Green Is The New Cool: Can A Resort With A Light Bright Enough To Be Seen From Space Also Be Sustainable?

So I just noticed that The Luxor Hotel Las Vegas is going green... or at least they're claiming to be doing so in their marketing. The Egyptian themed resort is promoting their environmental efforts on their website and has even started unironically referring to "Green Team at Luxor." Will the resort, which, let's not forget, boasts a light so bright that it can be seen from space, be able to live up to their lofty goals of sustainability? With every place from Sin City's luxury hotels to the old Vegas discount casinos going green, is environmentalism just the latest Vegas marketing gimmick (like "no resort fees" or those silly day-life parties that all take place at oh-so-un-green Vegas pools) or are casino owners serious about trying to preserve mother-Earth?

In the end, I'm trying not to be too cynical about the whole thing. Marketing gimmick or not, this trend, started by CityCenter's commitment to sustainability, is more positive than finding new time periods for co-eds to get TOTALLY TOASTED OUT OF THEIR MINDS, BRO (I mean, they're trying to make "The Blue Hour," a thing there). Is it marketplace driven? Sure, but that's the only way things can change for the good or the bad in this country, and especially in Las Vegas of all places.

The real question is: do they make CFLs bright enough that they can be seen from space?

The Cosmo Comes Out To The World In New TV Spot

Not really sure what we're supposed to make of The Cosmopolitan's 60 second coming out TV spot, but they're clearly going for unique and cool. Because there is nothing edgier than an opening night double bill of Jay Z and.... Coldplay, right?

So this ad, with it's mix of sexily androgynous models and internet-meme ready cute animals feels a little forced, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Will The Cosmo give The Palms a run for its money as the new "cool young people" casino-resort in town? We'll find out in a few months.

What I'm All About

So I live (and blog and Tweet) in Silver Lake, mecca of the hipsteratti. I own a closet-full of fitted-plaid shirts, sport horn-rimmed glasses, attend many a show at Spaceland, and have caught myself speaking the phrase "their first album was better."


But, Grilled Cheesus help me (I don't watch Glee but I'm told by the internet that this is a relevant cultural reference), I love Las Vegas. I love Las Vegas in all its cheesy stupid glory. It's the most American of American cities, a mixture of aspirational dreaming, over-spending, waste of resources, and stupid cheese... but it's also a blast, a place that I visit multiple times every year and find new ways and corners to enjoy. So will you join me on my journey into the hall of mirrors that is Sin City, America?