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Massive planned Vegas complex claims to be sustainable

If you're going to build a gigantically humongous casino/hotel/condo/shopping center megaplex in the middle of Las Vegas, you may as well do it green ... or as green as a project of this size could be in the middle of the desert during a drought.

Brought to you by MGM Mirage, the 18-million-square-foot, $5 billion project will reportedly seek an unspecified level of LEED certification and, The Globe and Mail reports, will be bigger than Times Square, Soho, and Rockefeller Center -- combined.

MGM's claims of "sustainability" are likely more hype than reality, at least in the classic sense of the word, but designers, I suppose, do deserve some measure of credit for going greener than the average megaplex.

Eco-design features are said to include use of reclaimed water, planting of green roofs, and construction of a central power plant to be located on-site (presumably powered by something cleaner than, say, coal). One of the least-hailed features of the complex, though, will be an attempt at some kind of urban density, as well as the creation of a multi-use area amid the sprawl of Las Vegas' strip.

So way to go, MGM! May you and your big-name architects inspire other developers large and small to aim for at least some shade of green.

Former Google chef plans to launch sustainable cafe in Cali

Regular web searching was not enough. Neither were searches for images, news stories, and things for sale. Our own computers were becoming a web of their own, so there is desktop search to help keep us organized. And who can keep up with the ever-evolving blogosphere? But don't worry, there is now a search for that too. And the world is apparently not enough for Google.

In addition to niche searches, Google also provides a number of services, such as email, photo management, text and voice messaging, and web page translation. And there is even a rumor that Google wants to get in on the Wi-Fi bandwagon.

So what could possible be the next Google gift to the world? How about sustainable cafes? That's right; Charlie Ayers, former Google chef, has cashed in his shares and wants to launch a health-conscious and sustainably farmed cafe in Palo Alto, Calif.

We Got No Beef With That

Demand growing for naturally raised meats Americans are increasingly willing to fork over a little extra for free range, organic, and natural meats. And although these still comprise a tiny percentage of the total U.S. market, the food industry is starting to notice. In just one sign of a shift, about 450 growers operating under […]

Herp, Herp, Hooray!

Conservation groups unveil $404 million plan to aid planet’s amphibians Amphibians are having a rough time of it, and by “rough,” we mean terrifically bad. Nearly a third of all amphibian species worldwide are believed to be at risk of extinction, with some 122 already suspected of having died off in the last 25 years […]

Free-Market Willy

Bush admin proposes free-market system for managing fisheries The Bush administration has proposed a major overhaul of the nation’s fishery management laws — ignoring the recommendations of its own scientific commission, and provoking mixed reactions from eco-advocates. The legislation would phase out current regulations limiting the number of days fishers can operate and the amount […]

The Unkindest Gut

Pombo launches new bid to rewrite Endangered Species Act Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) plans to fast-track legislation he introduced yesterday that would rewrite the Endangered Species Act — much to the consternation of environmental advocates. Chair of the House Resources Committee, Pombo has long aimed to overhaul the landmark law, and with this latest version […]

New E.U. environmental standards are changing the global marketplace

Europeans are a wee bit funny when it comes to incubation. During the Middle Ages, they obsessed about the threat from incubi, evil spirits rumored to descend upon women and have their way with them as they slept. Then (in the condensed version of history) came the New Economy, and incubating was all the rage, […]

Blaming enviros for New Orleans is a clever government strategy

Do Senate Republicans really think they can shift the blame for the flooding and deaths in New Orleans to environmentalists? Maybe that's not the question we need to ask ourselves.

This smear effort could become a significant distraction for eco-advocates -- at a time when a focus on implementing good wetlands policies in the Gulf is crucial, and as Republicans try to weaken environmental protections and implement bad energy policies as part of rebuilding efforts.

Groups ranging from Louisiana's Save Our Wetlands to American Rivers to the Sierra Club have issued angry rebuttals to the charges that environmental lawsuits helped destroy New Orleans. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) have also issued statements castigating the effort.

The scrap heap is history?

Check it out: by 2015, all cars sold in Europe must be 95 percent recyclable. Apparently, Mercedes-Benz already has a 2007-model year car that meets the requirement.

Part of me wonders if automotive engineers aren't actually excited by this sort of challenge. It seems that whenever a new idea like this comes along, the auto executives complain about how impossible and costly it will be -- but as soon as the industry's hands are forced, the engineers figure out how to pull it off faster and cheaper than the executives had claimed was possible. It happened with catalytic converters, with seat belts, with air bags. And now, if early signs are any guide, it's happening with recycling.

Will transit ridership increase as gas prices continue to spike?

As big-time blogger Duncan Black noted over the weekend, high gasoline prices seem to have boosted ridership on some of the the nation's transit systems -- which led big-time blogger Matthew Yglesias to speculate that gas consumption may be more sensitive to price than economists have predicted.

Yglesias' take seems mistaken to me. Nationwide, less than 5 percent of all commuting trips are taken on transit; and commutes represent a minority of all trips that people make, but a fairly large share of all transit trips taken. So even if transit ridership were boosted by, say, 20 percent -- which is a huge spike indeed -- that might represent a decrease in vehicle trips of, oh, a half a percent or so at most.

In fact, it seems to me that any recent increases in transit ridership are pretty much in line with what economists would predict from recent gas price increases. (See here, especially table 8, for a summary of economic predictions for the relationship between fuel prices and demand.) Of course, that doesn't necessarily undermine Yglesias' main point, which is that higher gas taxes would decrease fuel consumption.