Boston’s Logan International Airport’s Terminal A is the first airport terminal in the U.S. to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The terminal joins 550 other types of projects that have become LEED-certified since the program was developed five years ago. Among the earth-friendly design elements of the 686,000-square-foot, $400 million terminal are windows and a roof that reflect heat, its storm-water filtration system, lights that automatically dim when ambient light is sufficient, and low-flow faucets and waterless urinals in the restrooms. According to The Boston Globe, “Massport officials say the technology will save the terminal almost $300,000 in electric bills and 1.7 million gallons of water a year.”
In Cape Town, South Africa, TravelWireNews reports that the Mount Nelson Hotel also is doing some innovative things, environmentally speaking. It recently established an on-site worm farm, which will turn leftover food into reusable, nutrient-rich fertilizer that can be used on its nine-acre garden.