Jalousie Plantation Scores Environmental First for St Lucia
28 MARCH 2009 - The Jalousie Plantation resort, nestled between St Lucia's World Heritage-listed Pitons, has introduced the island's first environmentally-friendly hybrid solar-powered golf cart to transport guests around the 192 acre property with zero emissions.
The new cart, designed and built in China, is among the first such vehicles in the Caribbean and will eventually replace all of the petrol powered carts and mini-buses currently used to shuttle guests around Jalousie.
The Kor Hotel Group, which manages The Jalousie Plantation, is dedicated to programmes which ensure environmental sustainability, and maximum involvement and benefits to the local communities where their properties are based.
Kor's Second Nature programme embraces initiatives with a strong eco-conscience and encourages hotels in the group to source produce, arts, crafts and other supplies locally to reduce the over-all carbon footprint of hotel operations and minimize the impact on the local and global environment while at the same time maximizing the benefits to the local community.
"We want to play our part at The Jalousie Plantation in supporting the environmentally-conscious initiatives of Kor and the new hybrid solar-powered golf cart is seen as a first step in helping us to do this," Jalousie's General Manager, Rodrigo Caldeira said.
The new cart has a large photovoltaic cell on its roof which converts the St Lucian sunshine into the electricity used to power the vehicle. On rare rainy days, the vehicle can be plugged into the main electrical outlet for charging.
"Eventually all of the vehicles we use at Jalousie will be gasoline-free and this will help us to lessen our emissions of green house gases which are having a tremendous impact on eco-systems around the world and contributing to climatic change and global warming," Mr Caldeira said. "The new cart also significantly reduces noise pollution and makes a great contribution in our efforts to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and in ensuring our operations are environmentally sustainable."
In addition to the new solar-powered golf cart, other environmental initiatives at The Jalousie Plantation include the introduction of energy efficient appliances in all of its new luxury villa suites; using locally sourced and organic fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and other produce in the resort restaurants whenever possible; and making use of local arts and crafts both as in-room amenities and in the hotel's public areas.
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