I just entered the new Emerald City. The proprietor here, however, isn't The Wizard of Oz, and this sure ain't Kansas. This is the MGM Grand's City Center, located on the Las Vegas Strip.

You may have heard of it by now. City Center's Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Aria Casino/Hotel, Vdara...

So I was wondering, why is it that commercial air travel is considered so non-green? It seems unjust that my efforts to live green all year are negated by a few flights to Sierra Club headquarters and a trip or two to visit my parents.

Most carbon calculators - but...

So I was in Park City, Utah, last week expecting to find a green haven among the pristine white winter wonderland.  As one of the world’s most desirable ski areas with upscale communities and lodging to rival Vail and Aspen, Park City is truly a special place.  Imagine my surprise,...

White Christmas is a cultural and traditional icon of our society.  Hopefully, sooner  rather than later, Green Thanksgiving will also become an American standard.

Naturally, the most eco-friendly meal would be a 100 percent vegan menu.  Let’s be honest, though, do you really want to celebrate with turkey-shaped soy?  If...

Blazing neon lights 24/7, the world’s most grandiose fountains, gridlock on Las Vegas Boulevard, frigid indoor air over millions of square feet when it’s a hundred and ten outside ... not exactly a poster boy for sustainability.  Name the top ten green cities in America -- I’ll bet Las Vegas would...

I recently received a call from a radio station in Manhattan, wanting me to comment about Mayor Michael Bloomberg using a chopper for the 12 minute hop to see U2 at The Meadowlands. How un-green of him!? What an assault on the environment!? After thinking about it for a moment,...

It may be controversial, but it’s the best we’ve got.  The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) provides a way to numerically rate each of the globe’s countries by their overall greenness, or lack thereof.  Not surprisingly, Switzerland is first, the U.S. is 39th, while China is down at No. 105 and...

Many of the latest and greatest hotel, resort and office properties claim to be sustainable developments – but are they?  A recent experience tells me that while recognition of the “need to be green” is all good, we have a long way to go before even the top level of...

Admittedly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to wind turbines.  For decades, they have decorated – or defaced? – the desert alongside Interstate 10 near Palm Springs.  A curiosity, to be sure, but not too many folks complained because nobody lives in their immediate area...

The sequel to “Cash for Clunkers” might be called “Funds for Fridges.” The continuation to America’s ever-popular “Cash for Clunkers” program (which yielded 690,114 car turn-ins and new unit sales) will soon jump start a new “Cash for Appliances” program that's coming to a utility near you this fall.  The...

We believe that the best way for America to get out of this mess is by becoming the world’s leader in renewable energy, green products and jobs.  This agenda is mantra for President Obama and his platform.  Here’s a fly in that ointment, however, and it won’t surprise you where...

While it may shorten your life, you can still live and breathe with poor air quality. Such is the case for many citizens of industrial megacities like Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, New Delhi, Mumbai and Beijing, among others. When it comes to water, however, cleanliness and freshness is essential...

As a professional greenie, I am especially conscious of wasting water. When washing dishes in the sink, or taking showers, I think about the precious commodity that our water is -- especially in the parched Southwest -- and how it is literally going down the drain. I have even caught...

This is not another case of "everything causes cancer." Believe it or not, a limited number of homes, mostly built between 2004 and 2006, seem to have walls that give off poisonous fumes. How and why? It seems that drywall imported during that period from China, with its main ingredient,...