It's Not Easy Being "Green"
by Jennifer Altavilla

Americans are a people of contradictions. They count calories and Weight Watchers points, but indulge in Whoppers and KFC. They take pride in their backyard compost piles, but refuse to relinquish their gas-guzzling SUVs. In general, Americans try to legitimize and downplay their bad habits-and try to appease their consciences—by observing other "good" customs. It is no surprise that environmentally sustainable hotels are the new fad of the tourism industry. Remorseful American tourists flock to these so called "green" hotels, which boast environmentally sustainable features including solar-powered heating systems; water-saving shower heads; and compact fluorescent light bulbs, because they want to feel as if they are saving the environment. However, what these concerned tourists fail to realize is that the mere existence of green hotels represents irrevocable environmental destruction.

Although the notion of a completely green hotel may be a contradiction, it is not to say that these new destinations do not improve upon the inefficient and wasteful monoliths of the past. For example, Greenhouse 26, an eco-friendly boutique hotel in the heart of Chelsea, features a sustainable geothermal heating and cooling system-the first of its kind in New York City. The terraces of the 27-room hotel, set to open this coming Spring, are outfitted with thermal breaks, which reduce heating and cooling costs by preventing outside hot or cold air from penetrating the indoor suites. The Old Bangkok Inn, an urban green hotel in Thailand, reduces heating and cooling costs, and limits fuel consumption with a solar powered system. As Jennifer Conlin says in the New York Times

The American penchant for green hotels like Greenhouse 26 or the Old Bangkok Inn is by no means sudden. Eco-friendly resorts, mostly in Central and South America, have long catered to environmentally-conscious Americans who want both a vacation and a cultural experience. In recent years, as environmental issues have come to dominate politics, the popularity of ecotourism—defined by the International Ecotourism Society as "tourism that minimizes harmful environmental impact, builds environmental and cultural awareness, and heightens sensitivity to the host country's political, environmental, and social climate"-has swelled. In fact, a recent study by Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability determined that ecotourism is the fastest growing market of the tourism industry. A 2004 Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) survey determined that out of the 18.6 million outbound American travelers, 13 percent of them, or 2.4 million of them, were ecotourists. Another recent TIA survey concluded that 66 percent of all U.S. adults (not just tourists) are interested in “environmentally responsible” travel, which emphasizes connection with local peoples, understanding of local environmental issues, and minimizing of environmental, economic, and social impact.

Because exotic ecotourism is so popular with Americans, and because many Americans are increasingly concerned with preserving the environment, it is no surprise that urban hotels have started to go green. Due to space limitations and lack of easily accessible natural resources, going green in the city requires ingenuity and skilful economizing. Arpad Baksa, the architect of Greenhouse 26 in New York, says urban green is not about size, acreage, or abundance of resources, but about "working with the space you have and customizing every inch to be efficient." For example, Greenhouse 26 maximizes its efficiency by reusing water from sinks and showers in the toilets and by employing an elevator system that captures generated energy every time it stops (like a hybrid car). Fairmont Hotels, one of the first chains to go green, boost energy efficiency by harnessing wind power to operate front desk computer systems.

Although green hotels may indeed maximize the efficiency of the urban space and may contain environmentally sustainable features, they still contribute to the destruction of the environment simply by being located in the heart of a city-a locus of concentrated degradation and pollution. A few green hotels that reuse water or feature compact fluorescent light bulbs are not going to save the environment. The environmentally-conscious might sleep easier at a green hotel, but the truth is, they are merely sustaining a contradiction, for how can one truly be "green" in the middle of an urban center?