April 20, 2010 was not a good day in our country’s history. We don’t think of “4-20” like we do “9-11” but it was the day of the gas release and subsequent explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven people died and oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days. That day had a tremendous impact on Scott Miller. On the day of the accident he was working in finance at OppenheimerFunds in New York City. The oil rig disaster inspired him to leave his job and dedicate his life to making the world more environmentally sustainable.
Scott applied for and was accepted to the Masters in Sustainability program at Columbia University, where he recently graduated. It was last year, however, when things got really interesting for Scott. He applied for and was accepted into the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Fellows Program. He was matched with Caesars Entertainment Corp. in early May 2013. Miller soon learned that he and two others with the Climate Fellows Program had been selected to be followed for “Years of Living Dangerously,” a new Showtime series.
Part of his Climate Fellows Program training was filmed by Showtime. In early June of last year Miller moved to Las Vegas where he spent 10 weeks working on energy efficiency projects for Caesars. His goal was to identify energy efficiency opportunities in pump systems used in pools, spas and fountains at eight Las Vegas properties. He also worked on two lighting projects for Caesars. Not all of Scott’s proposals have been implemented but Caesars did retrofit its pool, spa and fountain pumps with variable frequency drives (VFDs) per Scott’s suggestion. A good deal of his time in Las Vegas, including a presentation he made to Caesars CEO Gary Loveman pitching his energy efficiency project proposals, was also filmed by Showtime. Scott was interviewed by Jessica Alba for the series in Santa Monica, Calif., in September of last year.
Segment Featuring Scott, Caesars to Run May 26
For those of you not familiar with Years of Living Dangerously, it is currently running on Showtime but the segment featuring Scott and Caesars—Episode 7: Revolt, Rebuild, Renew—will not begin showing until May 26. See my article about Scott for a complete Episode 7 schedule. Executive producers working on the series included James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger and others with similar clout and experience. Correspondents include stars such as Alba, Matt Damon and Harrison Ford, and journalists including Lesley Stahl and Thomas L. Friedman.
Scott told me his summer at Caesars last year was “an incredible learning experience.” Today he is working as Manager of Business Development for MindClick Global, a sustainability solutions company headquartered in Bend, Ore.
It is great to see our industry getting some positive media exposure for its investments in sustainability. There are certainly many, many good stories to be told.
GLN Adds The Coconut Group as Directory Partner
Green Lodging News welcomes The Coconut Group as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. The Coconut Group is a direct, bulk supplier of lamp oil and tiki torch fuel to the hospitality industry. The company specializes in unique, high-quality fuels which translate into superior performance and cost savings. The Coconut Group’s Tiki Torch Fuel is odorless and produces 350 percent less smoke and soot. Eco-Friendly, Safe & Green Fuel is smoke-free and provides odorless burning. The company offers two clean-burning lamp oils; one is paraffin based, the other synthetic.
The Coconut Group is also a direct, bulk supplier of glass oil lamps and candles. Although Firefly Oil Candles and Lamps look fragile and delicate, they are sturdy enough for everyday use. The company offers a wide variety of glass oil candles including votives, pillars, and handblown works of art which economically replace disposable fuel cells. Refillable oil candles are the latest trend in the move to sustainability in the hospitality industry.
Contact Tammy Kurek at (800) 472-6740 or (941) 404-6820, e-mail sales@thecoconutgroup.com, or click here for more information.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Planning Advertising for 2014?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2014. Many excellent spots are available on the website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2014 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. Media kits can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Green Lodging News Tops 2,000 Social Media Followers
Green Lodging News now has 1,467 Twitter followers. Thank you to all of those who follow our tweets. In addition to following us on Twitter, be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also on Facebook. Be sure to “Like” us there. Green Lodging News now has 560 Facebook followers.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
