Green Beat?

When I think of environmentally friendly destinations, Las Vegas, Nevada doesn't exactly pop into mind. Let's face it, Vegas is the apotheosis of American excess -- a climate-controlled, artificial oasis. A thirsty, profligate, sprawling city that exists in denial of its desert surroundings. So, I was surprised to see it there on Earth Day Network's slick new Summer of Green homepage, which features Google Map and video tours of "five top vacation destinations" in America -- also including Orlando, San Francisco, LA, and New York.

The tours do highlight some cool things. (And I'm diggin' the drummer dude.) Take, for example, the Ethel M Chocolate Factory in Vegas, where the botanical cactus garden is irrigated with wastewater treated on-site by a "Living Machine" that uses "bacteria, algae, protozoa, snails, fish and plants to remove pollutants from the water." Sounds cool -- like Willy Wonka meets Deep Ecology. I'd check it out.

Still, I'm not entirely sure about the overall concept here. Too many of the links offered up are a stretch. I'll accept the inclusion of the Las Vegas Natural History Museum on its educational merits, but am I really supposed to be impressed by the eco-credentials of Green Valley Ranch Health Spa, with its "posh surroundings," aromatherapy and "organic menu of services"? Is that really what we're talking about when we talk about "green lifestyles"? And will someone please tell me what's environmentally friendly about Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat? Where is the benefit -- environmental, educational or otherwise -- in keeping Atlantic bottlenose dolphins captive in a casino pool, thousands of miles from the Atlantic?

Don't get me wrong. Google Maps and the Earth Day Network have put together a classy package, here. I'm just not sure what it is they're selling.