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New science, government studies highlight climate change’s urgency
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalFor over a year, we have witnessed one weather disaster after another besiege the United States mainland and beyond. This hurricane season, we saw Florence and Michael take Southern states hostage with a fury of wind and floodwaters, only to be paralleled with more California fires. "What next?" we ask. According to two new science and government studies, we can look forward to more compounded ecological catastrophes producing dramatic social changes.
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8 tips to avoid hotel hygiene horrors
Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementIn most hotels, a housekeeper only has 30-40 minutes to clean a checkout room, where the linens must be changed and straightened; the bathtub, toilet, and sinks must be cleaned and sanitized; the floor must be mopped, and the carpet must be vacuumed. While every traveler wants to stay in a clean hotel room, the fact is not all hotel rooms are cleaned thoroughly. Last week, a video about some housekeepers’ unsanitary cleaning practices recorded in 14 luxury hotels in China went viral on social media.
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Amsterdam Schiphol expansion proposed as Lelystad delayed
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotiveAmsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands needs to find creative ways to cope with capacity issues and is hoping further expansion could give it breathing space as it awaits the opening of Lelystad as a sister airport. Proposals to develop Lelystad, some 30 miles east of the city, into a commercial airport to handle Schiphol’s low-cost and leisure flights have been delayed to 2020 instead of next year to allow more time to consult with users and local residents. In the short term, this gives Schiphol a headache.
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Veteran-turned-farmer gives back to Wisconsin vets
Miranda Y. Brumbaugh Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityAs Thanksgiving meals are planned and groceries are purchased, it can be easy to forget about those military veterans without food or a home. These veterans are the ones who struggle with transitioning from war zones or military hospitals to suburbia and a civilian career. One veteran has been there and wants to help others survive this transition by providing a harvest of help. Meet Jake VandenPlas, a military veteran and the co-owner of Door County Farm in Wisconsin.
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Negotiating commercial leases: Use the franchise advantage
Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield RetailFor many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or landlord can be a challenge. While an entrepreneur focuses on marketing and managing, savvy real estate agents and brokers are specialized salespeople. Their job is to sell tenants on leasing their location at the highest possible rental rate. Whether you are leasing a new location for the first time or negotiating a lease renewal for your business, here are two money-saving tips.
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Remodeling growth levels out but remains strong
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesFor the past several quarters, the remodeling industry has experienced exceptional growth. That trend may have run its course, though. Industry indicators reveal activity during the third quarter of this year remained relatively flat. Experts project that demand is likely to remain strong, but that the rate of growth will taper off in 2019. According to the latest BuildFax Housing Health Report, data from the past three months indicate the pace of remodeling is leveling out after several years of steep increases.
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Study: Push for smart-building transitions seems obvious based on the benefits
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsA recent study seems to suggest that converting to smart building technology allows organizations to cut energy costs, meet air quality regulations and provide the best environments for occupants, visitors and staff. So says Siemens Financial Services, which estimates that the potential for "self-financing" smart-building conversion may cross 13 countries in three sectors: commercial buildings; government buildings; and hospitals. In other words, there’s plenty of potential for innovation.
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Study: Poor hospital work environments put patients at risk
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcarePatients are at risk because of poor hospital work environments, which need to be improved. So says a new Health Affairs study. We’ll let that sink in. Hospital work environments are a danger to patients. Researchers said they analyzed nurse and patient appraisals at 535 hospitals in four states between 2005 and 2016 — a fairly exhaustive study — to determine whether the work environment had improved and the extent to which those changes affected patient safety.
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Wildfires in Northern and Southern California claim 31 lives so far
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalParadise, California, north of Sacramento, is a town of 27,000 people that has been all but wiped out as both Northern and Southern California burn up in another round of deadly fires. So far, 29 lives have been lost in the northern part of the state, where the Camp fire has burned up 6,700 structures. In Southern California, the Woolsley and Hill fires have caused a mass evacuation of 250,000 people, leaving two dead and more missing. When residents fled their homes, they encountered serious problems as clogged roads made evacuation difficult.
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‘Lego building’: Can modular housing disrupt the US housing…
Lucy Wallwork Construction & Building MaterialsDaily headlines carry news of technologies "disrupting the market." One of the latest stories is that of pre-fabricated, "modular housing" and what it could do to transform the way the construction industry operates. If there was ever an industry in need of disruption, it is homebuilding. Modular housing promises to take much of the risk and complication out of that process by performing most of the construction work in a weathertight plant. Panels are manufactured in a factory and slotted together on site, often in a matter of hours — a true "plug and play" model.
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