Florida’s Hotels (hopefully) Going Green with Speed

Oh my goodness..the going green movement in Florida’s tourism industry has gone from zero to zany at breakneck speed.  Hotels large and small still choosing to be naïve and okay, “green” about becoming green is a really big business faux pas.  Yes, visualize Mother Earth giving the big “no-no’ finger wag to hoteliers that are giving her the thumbs down about hopping on the go-green train!

This whole Florida hotels-get-green-now message certainly got a swift boost when the state’s Big Cheese, in this case, Gov. Crist – just in case you were thinking Mickey Mouse – mandating that any employee under his umbrella (cozy) has to stay and conduct meetings, events and/or functions at certified green properties.

The problem, moreover, the challenge in this whole going green movement – especially for hoteliers is – how do they “go green” without breaking the bank.  It is a daunting task for sure.  Even in our personal world and at home, living on the sustainable side, has become much more than just simply switching to squiggly light bulbs and remembering to recycle dog-eared issues of The Gainesville Sun. 

The promising news here though is that there is hope for frustrated hoteliers -- the Florida Green Lodging Conference – the first of it’s kind in the Sunshine State – will take place right here in Gainesville Nov. 10-12.

 There, hoteliers and their engineering folks can rub elbows and ask all the necessary questions with the DEP guys and a whole cast of other really knowledgeable green people (na-nu, na-nu greetings nice, but not necessary).

On a personal/consumer side, we brown thumbs in all-things-eco-friendly -  can read/study and learn from a cool book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Living  -- written by Trish Riley www.trishriley.com –  a nationally recognized author and investigative reporter, who actually, we’re proud to say, is a fellow Gainesville resident – therefore we unabashedly and of course without her permission, but we hope with her blessing…claim her as our as our very own Green Goddess of Gainesville (and beyond…..).

So hoteliers and fellow teetering, quasi-sustainable consumers beware and forewarned … our days are numbered…our list of excuses for being green about going green are pretty close to exhausted… and besides, let’s face it, we’ve actually known for a long while now that you can’t fool with Mother Nature – and get away with it.  She and Karma are just too close of friends.