Environment

A bill that would preserve Gold Butte has opened up a debate about conservation and community valuesNancy Hall is unfazed by the rattling, the shaking, the jarring, the relentless kabump-kachunk-kabump that is turning her dusty Toyota Tacoma into some demonic carnival ride on this Saturday morning. If you were sitting next to her as she navigates this merciless Gold Butte back road, you’d marvel, too — because look at you: You’re instinctively gripping the seat, the arm rest, the oh-Jesus handle — anything — while also clenching your jaw lest your molars fly out of your mouth.

Get a chicken, grow some veggies, walk to work: These pragmatic Las Vegans show that it’s easy to start being green Las Vegas may be Spanish for “the meadows,” but “green” is not a word generally applied to the southern tip of Nevada — unless you’re talking about extremely controlled environments like Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden or a manicured golf course. But now that it denotes ecological responsibility instead of mere hue, “green” offers Las Vegas a fresh chance to claim it.

Meet six unlikely businesses that are taking things green. Compressed soil pucks and solar-powered chocolate, anyone? Chocolate So single-minded are the confectionery warlocks at Ethel M in their pursuit of creating chocolate by whatever means necessary that they have harnessed the elemental power of the sun itself for their dark, rich arts.