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Although Vegas looks like an oasis in the middle of the desert, the city itself is slowly running out of water and other vital resources needed to thrive in the dry environment. Now, with the entire world talking about “going green," Las Vegas is beginning to jump on the bandwagon. Hotels and businesses all over town are taking steps to become more environmentally friendly. Since Las Vegas is located in the middle of the desert, there are few natural resources nearby. Much of the food that is served in Las Vegas such as vegetables, meat, and seafood must be flown into the city, which is one of the reasons why food prices are much higher here. However, expectations for high-quality foods and products are in high demand out here so in order to meet the needs of consumers, hotels and businesses are forced to use fuel and other valuable resources to make sure Vegas visitors receive only the best products. Now, to off-set this use of resources Las Vegas is deciding to go green.
Like many hotels, Las Vegas hotels are trying to help conserve water. When the very first hotels opened on the Strip in Las Vegas, much of the water came from springs. These springs were part of the reason that hotel builders chose this spot to begin opening casinos. However, those springs have run dry decades ago and Las Vegas has been searching for new ways to find and conserve water. Now, 90 percent of the water used in Las Vegas comes from a river reservoir in Lake Mead. Water managers are now searching for other means of gaining water in order to stop relying so heavily on the lake. In the meantime, everyone in Las Vegas is trying to conserve.
In many hotel rooms in Las Vegas you will see small cards that ask you to notify housekeeping if you do not need the bed linens changed and washed nightly. If a guest is staying for a few days, filling out this card will help conserve the water that would have been used to wash the sheets unnecessarily. Many hotels in Las Vegas are working to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The Palazzo was already named LEED certified. In fact it is the largest LEED certified hotel in the world and it has even received silver status. The hotel uses motion censors to reduce the amount of watering in their garden areas. Also, much of the outdoor areas are covered in artificial turf. Guestrooms are equipped with water-efficient showerheads and high-efficiency toilets, which has reduced the water consumption at the hotel by up to 37 percent.
Another way Las Vegas is going green is by promoting use of the monorail. Using the monorail is a great way to help preserve the environment. When in Las Vegas, ride the monorail instead of taking taxis or cabs that pollute the environment and waste valuable oil. It isn’t only up to the hotel owners to change their practices; visitors should be aware of this crisis in Las Vegas and do their part as well.
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