Since Cinco de Mayo 2009 falls on a Tuesday (Green Day), a good way to mark the holiday is to check Green projects in Mexico.
Let's start with Efizia, a Green Tower whose construction should start late 2009 in Mexico City. It is a project designed by Space Architects and World Architecture News reports that green attributes are its "dual façade, a double glazed glass façade with a distinctive,
irregularly shaped stainless steel mesh that places less stress on the
air conditioning and should reduce energy consumption by some 37%. And
whilst the steel has been brought in from Germany, the project’s
sustainable credentials – which include grey water recycling, 30%
recycled materials and green roofs – have already gained a ‘gold’
standard at pre-certification in the LEED process."
A green referendum in June 2008 in the Mexican capital offered various initiatives (reported by Worldchanging) including:
- Swapping the city government car fleet in its entirety for
environmentally friendly vehicles. (Similarly, 5000 of Mexico’s
micro-buses will be replaced with less polluting alternatives.) - Extending the "day without a car" program to Saturdays. Currently the program limits car use by one day during weekdays.
- Launching a new social housing model that incorporates green areas, public spaces and environmental design.
- Building 300 kilometers of bicycle highways
by the year 2012 that will help reach the mark targeted by the
government of at least 5 percent of person-trips to be done by bike. - Developing green corridors that will expand the amount of green space in the city to nine square meters per inhabitant.
For eco-friendly tourism, I did not think of the area around Cancun as a place to consider, yet 45 minutes from Cancun airport, luxury resort Hacienda Tres Rios opened in November 2008 is located amongst a 326-acre pristine nature park in the Riviera Maya and has both foot firmly grounded in sustainability. They celebrate their Mayan and Mexican heritage (picture below, from their site).
Lena Katz in Go green: eco-friendly Mexico vacations (Orbitz Travel Blog, March 2009) shares some of the must see spots in the Riviera Maya area.
Even though about 90% of their production most popular being include coffee, sesame, hibiscus and nopal (prickly pear cactus) is exported, Mexico boasts the highest number of organic farms reports Green Planet (April 10, 2009).
Green your Salsa and Tortilla Chips, Happy Cinco de Mayo
Tipping my hat to Mexico for Green Day # 75
Previously: Meatless Monday: Cut your Carbon Footprint, Improve your Health?