room AAA Five Diamond property, is taking a big bite out of its waste hauling costs thanks to an aggressive recycling program that includes composting and the occasional dumpster dive to analyze what exactly is being thrown away. Waste minimization is top of mind, even when making purchasing decisions. The end result at the end of each day is that a significant chunk of what used to be bound for the landfill is now being recycled. The luxury hotel stepped up its recycling efforts about a year ago when it began working with Eirik O’Neal, an environmental consultant with Corporate Recycling Services, which is based in University Place, Wash.

CARIB TERRITORY, DOMINICA—Distinguished International Hotels, Residences and Resorts announced that it has reached an agreement with the Carib Council to develop an Eco-Lodge Resort and Conference Center in the Carib Territory of Dominica. The designated site for this private-public partnership between Distinguished International, the Carib Council and the Government of Dominica with continuing support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Kalinago people, will be the Carib Model Village next to ‘Morne Diablotins’ National Park and Central Forest Reserve.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA—Emirates Hotels & Resorts has announced the start of a major habitat regeneration project at its first luxury Australian conservation resort, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa. The first step in the long-term conservation program commenced with the planting of more than 1,000 indigenous trees. The reforestation project aims to regenerate ecologically sensitive areas within Emirates’ Wolgan Valley Reserve and is part of Emirates Hotels and Resorts’ carbon offsetting initiative and its commitment to the protection of biodiversity. The first resort to be developed by Emirates Hotels & Resorts outside the United Arab Emirates, Wolgan Valley includes an extensive conservation program that will reintroduce indigenous species to the 4,000-acre site.

ATLANTA— As designers and consumers become more involved in the eco-friendly movement and wish to purchase products that protect the health and well-being of their families and building occupants, one product they focus on is paint. To assist in the purchase decisions, the Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) wants to educate consumers on the difference between volatile organic compound (VOC) content and VOC emissions. VOC content is the amount (by weight) of VOCs that are in the formulation of paint, while VOC emissions are the amount of VOCs released into the air following the application of paint.

SANTA MONICA, CALIF.—Santa Monica-based hotel developer, The Ambrose Collection, has won two awards for its latest concept, Hotel Ray. Having pioneered environmentally responsible practices long before “going green” was in fashion, The Ambrose Collection, with these two new honors, has once again proven that sustainability can—and should—seamlessly coexist with luxury. Winning a Finalist Award at Hospitality Design (HD) magazine’s fourth annual Hospitality Design Awards (HD Awards), and the Los Angeles Architectural Awards’ 2008 Award of Excellence in the Commercial Design Concept category, Hotel Ray serves as a model of sustainability for future development.