VOA标准英语2009-Largest Los Angeles Hotel Goes 'Green'

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
12 November 2009

Many hotels around the United States are going green by recycling their waste and conserving¹ water, power and other resources. The largest hotel in Los Angeles, the Westin Bonaventure, was recently certified² as green by the environmental group Green Seal. Hotel managers say the change will help the environment, and is also good for business.

 
The Westin Bonaventure is the first Los Angeles hotel to get the "Green Seal"
The Bonaventure is a 37-story tower with more than 1,300 guest rooms in the heart of Los Angeles.

LA officials, including Mayor Antonia Villaraigosa recently announced that the hotel has qualified³ for certification by Green Seal, a non-profit group that promotes sustainable practices.

"President Obama calling on all of us to reinvent commerce in America and create Green Collar jobs," he said. "Let's embrace this challenge."

It is the first hotel in the city to get the organization's stamp of approval.

Green Seal's Gary Petersen says the organization works with the hotel in every area of its operations.

 
Green Seal's Gary Petersen
"We come in and survey and take a look at the hotel, all the different things from room service to towels to the paper they use, the recycling, the food waste, you name it," he said. "And then what we do is we consolidate⁴ that into recommendations, and then follow through to make those changes."

Trash is recycled. Laundry is cleaned with biodegradable detergent⁵.

Kitchen waste is composted to make fertilizer. Hotel workers have switched to non-toxic⁶ cleaners. Low-energy lights reduce power use.

Michael Czarcinski, the hotel's managing director, says some of his staff suggested the changes. He says the new green certification will be used to market the hotel to environmentally conscious customers.

 
Michael Czarcinski, Managing Director of the Westin Bonaventure
"From a marketing⁷ standpoint, yes, that's a great story, but the bottom line is, we're being great to our local economy, to the environment, and really reducing the use of toxic chemicals, paper products, and making sure that we're composting all of our food waste," he explained.

It cost $20,000 to change hotel practices and educate the staff. Recycling and other so-called green practices are expected to produce more than $200,000 a year in savings⁸ while reducing the hotel's impact on the environment.

 

1 conserving   

v.保护，保藏，保存( conserve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Contour planning with or without terracing is effective in conserving both soil and moisture. 顺等高线栽植，无论做或不做梯田对于保持水土都能有效。 来自辞典例句
• Economic savings, consistent with a conserving society and the public philosophy. 经济节约，符合创建节约型社会的公共理念。 来自互联网

2 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

3 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

4 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

5 detergent   

n.洗涤剂；adj.有洗净力的

参考例句：

• He recommended a new detergent to me.他向我推荐一种新的洗涤剂。
• This detergent can remove stubborn stains.这种去污剂能去除难洗的污渍。

6 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

7 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

8 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。