Cob: Announcement - Green Building and the Tourism Industry Conference

[billc_lists at greenbuilder.com]

April 11, 2001

For immediate release from
Planeta.com and Greenbuilder.com

The Planeta.com and Greenbuilder.com web sites team up in May 2001 to host
the Green Building and the Tourism Industry Conference.  The event takes
place next month from May 1-May 14 and will be conducted via the Internet:
>>  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/green_tourism/

Active participation in the online Green Building and the Tourism Industry
Conference is open to anyone with two years of professional experience in
either green building or the tourism industries.  Students or novices
without such experience are welcome to listen. Guidelines are presented
below.

Registration is free of charge.

Green building (a means of using energy-efficient and non-polluting
construction materials, sewage systems and energy sources) is an important
tool for a tourism industry that is increasingly aware of its impact on the
environment.

"Sustainable or 'green' building and sustainable tourism industries are
natural partners," says Greenbuilder.com Webhost Bill Christensen. "Both
emphasize the importance of locale, climate, traditional wisdom and
materials. Both see the overall health of people, plants and animals as
priceless assets that need to be protected and promoted."


** Finding Answers **

The Green Building and the Tourism Industry Conference will look for answers
to the following questions:

What are some model establishments that utilize green building techniques
and what have they learned in the process?

Which are the recommended information tools -- such as web sites,
listservs, organizations and journals -- that best assist tourism leaders
wishing to develop environment-friendly infrastructure (including
construction materials, sewage systems and energy sources)?

What face-to-face workshops allow participants a hands-on opportunity to
learn green building techniques?

What are the lessons learned in the transferring technologies (for example,
dry toilets) across cultures?

What Spanish-language resources are available for professionals interested
in Green Building and the Tourism Industry?


** About the Conference **

The conference organizers are the Greenbuilder.com and Planeta.com websites.

Greenbuilder.com is home to  Green Building Sources
<http://www.greenbuilder.com/general/buildingsources.html>
and the Green Building Professionals Directory
<http://www.greenbuilder.com/directory/>.

Planeta.com is a popular, award-winning website focusing on environmental
travel and ecotourism. The Green Building and the Tourism Industry
Conference is Planeta's sixth online conference.

"Having worked together for seven years, Greenbuilder.com and Planeta.com
are pleased to present this conference together," says Planeta.com Webhost
Ron Mader. "We all have so much to learn that this conference promises to be
a great deal of fun."


** Who Should Take Part? **

This conference is open to the interested public. But the event is aimed at
professions, including:

- Hotel and restaurant owners/directors who have implemented green building
technology or who are planning on using these techniques

- Academics who write and teach about either green building or sustainable
tourism

- Journalists who write about either green building or sustainable tourism

- Anyone else with a professional interest in this topic


** Registration **

Register for the Green Building and the Tourism Industry Conference by
sending a blank email to
green_tourism-subscribe at yahoogroups.com

Another place to register online:
   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/green_tourism/


*** Guidelines ***

Participants must introduce themselves in their first message to the
Green Building and the Tourism Industry Conference.
- In four paragraphs or less, let us know your interest in green
building and tourism and your professional experience. If your work or
resume appears on the Web, send the specific URL of where participants can
learn more about your work. Don't delay! This is a two-week conference and
introductions will be accepted only during the first week.

Ask a Question!
- If you have a question you would like see answered in this conference,
post the question with your introduction. Those who post a question will be
asked to send a reflection of what they learned at the end of this event or
the week after.

Messages must be posted in English.
- This conference will have international exposure. If English is not your
native language, please consider working with an English-speaking friend to
help translate and edit communications.

No attachments will be permitted.
- However, the conference does have a files section
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/green_tourism/files/) where members
can upload documents.


** Contacts **

For more information, contact:

Ron Mader
Webhost/Planeta.com
http://www.planeta.com

Bill Christensen
Webhost/Greenbuilder.com
http://www.greenbuilder.com
info at greenbuilder.com


** Additional References **

Green Building in Latin America
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/trade/greenbuilding.html

Green Building Sources
http://www.greenbuilder.com/general/buildingsources.html

Green Building Professionals Directory
http://www.greenbuilder.com/directory/
-- 
Bill Christensen
billc at greenbuilder.com

Green Homes For Sale/Lease:  http://www.greenbuilder.com/realestate/
Green Building Pro Directory:  http://www.greenbuilder.com/directory/
Sustainable Bldg Calendar:  http://www.greenbuilder.com/calendar/
Sustainable Bldg Bookstore: http://www.greenbuilder.com/bookstore