Viva Las Vegan?

Grist: "From vegan desserts to sustainable seafood, Sin City is polishing its palate. And with more than 1.8 million residents living in Clark County and 38.5 million tourists descending each year, there are plenty of mouths to feed."

In the sense that Vegas has to stay attuned to shifting American attitudes, the naturals trend is to be expected. But in the sense that anything Vegas does is faux and transitory, I'm not sure how much faith to put in any change of heart from the gaming denizens.

What's actually happening is that Vegas has grown to the point of enforced diversification, simply by size. I was astounded to find a Whole Foods there a couple of years ago, in an enclave of natural clothing and green living stores, including a filtered water outlet. But it was nigh the outskirts of town, and in an area one guessed was populated by California transplants escaping the high tax base of their home state.

Many factors are entering in, in other words. But no matter. Whatever it is, as long as it's green, Vegas loves it!

-- Paul Andrews, GreenforGood

global warming ecological footprint carbon footprint GreenforGood sustainability green lifestyle

More Confirmation of Global Warming: Butterflies, Heat Waves, Wildfires

San Francisco Chronicle: "UC Davis Professor Arthur Shapiro, considered one of the most prominent butterfly trackers in North America, said Monday he has found fewer butterflies this year than at anytime since he came to California 35 years ago."

Elizabeth Kolbert's book, "Field Notes to a Catastrophe," talks about migrating butterfly populations and the impact of climate disruption. It's all there in the computer modeling. Al Gore mentions it as well in his film, "An Inconvenient Truth."

Meanwhile the nation is broiling in its hottest half-year on record. No wonder the Toxic Right has backed off questioning whether global warming exists. Now their argument is so what, there's no proof humans are causing it. Gore puts the lie to that canard as well.

Still, you wish the cloth-eared media would start to connect the dots. To write entire articles about heat waves and not once mention the term global warming seems not just thick-headed but irresponsible. Remember when the press' responsibility was to inform and enlighten?

-- Paul Andrews, GreenforGood