The Bellagio Fountains never had a chance to win my heart.
Seriously, all that water spraying into the desert air? When you were taught by your Dust Bowl-raised grandmother to use a dishpan of water three times before it's thrown out (rinse dishes, wash face/hands, scrub table/stove/counter) and you've lived in a thirsty area of the state for so many years, wasted water just gives you chills. And not in the fun Vegas way. Those fountains got me to wondering how a city could thrive in the middle of a desert, with all of its water and food and supplies shipped in from somewhere else.
Author Barbara Kingsolver tackles this issue in her book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life." Unlike some books which adopt a preachy, I-know-better-than-you tone, Kingsolver humbly documents her family's struggles and triumphs in their efforts to eat only food which are produced locally. It should be noted that they moved from Tucson, AZ, to the southern Appalachian region of Virginia because they recognized that relying on foods grown within even 100 miles of Tucson wouldn't sustain their family.
The locavore movement began in Italy as a reaction to the attempted McDonaldization of its eateries. It quickly gained favor in gastronomically-gifted France, where regional specialties are based on what's in season, right now. Eating locally hasn't really caught on in the US: we like being able to serve strawberries in December and kiwifruit anytime. Most of us get our produce from the grocery store instead of from a farmer's market.
Kingsolver's book might just cause you to rethink your ways. Instead of just enjoying the sights and sounds of the city, you might pay attention to the water usage and the incredibly huge electrical demands of those pretty flashing lights. You might even hesitate before you eat your next burger.
At least, for a little bit.
posted by Cheryl Shepherd-Adams
