ECO Friendly Living USA

Environmental court issues injunction to stop ‘Ewa Honokea Wave Park project  KHON2
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Sabai crafts chic sofas using recycled velvet and upcycled hemp and poly.
A sustainable sofa brand is blending recycled materials with boho-chic styling to cozy up to the growing eco-friendly furniture market. Brooklyn-based Sabai Design specializes in sofas upholstered in rich recycled velvets and upcycled poly and hemp in a veritable rainbow of colors—from moss, chocolate and indigo to poppier hues like amber, mustard and seafoam. 
Sabai—a brand that’s aimed at young urbanites seeking to balance stylish design with eco-conscious values—makes modular sofas with Sustainable Forestry Initiative-approved plywood frames and high-resiliency foam shipped in 100 percent recycled packaging via FedEx Ground. The company also boasts a Repair Don’t Replace program to extend the lifespan of sofas with wear-and-tear along with a buyback program that allows customers to trade-in sofas or buy them secondhand.
Sabai’s Elevate collection of plush sofas and sectionals is the brand’s top-of-the-line range, starting at $2,995, but they also offer styles at lower prices, starting at $1,500 for the Essential sofa. While the comfy, low-profile Elevate line is described by Sabai as having a “modern farmhouse” aesthetic, it can easily channel a more retro-cool vibe, particularly when wrapped in a lively velvet colorway. 
In 2019, Phantila Phataraprasit co-founded Sabai—which roughly translates to “relaxed” in Thai—in a bid to imbue the direct-to-consumer furniture industry with an unwavering commitment to sustainability. Sofas are Sabai’s core product, but the online retailer has branched out into pillows, chairs, tables and rugs as it raised its profile with flattering coverage in Architectural Digest, Apartment Therapy, and House Beautiful. 
According to a recent study by Credence Research, the global eco-friendly furniture market is experiencing an annual growth of more than 6 percent per year, and is projected to hit $1.64 billion by 2032. Sabai is targeting that steadily-rising demand by offering sofa styles for a variety of tastes. 
“We want people to express themselves through color and design, but we also want to create pieces that are timeless, flexible and kind of allude to different aesthetics without being too trendy,” said Phataraprasit. “We never want to be too trendy because that contributes to people turning things over and getting sick of things.”
“We want to make as big of an impact as possible and need to be able to speak to as many people as possible and help them opt for the sustainable product, whether you’re someone who wants a woven natural fabric or velvet or mid-century design or a slipcover design that’s a little bit more traditional. We don’t want to limit our ability to offer sustainable products to people with different tastes. And so the different collections kind of speak to that.”
Phataraprasit added that while most of Sabai’s recycled manufacturing materials are sourced near their manufacturing partners in North Carolina and Tennessee, the AAPI-owned company’s impressively soft and colorful velvet is made from recycled plastic bottles from China.
“The velvet fabric does come from China—we work with a partner out there that essentially collects plastic bottles,” she said. “And basically these bottles get collected, they’re cleaned, and shredded into really small pieces and flakes, and those flakes are melted down and extruded into yarn. And so you can create fabric essentially from recycled plastic bottles.”
That kind of ecological innovation is earning accolades across the sustainable furniture space. Tim Struby, founder and CEO of online furniture shopping service toTree, lauded Sabai’s commitment to making stylish furnishings that live up to their eco-focused billing. 
“In a furniture space riddled with greenwashing, Sabai stands out as one of the few companies that puts their money where their mouth is,” Struby said. “Their commitment to sustainability is unparalleled. And the fact that their furniture is both stylish and comfortable makes them the go-to for anyone who seriously cares about the environment. It’s also why toTree selected them as one of the first brands we offered.”
To see Sabai’s full collection of sustainable sofas and furnishings, tap here.

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Climate activist arrested for slapping apocalyptic sticker over Monet painting in Paris  New York Post
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NEW YORK STATE, USA — New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that “Get Outdoors & Get Together Day” is Saturday, June 8. This day will be celebrated across New York State at state parks and public lands. To get it on the fun, Erie County’s program is happening at Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve & Environmental Education Center. 
This inclusive and accessible day includes a variety of family-friendly recreational activities. The goal is to bring communities together no matter their abilities, age, identity, or background. 
“‘Get Outdoors & Get Together Day’ is an event for every New Yorker to participate in and enjoy,” Governor Hochul said. “We’ve prioritized accessibility in New York State and are proud that a diverse cross-section of people already visit our spectacular public lands and facilities. We want New Yorkers to know that no matter what their background or ability, New York State resources are shared by all.”
New skills will be discovered as participants enjoy introductory-level activities like archery, birding, camping, fishing, nature hikes and walks, paddling, and more. In addition to learning new things, these events will also be promoting safety and sustainability of the outdoors. 
“I encourage New Yorkers with disabilities and their families and friends to join us on Saturday June 8 at one of the events being held across the state,” New York State Chief Disability Officer Kimberly Hill Ridley said. “There are so many accessible and inclusive features at our state parks and lands and Get Outdoors & Get Together Day is an excellent time to learn about them and take advantage of all that is offered.” 
Accessibility will be available at every location which includes trail and beach mobility aids, archery assist stands, arm supports for fishing, and more. 
WNY Location: 93 Honorine Dr, Depew, NY 14043
Contact: Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center, (716) 683-5959
Time: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Activities:
Coming from the City of Buffalo? Ride the FREE NFTA’s Parks Adventure Bus to Reinstein Woods on June 8. This service includes paratransit busses.
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Watch CBS News
By Jim DeFede
Updated on: June 2, 2024 / 12:22 PM EDT / CBS Miami
MIAMI — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed a series of bills that stripped the term “climate change” from many state laws.
The bills also revised other climate-friendly policies. CBS News Miami’s Jim DeFede speaks to Susan Glickman, the vice president of the CLEO Institute. She has been advocating for renewable energy in Florida for decades and helped craft many of the policies now repealed.
Guest: Susan Glickman/VP, The CLEO Institute
Jim DeFede joined CBS4 News in January 2006 and serves as an investigative reporter for the station, as well as host of its Sunday morning public affairs program “Facing South Florida.”
First published on June 2, 2024 / 12:22 PM EDT
© 2024 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
©2024 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Climate coverage
EDITOR: E.J. Dionne Jr.’s May 21 column highlighted the troubling lack of coverage of the climate policies of our two presidential contenders (“Trump is revealing his anti-climate agenda”). The seriousness of our climate crisis should make it a top priority among voters and journalists.
The candidates’ policies could not be more different. Donald Trump would basically shut down all programs aimed at protecting America and the world from ever-increasing climate calamities, even soliciting payments from the oil industry to do so. Joe Biden, on the other hand, has consistently supported and enacted programs that will go a long way toward reducing global heating, including the Inflation Reduction Act and executive actions.
Inflation, wars and immigration are all important issues, but meanwhile extreme weather is pounding our country and the world on a daily basis. Nearly two-thirds of Americans are worried about climate effects on their communities. The next election will be crucial in determining which direction our country goes. We need to hear more about this.
PAUL LARKIN
Sebastopol
Shortsighted decision
EDITOR: Let’s hear it for Supervisor James Gore who voted against changing Sonoma County park rangers from peace officers to public officers (“Policing fight looms,” May 24).
Let me be the first to say that Sonoma County Regional Parks Director Bert Whitaker should be fired for incompetence. His excuse for changing the officer status is, “We need more bodies, and we need to get folks on board in a quicker way.” The current peace officer process requires background checks and psychological evaluations.
Whitaker’s plan is to hire personnel, give them a badge and a uniform without appropriate training or a background check … to save time? Don’t worry, I am certain the county will have time for the ensuing problems and lawsuits that will inevitably occur as a result of this shortsighted and incompetent decision.
Don’t we want a stringent process that ensures we are only hiring people qualified to be in a position of trust and authority as park officers? We can start by firing Whitaker.
RICHARD TAYLOR
Santa Rosa
Recusals required
EDITOR: If Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito do not recuse themselves from all Jan. 6 and Donald Trump appeals, they must be removed from the Supreme Court. Their corrupt behavior and gross bias are beyond obvious.
WILLIAM CAMPAGNA
Cotati
‘Moral issue of our time’
EDITOR: Award-wining journalist Max Blumenthal recently said, “This Gaza issue is the moral issue of our time, this is the Trail of Tears of our time, this is the Middle Passage of our time.” We need to take heed.
Many of our children, young students and some of their teachers worldwide are taking heed and showing us how to stand up for this moral issue of our time. It is a beautiful thing to behold. They are risking their safety, their careers, their future to teach us what it takes to live in a moral and free world, moral and free for everyone. It is time for all of us, especially those in power, to take heed.
What is happening in Gaza today is a continuation of an ideology that has been going on in Palestine for a hundred years. One people is better, more deserving than another. One people can subjugate, kill, drive out another people and take their land. This is the core of the issue. It is not complicated. There is room for everyone in Palestine/Israel who wants to be there. I pray that all who want to live in Palestine/Israel can be equal and free.
THERESE MUGHANNAM-WALRATH
Santa Rosa
Forgiving loans bad idea
EDITOR: The Biden administration has added another $7.7 billion to its funding of student debt relief (“Billions more in debt canceled,” May 23). Certainly, most members of our increasingly complex society would be well-served by education past high school, and providing that with inexpensive (or free) tuition and fees would benefit all. But unilaterally erasing the existing debt of what is now over 5 million people seems bad public policy in many ways.
One rationale for forgiveness is that many of the debts were acquired while attending inadequate or fraudulent schools. Should we also forgive home improvement loans to victims of shoddy contractors? Or should we improve the standards of contractor licensing? And of for-profit schools?
Should we excuse debts for those who haven’t paid back while ignoring efforts of those who have? Is that fair? Or might that discourage others from paying debts, educational or not?
Are we trying to insulate people from their own bad judgments? Will that lead to people making better, more responsible judgments?
While we are trying to combat inflation (too much money chasing limited products and services), we are adding billions of dollars to the nation’s purchasing power.
The $7.7 billion adds to an already ill-advised program.
HANS MATTES
Petaluma
You can send letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com.

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Check out these higher education IT leaders, authors, podcasters, creators and social media personalities who are helping drive online conversation.

Adam Stone writes on technology trends from Annapolis, Md., with a focus on government IT, military and first-responder technologies.
Going green is a major theme in higher education these days.
“A growing number of universities and colleges are committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050,” says Jenay Robert, a senior researcher at EDUCAUSE. To that end, they are “finding and using renewable sources of energy, adopting green technology and making curriculum changes.”
Remote work also can help schools to achieve their overall sustainability goals.
Environmental benefits of remote work include “reducing an institution’s carbon footprint, especially by minimizing commuting,” says Donald Nieman, professor of history and provost emeritus at Binghamton University, part of the State University of New York system.
On campus, remote work boosts green targets by “reducing energy consumption in heating, cooling and lighting,” says Josh Prigge, formerly Hawaii Pacific University’s first sustainability coordinator and now owner of Sustridge Sustainability Consulting and North Star Carbon Management.
Strong connectivity is crucial to making the remote work experience successful in higher education. To realize the environmental benefits of work-from-anywhere, colleges and universities need modernized networks and a partner such as Citrix that shares higher education’s sustainability goals.
DISCOVER: Explore the full catalog of Citrix solutions for sustainable networking.
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LatinFinance
The Guatemalan branch of Panamanian lender Banco Promerica issued the first sustainability bond in the country, a $50 million deal anchored by IDB Invest, the private sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank, it said in a press release.
IDB Invest bought $30 million of the bonds and mobilized $20 million from Luxembourg-based LAGreen, a Latin America-focused green bond fund, it said on Thursday.
This issuance is part of the bank’s $500 million program to issue green, social or sustainability bonds.
IDB Invest could participate in the program’s second issue by buying up to $15 million of the bonds, a deal that is expected to attract other investors, it said. IDB Invest was the anchor investor in the first deal.
Banco Promerica will use the proceeds to fund green and social projects in Guatemala, it added.
The Central American nation ranks fifth among countries most exposed to economic risks from climate disasters.
The resources mobilized from LAGreen are to be used to finance loans for micro, small and medium enterprises, including those owned by women, and credits for the institution’s green project portfolio. These smaller businesses contribute to 80% of employment in Guatemala, but only an estimated 12% of them have access to financing.
In May last year, Banco Promerica requested a $50 million loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to fund loans to small and medium enterprises and green projects.

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Installing motion sensors in public areas to save energy.
Providing “always on” digital communication enabling guests to alert housekeeping when they prefer to reuse towels and sheets or have them refreshed.
Eliminating paper from check-in, check-out, and payment processes across a property and its amenities.
These are just a few actions hotels are taking to become more sustainable. And with 78% of travelers opting for green/eco-friendly accommodations when booking worldwide travel, these also are ways hotels are attracting guests and elevating Return on Experience (ROE).
Let’s take a look at technology’s role in reducing energy consumption and waste while also delighting guests and staff, as well as other “green” practices hoteliers can adopt.
Hotel technology was originally used to only track water and energy use. Today, hotels, whether a single boutique location or large hotel chain, leverage technology in sustainability reporting, operations, cost-savings, traveler communications, guest experiences and even marketing campaigns.
If you’re already on your journey to make your hotel as sustainable as possible, then you may have already seen the impact technology can have on operations – freeing up your staff to serve up more memorable guest experiences.
Having high-thread-count linens turned down at night and equipping bathrooms with plush bath robes might signify a luxury hotel brand. However, many of today’s consumers are increasingly choosing hotels that prioritize sustainability over luxury.
According to Green Hotels Association, sustainability positively impacts a hotel’s bottom line. Using motion-sensor-powered lights, installing fluorescent light bulbs and placing recycling bins in guest rooms and across the property all have a positive impact. Also, consider the luxury of saving energy and money by equipping properties with HVAC smart sensors that know when guests are in or out of their rooms and can heat or cool spaces accordingly. Internet of Things (IoT-based) and artificial intelligence-based solutions provide data and insights to help hotels save close to one-third of traditional energy costs.
Another way hotels can go greener is by using hospitality-specific technology to reduce paper use. Despite the reality of consumers using digital technology in their daily lives and the fact that half of all printed documents are thrown away within 24 hours, demand for paper is expected to double before 2030.
Camelback Resort, located in Pennsylvania’s Poconos Mountains, has invested in hospitality technology enabling the all-season property to eliminate paper in its check-in, waiver and check-out processes – along with digitizing accounts payable (AP) procedures. The document management solution empowers the 453-suite resort staff to go greener by transforming paper records into electronic images.
Reducing paper waste reduces costs for hotels. Camelback Resort uses technology that digitizes all bills, routes them for approvals and electronically captures all notes and comments. Other ways hotel staff can cut down on paper waste include using interactive tablets in on-site restaurants in place of paper menus, presenting electronic dining checks for digital payment and eliminating disposable items such as paper cups.
Even better, a property management system (PMS) that integrates with amenity-booking solutions, spa-management and golf-management technology enables property managers to say no to paper in favor of texting or emailing guests their reservation times. This kind of hotel management software and services solutions can help track guests’ preferences and build guest profiles, providing key background and allowing hotels to anticipate needs and requests. Such information can allow for cost savings and help hotels reach sustainability goals while also creating loyal guests.
Water is a costly necessity every hospitality facility needs to function. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports about 15% of total water use in U.S. commercial and institutional facilities occurs in hotels and other lodging companies. Restrooms, landscaping and laundry are the biggest water-usage culprits. It is reported that a single room can use between 100 and 200 gallons of fresh water per day. As such, this averages out to 36,500 to 73,000 gallons per year.
The EPA also estimates that water-saving measures can reduce a hotel’s operating costs by up to 11%. This could include equipping bathrooms with low-flush toilets and water-saving showerheads and using water-smart landscape practices that decrease the amount of H2O needed for irrigation.
Hotels who that strategically weave in small practices to reduce waste experience significant saving opportunities. For example, to reduce laundry loads, hotels are placing signs in rooms asking guests to consider reusing their towels and sheets. Many are also providing digital chat technology that enables guests to inform staff when they are happy to re-use these items or prefer to have them refreshed. Further, many are making considerable changes in their kitchens, bathrooms and even swimming pool maintenance.
Globally, about 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted each year, and about 40% of that comes from the hospitality industry. The National Restaurant Association reported that, an average, a restaurant loses 4-10% of food it purchases, making throwing away food equivalent to throwing away money for hotels and resorts.
Additionally, data from the Waste and Resources Action Program (Wrap) estimates that in commercial kitchens, 21% of food waste arises from spoilage, 45% happens during food preparation and 34% comes from customers’ plates.
As inflation, supply chain challenges and labor issues continue to drive food costs up, many hotels are seeking ways to control expenses and increase the value of their food service investments. Working to reduce food waste can cut a restaurant’s costs by 2-6%. In fact, for every $1 hospitality operators invest to reduce food loss and waste, they can save about $14 in operating costs.
So, how can you help combat some of these issues and implement food waste solutions?
The answer is simple – an end-to-end foodservice management software solution that optimizes food costs with real-time data.
Limit the effects food waste has on the environment and commit to cutting costs by implementing a digital inventory management system. Having this tool will inevitably reduce the amount of food waste in your restaurant. By investing in a good software, your platform can be outfitted with the following:
Inventory management software totals the bill automatically so guests can easily checkout and pay with any method supported by the property. It enables food and beverage customers to provide a safe, easy and frictionless experience without extra staff.
By implementing a robust inventory management system with the right partner and living by the three R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle – hotels can become advocates of sustainability as well as increase profits through less food waste costs.
Hotels are in a zero-disappointment industry. If a guest engages in 10 experiences – nine of which exceed expectations while the tenth disappoints – guess which will appear on social media review sites and TripAdvisor or come up in conversations about that brand?
Hotels are a long way from zero waste but can get closer to zero disappointment by making sustainability a higher priority.
Imagine the hotel industry reaching zero food waste. Seem impossible? The Rockefeller Foundation, World Wildlife Fund and the American Hotel Association joined forces to evaluate and reduce food waste in hotels. The result of their effort in 10 projects at major properties was up to 38% reduction in wasted food in 12 weeks. Those properties included Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Marriott International. If scaled across the entire industry, the practices applied in this joint effort could eliminate half a million tons of food waste in a year.
Why not try a food-waste composting program or partner with local homeless shelters to donate food?
Hotels’ sustainability efforts matter, and guests increasingly expect to see green initiatives in action. Incorporating smart practices into all operations not only adds to guests’ overall experience but cuts major costs significantly.
Hotel operators, guests and staff members collectively win – along with the environment – when efforts to clear the zero-disappointment bar include eco-friendly technology and practices.
Reprinted from the Hotel Business Review with permission from http://www.hotelexecutive.com/.
Agilysys is well known for its long heritage of hospitality-focused technology innovation. The Company delivers modular and integrated software solutions and expertise to businesses seeking to maximize Return on Experience (ROE) through hospitality encounters that are both personal and profitable. Over time, customers achieve High Return Hospitality by consistently delighting guests, retaining staff and growing margins. Customers around the world include: branded and independent hotels; multi-amenity resort properties; casinos; property, hotel and resort management companies; cruise lines; corporate dining providers; higher education campus dining providers; food service management companies; hospitals; lifestyle communities; senior living facilities; stadiums; and theme parks. The Agilysys Hospitality Cloud™ combines core operational systems for property management (PMS), point of sale (POS) and inventory and procurement (I&P) with Experience Enhancers™ that meaningfully improve interactions for guests and for employees across dimensions such as digital access, mobile convenience, self-service control, personal choice, payment options, service coverage and real-time insights to improve decisions. Core solutions and Experience Enhancers are selectively combined in Hospitality Solution Studios™ tailored to specific hospitality settings and business needs. Agilysys operates across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and India with headquarters located in Alpharetta, GA. For more information visit Agilysys.com 
Hospitality Net membership explained

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Learning from Global Architecture Exhibitions: Resource Efficiency, Vernacular Intelligence, and Social and …  ArchDaily
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