Environmental awareness lacking

Jacque Fiedler, Las Vegas

Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 | 2:01 a.m.

Scot Rutledge’s piece on the Jan. 15 Opinion page, “Our economic future is outdoors,” was timely and made several excellent points. However, he wrote in rather broad strokes. What is needed, at least in the Las Vegas Valley, is for our leaders in government and private industry to promote and/or support more direct and specific ideas to make Las Vegas a more desirable and attractive place for visitors and residents.

City and county planning and zoning commissions should make it a requirement that all new developments, residential or commercial, have acres set aside for green belts. The city should also promote green areas, using a mix of hardy native and nonnative trees and vegetation. Instead of destroying the naturally created washes and paving them over, the washes should be maintained as green belts, with trees, shrubs and walking/biking paths available.

Paving over the washes creates increased radiant heat in the summer and more rapid cooling in the winter, not to mention stale, unmoving pools of water that promote the growth of bacteria and other pollution.

In a national listing of cities that promote environmental and ecological friendliness, Las Vegas would surely rank 49 or 50. A change of attitudes and thinking about sustainable environments would benefit Las Vegas and both the visiting and local populations by providing cleaner air, reduced waterborne pollution and scenic vistas, helping promote Las Vegas as a place you want to visit or live.