Environment

The Environmental Bible Appears in Green Hotels

by Jordan Yerman | May 2, 2007 at 07:59 am

987 views | 2 Recommendations | 3 comments

Visitors to the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa won't find the Gideon Bible in the nightstand drawer. Instead, on the bureau will be a copy of ``An Inconvenient Truth,'' former Vice President Al Gore's book about global warming.

They'll also find the Gaia equipped with waterless urinals, solar lighting and recycled paper as it marches toward becoming California's first hotel certified as ``green,'' or benevolent to the environment. Similar features are found 35 miles south at San Francisco's Orchard Garden Hotel, which competes for customers with neighboring luxury hotels like the Ritz-Carlton and Fairmont.

``I'm not your traditional Birkenstocks and granola type of guy,'' said Stefan Muehle, general manager of the Orchard Garden, who said green measures are reducing energy costs as much as 25 percent a month. ``We're trying to dispel the myth that being green and being luxurious are mutually exclusive.''

The Gaia and Orchard are seeking to be the first hotels in California certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, which has authenticated 800 buildings across the U.S. and has about 6,000 in the process, including 30 hotels. San Francisco and other cities offer financial incentives to lessen water and energy use and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

My first experience with an environmetnally-friendly hotel was in Boston a few years ago. I couldn't help but think that their enviro-friendly cachet was just spin for "not washing the towels". Environmental hotels ahve come a long way, with purpose-built structures designed to maximize comfort and minimize resource usage. I get the feeling, though, that replacing the familiar bedside bible with Al Gore's monograph may ruffle a few feathers, and could actually cost the Gaia Hotel some customers, but, then again, any publicity is good publicity.

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Markus Schlegel

at 09:27 on May 2nd, 2007

Hmm, also, it is interesting for outing the "Inconvenient Truth" for what it might also be considered: Creed over facts. I am still unconvinced about the whole rattle on Global Warming. Could do us some good if we looked at the problem in terms of resource consumption which we doubtlessly need to reduce. Smoking and - forgive the drastic comparison - defecating in a closed bathtub and -room with closed windows incessently surely would not do anyone good. Then again, the drastic actionism on display now at best raises my eyebrows, not my conscience. The bathtub example could have been understandable to the rest of us without Gore, already.

Eric Brame (not verified)

at 13:26 on January 2nd, 2009

As a Student of Literature, holding to high-esteem Tacitus, Josephus, and Luke, I can only warn to the corruption of this Bible. Does it hold true to the Biblical Manuscripts? There are many manuscripts that you can use to verify the validity of this Bible. When translating you must hold the integrity of the text into account: and this Bible holds no integrity. As a Student of Literature and not a commentator, I must insist, for you well being, not to take this Bible for doctrine but as an opinion. Thank you.