The Big Green Bus arrived in Las Vegas on Wednesday, which Iaccarino said was a "great time," but also a surprising experience.
"You think of these casinos as not the most sustainable environments," she said. "But Caesars Entertainment showed us all of the incredible stuff they're doing to try to make their casino and all of their hotels greener."
Caesars, which owns and operates Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas and a number of other Las Vegas resorts, has recently reduced its environmental impact by instituting recycling, modifying its fluorescent lights and removing lights from vending machines, Iaccarino said.
Nick Devonshire '11, another Big Green Bus participant, said that like Iaccarino, he has been surprised by the degree of sustainability he has encountered this summer.
"The entire state of North Carolina was a great surprise," Devonshire said regarding a stop the bus made earlier in the summer. "We saw so many incredible businesses out there that were really progressive."
Devonshire has gotten "into the swing" of talking to people about sustainability, which has been an important learning experience for the students on the bus.
Conversations that start by talking about "riding around on a big green bus" lead to topics like the importance of clean energy to the future of the American economy and the associations between coal use and asthma, according to Devonshire.
The Big Green Bus which uses waste vegetable oil as fuel releases gasses that are less harmful to the environment than emissions from standard vehicles, Iaccarino said. The bus also uses solar panels for electricity and features environmentally-friendly amenities including a fridge that uses about 45 watts, she said.
The 13 Dartmouth students riding the Bus organize almost everything themselves, according to Rory Gawler '05, assistant director of the Outdoor Programs Office and staff advisor of the Bus. Gawler said that his involvement has been minimal.
"I work very closely with the students and I really defer to them on basically everything," he said. "This program's really somewhat unique at the College. They raise all of their own funds."
Devonshire said that, unlike in past years, the students have decided to adopt a more upbeat approach to discussing the environment, saying that they wish to focus on "sustainability success stories."
"We understand the consequences of climate change, but we choose not to focus on the doom and gloom' aspect of environmentalism," he said. "We want to know the positive aspects of sustainability are and about the really cool solutions to environmental problems. If we can just build enthusiasm for these stories, that's success on its own."
One of the group's goals for the summer concerns self-education within the group as well as spreading information about sustainability, Iccarino said.
"We want to find and learn about places around the country that are doing these unique things to protect the environment," she said.
This blend of educating others and learning as a group is an essential component of the Big Green Bus project, according to Gawler.
"The educational opportunity for the students on the Bus was without comparison," he said. "Everyone becomes not only an expert on sustainability, but an expert on small, grassroots projects."
The close quarters of the Bus have unsurprisingly led the students to become a tight-knit group, Devonshire said.
"It's a small bus, so you can't really run from each other," Devonshire said. "It's inevitable that there might be four people in a three-person tent, but it's been great."
Although the group dynamic has proved pleasant, Devonshire said that it is sometimes challenging to "practice what you preach" with regards to environmental causes.
"You forget when you're trying not to eat red meat just how awesome cheeseburgers served at barbecues are," Devonshire joked. "But veggie burgers have turned out to be pretty tasty."
