Mirror, mirror on the wall, which is the greenest hotel of them all? Heck, is there anyway to gauge a hotel's green bona fides, period? In that regard, help might be on the way.
A recent article in the NYT on the greening of the hotel industry noted that numerous hotels were seeking certification by the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) program. LEED's certification is a rigorous process whereby hotels, and all buildings for that matter, meet strict standards for everything from recycling to water efficiency.
Will LEED Certification be to hotels' green efforts what the Good Housekeeping Seal is to, well, gazillions of consumer products? First, a little more on LEED. From its website:
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. ... LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
The certification also includes a credit system, ways for buildings to earn points to earn certification, for everything from water-efficient landscaping and overall energy conservation.
