3 quick things about Las Vegas:
1) Ceasars Entertainment Corporation. Despite the very formal way I need to refer to them in this blog, Caesars (no apostrophe) is all about fun. We spent good quality time various meals visiting with Caesars CodeGreen representatives and learning about their fantastic initiatives. They compost literally tons of ood waste each year, they recycle as much of their waste as they can, and they’ve replaced most of the lights on their casino floors with high efficiency bulbs. They are a shining (ha. ha.) example of a corporation that makes sustainable choices because those choices are not only good for the environment but good for their bottom line. Not to mention how they are passionate about their sustainable initiatives. These guys love green and were incredibly hospitable to our big green bus.
2) Donny Osmond.
Donny came on the bus our first morning in Vegas. I was lucky enough to get to give him and Rick Mazer (president of Caesars HiFab and an all around good guy) a long tour of the bus. He is one charismatic guy. AND he cares about sustainability. He drives a smart car, composts, and is a straight up nice guy. We got to see the Donny and Marie show that night– about five minutes in I started to fully understand the allure. Donny is a fantastic entertainer and we’re happy to have him supporting a our green cause. (and from looking at his facebook, it appears he helped us get the word out).
3) Vegas is an interesting place to talk about sustainability. On the surface, Vegas is touted as a place of excess with infinite possibilities for glamour and fun. It’s easy to forget about sustainability in that context. However, Las Vegas is also a beautiful place. The morning before we arrived in Las Vegas, we hiked into the Lake Meade hot springs, swam in the Colorado, and saw some beautiful canyons. We spent a refreshing morning fully immersed in the natural beauty of the area. It was quite a contrast, but it reminded us that beautiful natural resources and the craziness of Las Vegas can coexist, that the crazy consumption of casinos coexists with strong green initiatives.
Huge thanks to the Caesars CodeGreen crew, the Flamingo security, Donny, Rick, and everyone else we ran into in Las Vegas!
Kate