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Phoebe Sweet and Zach Wise/Las Vegas Sun, The Problem with Lawns: The Transforming Landscape of Las Vegas

The Problem with Lawns: The Transforming Landscape of Las Vegas

Phoebe Sweet and Zach Wise/ Las Vegas Sun

The Sun ran a series on water in Las Vegas (2008) that focused on the sustainability of this city of almost two million people. With a ticking clock running in the banner of its Web page, the newspaper predicts that Lake Mead, the lake created by damming the Colorado River, could dry up in less than ten years.

Before you watch the video, consider any threats (such as floods, hurricanes, or tornados) to the area you grew up in. How do people prepare for disaster? What do they do to lessen the effects of disaster?
As you watch the video, consider the role of water use on the sustainability of the city. How much do you think residents of Las Vegas can really do?

Source: Sweet, Phoebe, and Zach Wise. “The Problem with Lawns: The Transforming Landscape of Las Vegas,” Quenching Las Vegas’ Thirst. Las Vegas Sun. Las Vegas Sun, 2008. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/topics/water/

Transcript

Reading for Meaning

READING SUMMARY

Watch “The Problem with Lawns” and write a sentence or two explaining how this video suggests that Las Vegas can help solve its water problem.

Question 9.1

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Below is an example summary of this reading selection: This short video details the steps that the Las Vegas Water Authority has taken to reduce consumption, including a neighborhood patrol and an incentive for property owners to replace their lawns with a more water-friendly landscape. Your summary will differ from this one in the way it is written, but it should include roughly the same information.

Reading Like a Writer: Conveying Presenting the Subject

The fact that Las Vegas has a water problem is well known — the city is located in the Mojave Desert, after all — so the main work of the video is to show that conservation can help solve Las Vegas’ water problem, even if it cannot eliminate it altogether. Like written proposals, a video proposal supports claims about the solution’s effectiveness and feasibility with evidence, such as examples and interviews with authorities.

Write a paragraph or two analyzing and evaluating how the Las Vegas Water Authority and its citizens are helping to solve the city’s water problem through conservation:

Watch the first two minutes of "The Problem With Lawns" noting the examples of water use shown and the tactics the Las Vegas Water Authority uses to motivate conservation.

Now watch the rest of the video How do residents and businesses conserve water? What reasons do they give for conserving?

Finally, consider this brief segment: 4:18-4:45. Why does the Las Vegas Water Authority’s spokesman reference water use in Tucson, Arizona? How convincing do you find his response? What other concerns might you raise about conservation as a feasible solution to Las Vegas’ water problem?

Question 9.2

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