COEUR D’ALENE, IDAHO—Six months into its GEM Program for green B&Bs, the Idaho Bed & Breakfast Association (IBBA) now has seven properties participating. The GEM Program consists of a basic Green Lodging Program and an “Inspected GEM” Program. Whereas the basic Green Lodging Program does not include an inspection component, the Inspected GEM Program does. Brian Scott, president of IBBA, who started the association and the GEM Program along with his wife Shar, says the GEM Program is being funded through a state grant that is funded through a 2 percent state bed tax. Nonprofits are eligible to apply for the grant money. “We get some of the money back that we pay for the 2 percent bed tax,” says Brian, who also owns and operates the American Country Bed & Breakfast with his wife in Coeur d’Alene. Brian says there are approximately 200 B&Bs in Idaho, 60 of which are IBBA members. Those members interested in participating in the Green Lodging Program are asked to complete a simple worksheet.

HONOLULU, HAWAII—GreenCar Hawaii, the first car share company in Hawaii, officially launched at DoubleTree by Hilton Alana Waikiki Hotel, making this the first green, on-demand car sharing service by the hour available at an Oahu hotel. GreenCar is providing four 100 percent electric Nissan Leaf vehicles and two, Level 2 commercial charging stations by ECOtality as the initial Blink Network in Hawaii.

MERRILLVILLE, IND.—The Courtyard by Marriott in Louisville, Colorado recently became the first hotel in the nation to install a B-cycle bike-rental kiosk on its property. With B-stations located across the country, B-cycle is the first large-scale municipal bike sharing system in the United States.

SANTA MONICA, CALIF.—Shore Hotel, Santa Monica’s newest hotel, announces a progressive concierge service that makes green living easy and accessible. The Green Concierge is the hotel’s own local expert on all things sustainable and eco-friendly. From activities to services, transportation to nightlife, Shore Hotel’s Green Concierge is an innovative resource for guests going green in Santa Monica.

ORLANDO—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Central Florida Chapter announced the launch of Green Destination Orlando at the closing general session of the Green Lodging and Hospitality conference at the Doubletree Hotel near Universal Orlando. With more than 50 million visitors each year, Orlando is one of the world’s most popular vacation and business travel destinations. The Green Destination Orlando (GDO) program is a plan to make Orlando the leading green destination in the world by creating a total sustainable experience—from the moment a visitor steps off the plane in Orlando, to the transportation to their hotel, their stay at local lodging, their daily activities (be it a conference or family vacation), and back to the airport—a completely sustainable loop that never breaks. According to Dina Belon, Hospitality Advocacy Chair for the USGBC Central Florida Chapter, the GDO pilot program has already garnered national attention and has become the basis for the pilot of a national program that will encourage other hospitality destinations to follow suit.

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—The meeting industry is one step closer to the introduction of the very first green meetings and event standards. The Convention Industry Council (CIC) announced that eight of the nine APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meeting standards are complete. “This is a major accomplishment for the collective conventions, meetings, events and exhibitions industry,” stated Karen Kotowski, CAE, CMP, Chief Executive Officer of the Convention Industry Council. “Sustainability is a strategic concern for planners, suppliers and the organizations they represent. These standards are much anticipated so this is a great moment for the volunteers who put such effort to this project.” The standards were conceptualized and initiated by the Green Meetings Industry Council (GMIC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Development has taken place through a partnership between CIC’s Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX), an initiative that focuses on industry best practices and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International. The standards have been in intense development since 2007. The APEX/ASTM standards will be comprised of nine individual “sector” standards, covering all facets of event planning and management.

LOS ANGELES—Green Globe Certification and Green Key Global jointly announce the inclusion of Green Key certified hotels and resorts in the Green Globe App for Apple mobile devices. The Green Globe App is the only mobile application for Apple iPads, iPhones and iPods that allows travelers to instantly search for sustainable resorts, hotels, conference centers, attractions, tour experiences and wedding options.

ALPHARETTA, GA—The Refinishing Touch, a specialist in re-upholstering, armoire modification and on-site furniture refinishing, has unveiled its new customer communication program. The program, open to The Refinishing Touch’s hospitality, government, and education clients will provide new ways to connect with industry and cross-industry peers, share experiences, and discuss business, environmental, and sustainability goals.

NAPA, CALIF.—Francis Ford Coppola’s resorts in Belize—Blancaneaux Lodge and Turtle Inn—announced that they have formalized a partnership with Alexandra Cousteau’s Blue Legacy, an environmental foundation that works to engage mainstream audiences on global water issues. Cousteau, the granddaughter of renowned environmentalist Jacques Yves-Cousteau, will travel to Belize in spring 2012 in order to explore and film critical environmental issues for a worldwide audience. Committed and dedicated to fostering best practices in ecotourism and sustainable travel, the Coppola Resorts will host the Blue Legacy group during their stay in Belize. By leveraging Coppola Resorts’ valuable relationships with the area’s conservation partners and key influencers, Blue Legacy will gain a special insight into the management of Belize’s protected areas and will seek out views from a wide range of community stakeholders. The tentatively titled “Expedition Blue Planet: Belize” will explore three areas of the country in order to illustrate how ecosystems and communities depend on natural water systems and how changes in land use practices affect both freshwater and marine environments.

PULASKI, N.Y.—Amsterdam’s De L’Europe recently opened 10 allergy-friendly PURE Room guestrooms and suites in partnership with PURE Global. PURE Room uses a patented seven-step process specially treating all surfaces, and purifying the indoor air to greatly reduce allergy and asthma symptoms.