 Gov. Schwarzenegger has declared a drought, and L.A.'s about to get mandatory water use restrictions. On the upside, lots of eco-themed water-related events are happening around town to help you adjust by finding smart ways to curb your water habit.
Avoid higher water utility prices and get a bit more self sufficient by taking the "Introduction to Landscape Rainwater Harvesting" with Joe Linton this weekend. The workshop'll give you an overview of L.A. water issues, take you on a tour of the eco-village's own storm water harvesting landscape features, and get you directly involved in building a terraced swale to detain and infiltrate storm water.
The workshop will take place at L.A. Eco-Village, 117 Bimini Place, Los Angeles this Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Make a reservation by contacting (213) 738-1254 or crsp@igc.org, then show up with the $35 workshop fee and your own brown bag lunch.
For a less hands-on experience, attend Sustainable Business Council's panel discussion, titled "Water Wise: Get into the Flow." This event will connect water conservation to money -- not just saving money on your water bill, but on making money as an entrepreneur. The 5-person panel (plus moderator) is made up of business people working in the water conservation sector.
The panel takes place at Livingreen, 10000 Culver Blvd., Culver City, on Tuesday, June 17, 7 p.m.-10 p.m. [Update: This event's been postponed. Check the SBC website for new details.] Cover's $20 -- a tax-deductible donation that includes food and drinks. RSVP online.
Photo by Third Eye via Flickr
The picture isn't particularly clear, but it's photographic proof nonetheless that we've got fishies in Ballona Creek. Two steelhead trout were spotted yesterday, bringing joy to environmentalists all over L.A.
Why are two fish such a big deal? This once-natural waterway got totally paved over by the Army Corps of Engineers, basically making it a huge concrete storm water drain -- an action now generally seen as extreme, since it ruined the ecosystem around the waterway. Enviro groups have since been working to revitalize Ballona Creek into a working eco-system.
The fish serve as a sign that that work's been paying off. I heard the good news via a group email from Andy Lipkis, President of local enviro-org TreePeople: This is an indicator of success of the functioning community
forest! Well, actually, not till they are spawning every year by the
thousands...but none-the-less...a hopeful sign of what is possible.
Those lovely fish are just waiting out there to swim up stream and get
smoked--I mean--re-inhabit the watershed. And they are hanging out
next to a school that we've greened and maintained for years with
Sony's Citizen Foresters! (not that we can actually claim any credit
for these fish...but maybe they smell the trees).
Lipkis didn't actually see the fish. He heard about them from Melina Watts, Malibu Creek Watershed Coordinator, who heard about them from Steve
Williams, Conservation Biologist at the Resource Conservation District
of the Santa Monica Mountains, who apparently saw two trout at 9 am yesterday under the foot bridge just
west of the Overland Avenue overpass in Culver City and snapped the above photo.
Ballona Creek has many activist groups involved, from TreePeople to Ballona Creek Renaissance to Ballona Wetlands Land Trust. Check them out -- or check out the Ballona Creek Bike Path first hand and get a workout in!
Photo by Steve Williams
Move over, Subway! Lunch on-the-go's gotten a bit more eco in Culver City with Skratch Restaurant, a cute spot specializing in fresh, healthy take-out.
Here you can pick from a bunch of different vegetarian or meat options -- like Blackened Creole Chicken Caesar -- then decide whether to get it as a baguette sandwich, spinach wrap, or salad. Get it to go in a recycled paper bag -- or take a seat and enjoy your meal at the sunny counter inside or the shaded tables outside.
Many of the ingredients are organic or local -- though not all are. The chicken, for example, is hormone-free and free-range -- but the pork is conventionally raised. The produce is almost all organic and locally grown -- although the greens are not organic. For those trying to order the most eco meal, the friendly staff's happy to answer any eco-related questions you might have.
Skratch currently just serves lunch, but plans to open for breakfast starting March 10. Granola and bagels -- with no-sugar-added natural fruit smears -- will be on the menu. Unfortunately, the Illy's coffee won't be organic -- though perhaps if enough eco-minded customers demand it, Skratch will be convinced to start brewing an organic option --
Skratch Restaurant. 3867 Hughes Ave., Culver City. (310) 558-3400. Mon - Fri, 11:30 am - 8:00 pm.
Vegans and meat-lovers unite! At Cooks Double Dutch in Culver City, you can order a PETA-friendly Tempeh Reuben sandwich while your ethical omnivore friend nibbles on a Homemade Free Range Beef Burger.
I opted for a Homemade Vegan Burger with a side of sweet potato fries -- yummy. This cute diner's all about local, organic, and sustainable eats -- down to the organic ketchup and mustard. Plus, there are vegan options for everything from mac and cheese to chocolate raspberry torte.
So I couldn't resist dessert: A peach-blueberry cobbler that was fruitily decadent and rich without being cloyingly too sweet.
The colorful restaurant was teeming with regulars when I dropped by close to 3 p.m. Table service is brisk and friendly, and a self-serve beverage corner carries only natural soda.
Or you can choose from over two dozen different wines, many of which are organic. Beer lovers can find their favorite organic brews here too. Unfortunately, Cook's Double Dutch is only open for lunch -- so you'll need to get your drink on early.
Cooks Double Dutch. 9806 Washington Blvd. Culver City. (310) 280-0991. Mon - Fri, 11.30 a.m. - 3.30 p.m.
Factory-farmed beef recalls got you meat scared? Fear not at Let's Be Frank. This hot dog cart at the Helms bakery complex in Culver City offers all the frank with none of the hormones, antibiotics, nitrates or other gross stuff in conventional hot dogs.
For $5, you can pick from the Frank Dog -- nitrate-free, grass-fed hot dogs that once were pasture-raised cows at Hearst Ranch in San Simeon, the Brat Dog -- made of 100% family-farmed pork, or the Pup Dog -- a mix of the beef and pork. These huge franks come on soft buns with optional caramelized onions. Even the ketchup and mustard are organic!
Last week I stopped by and bought one -- except I don't eat beef. So I fed it to my friends Hannah and Alex. Verdict: Tasty, and chewier than most hot dogs.
You can also find Let's Be Frank dogs at Food in West L.A. or the Edison in downtown L.A. And according to Jenn Garbee at the L.A. Times, Let's Be Frank's hot dog cart should roll onto the Santa Monica Pier this spring for the outdoor concert and movie series.
Let's Be Frank. In the Helms Bakery Complex on the east side of Helms Ave., between Washington Blvd. and Venice Blvd. Culver City. Tues. - Sun. 11 a.m. - around 3 p.m.
Photos by Siel
This week's eco-topic: Recycle
 Sick of seeing plastic bottles in the black bin? Wish recycling was mandatory? Well, when it comes to holiday trees, it kinda is. Leaving those newly naked trees at the curb or in a street or alley is illegal, as per L.A. Municipal Code 57.21.06!
However, it is not illegal in West Hollywood, at least for the next couple of weeks. In fact, every little city in our L.A. area has different rules, dates, times and locations for tree recycling. Can't they coordinate this stuff, at least this one time a year? L.A.'s Department of Public Works tried to -- and made this crazy chart here -- that's totally incomplete and inaccurate.
So, things being as they are, here's the info for L.A. and a few nearby cities:
Los Angeles: If you have the energy and tools to chop that tree up, then cut it into bits and throw it in your green yard trimmings container. The alternative is to take the tree to a drop-off site on Saturday, Jan. 5, and Sunday, Jan. 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In fact, L.A. residents who drop off their trees will receive tree seedlings, energy-efficient CFL bulbs, while supplies last, courtesy of the L.A. Department of Water and Power, plus mulch coupons from the Department of Public Works Bureau of Sanitation.
Beverly Hills: Just put the naked tree next to your trash bin on trash day. No specific dates or deadlines! It's always so simple for the rich folk.
Culver City: Drop off your trees at the northwest corner of Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue or the Culver City Fire Drill Yard at 9255 W. Jefferson Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the weekends of Jan. 6-7 and Jan. 13-14. There's a third location, but Culver City's flier about this program is messed up, so I can read only about two of three locations, with a little help from Google.
 Santa Monica: Take advantage of the "Park Your Tree" program. During the entire month of January, trees can be brought to four parks: Clover (25th and Ocean), Douglas (Chelsea and Wilshire), Christine Emerson Reed (Lincoln and California) and Los Amigos (5th and Hollister).
Alternatively, take your tree to the Santa Monica Transfer Station at 2401 Delaware Ave., Mon. - Fri., between 6 am and 2 pm. Make sure you do it this month, however; come Feb. 1, the parks will no longer collect trees, and the Transfer Station will start charging for tree drop-offs.
West Hollywood: If the deal is the same as last year, you should be able to put that tree -- sans decorations and base or plastic bag covering -- on the sidewalk on your regular trash day from Dec. 26 to Jan. 13.
Are the cities of L.A. County just bad at getting the word out about these programs? I don't know for certain, but those in other areas leave a lot to be desired too. I got a breathless press release from Zero Waste Communities of San Bernardino County about how it's encouraging people to recycle their trees, but the multi-city org doesn't actually offer any info to help its residents take that idea into action -- beyond a long phone list from which they can pick out their city's number and call for more info....
I'm dreaming of a unified tree recycling program for SoCal.
Images courtesy of the cities of L.A. and Santa Monica
Culver City's getting a spacious new green spot to eat, drink and party. Akasha -- a new restaurant, bar and bakery opening in Culver City -- held a preview party last night with organic wine and beer in recycled glasses, fair trade coffee, organic and sustainable eats, and vegan desserts.
The space is beautiful -- but mainly, I was surprised at how huge it is. Akasha takes up an entire corner of its block, with a bakery, a spacious bar, a big outdoor patio and lots of dining space.
And the turnout was huge too. Everyone from Chris Paine, director of "Who Killed the Electric Car" (left), to Andy Lipkis of TreePeople (right), to a guy giving out biodegradable guitar picks showed up to the swank, Silk-sponsored preview party.
Unfortunately, Akasha isn't going to open until the end of the month. But when it does, maybe West Side Green Drinks will move to this spot?
Akasha. 9543 Culver Blvd., Culver City.
Photos by Siel
I did not win the eco-friendly holiday tree at the Livingreen raffle last night. :(
However, everyone who bought 10 raffle tickets -- proceeds went to Habitat for Humanity -- got a nice lil shwag bag with everything from an LED nightlight to a hemp potholder. :)
And I got a bunch of holiday gift ideas. If you're going to be in Culver City anytime soon, stop by this eco-friendly home and materials store for inspiration.
There's a whole variety of recycled glassware and bamboo kitchen and table stuff.
Colorful mats and coasters made of recycled billboard -- The coaster set is $6.
20% off LED lights -- and an assortment of CFL bulbs.
Plus there's lite2go, the fun lamp from Knoend that turns the packaging into the product itself.
Lots and lots of eco-inspirational books.
Bags, bags, and more bags, from tote bags made of newspaper to laptop bags made of recycled plastic bottles.
For bigger spenders, there's the gorgeous one-of-a-kind furniture and decorative pieces -- and organic sheets and pillows and bamboo throws to go on them.
Photos by Siel
What stories do you tell about Los Angeles? "I think the stories we tell about the places in which we live have a shaping power over the future of those places," said D.J. Waldie, author of Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir, at Antioch College Los Angeles yesterday. "To nurture a sustainable Los Angeles and make us more native to our place, the first need is a healthy ecology of hope, an environment of stories."
D.J. Waldie was the keynote speaker for a half-day event at Antioch -- titled "Urban Sustainability and Social Justice: An Invited Community Dialogue" -- called to start this small Culver City college down a more enviro-friendly path. Sustainability's a big goal for Antioch's new president, Neal King (right), who's already signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment -- committing Antioch to performing an emissions inventory and, within 2 years, setting a target date and interim milestones for becoming climate neutral.
And D.J. Waldie's speech set the tone for the day:
Consider how you and I might gain what could be called a "moral imagination" -- the means to write ourselves into the story of the places we will make our home and their redemptive mix of tragedies and joys ... stories that will contain a share of failure and heroism....
A sustainable Los Angeles would be a city and a region that met current human needs and the needs of the environment in ways that are just, economically efficient, grounded in history, and based on the best available science without compromising either the welfare or the dreams of future generations.
[left: Jenny Price, writer and Friends of the LA River activist, with D.J. Waldie]
Post-speech, I took part in a panel discussing urban sustainability -- after which we broke out into small working groups to discuss how exactly Antioch could go green. Antioch being a commuter school, many of the solutions focused on transportation issues, with ideas ranging from encouraging carpooling (via neighbor match-up programs to parking privileges to shuttle services) to working with the Culver City Bus to run later buses for students with classes that end at 10 pm to providing good bike maps.
The event itself was enviro-friendly too, with fair trade, organic, shade grown coffee served only in reusable mugs, recycling bins galore, and no plastic water bottles in sight.
On a sidenote: Isn't President King like the most powerful-sounding title ever?
Speaking of colleges going green: UCLA too had a green event yesterday, launching its Leaders in Sustainability emphasis. I didn't make it though, because I went to Green Drinks instead. Anyone go?
De-car-ing: Carpooled with Jenny Price, both to and from Antioch. For Green Drinks, I took Flexcar.
Photos by Siel
This is the first year that sustainable fashion's really gotten popular, according to Linda Loudermilk, luxury eco-fashion designer. And popular it is now, judging by the big crowd that turned out for the Sustainable Business Council's event last night at Livingreen in Culver City, where Linda -- along with four other eco-conscious people in the fashion industry -- discussed green fashion.
About a 100 people crowded in to drink organic beer and liquor (the wine wasn't organic), nibble on organic yummies, and to hear Linda, Patagonia's Violeta Villacorta, designer Deborah Lindquist, Stewart + Brown CEO Howard Brown and Quiksilver SVP Eric Joule talk fashion.
What is eco-fashion? At the moment, it's mostly organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp clothing, as well as fashions made from reclaimed or reused materials -- though new materials are coming onto the market too.
The eco-fashion market's in fact pretty diverse, as represented in the panel. Linda, for example, does "luxury eco" -- very high-end couture popular with Hollywood stars; she has outfitted Robert Downey Jr., for example. Deborah's also a high-end designer, but is more geared toward recycled fashions. Stewart + Brown focuses on high quality, fashionable daily wear, while Patagonia and Quiksilver target the active lifestyle market -- though Patagonia's long been a sustainable business pioneer while Quiksilver now has just over 20% sustainable products.
The panelists, moderated by Barbara Kramer, founder of Designers & Agents, discussed everything from their reasons for going green to the difficulties of sourcing eco-friendly materials to the challenges of breaking into the conventional retail market.
One of the most interesting discussions: Consumerism. Since overconsumption's brought us many of the environmental ills we now face, how does marketing and selling additional products -- even if better than conventional products -- fit into environmentalism? Linda spoke about creating beautiful, high-quality pieces that are meant to be kept and preserved, perhaps passed down for generations, emphasizing high-quality clothing as opposed to cheaply made, disposable fashion. Debra for her part uses reclaimed materials, making fashions out of clothes that would otherwise have gone to the landfills.
Less convincing was Howard's contention that curbing consumption would be devastating to cotton farmers in third world countries -- mainly because the claim's a rather large hyperbole as American consumerism isn't going to halt overnight. In fact, a bigger concern among the panelists was the possibility of an organic cotton shortage, especially if big players, such as Walmart, suddenly decide to buy up existing supplies.
During the Q&A, many of the questions had to do with very basic information, i.e. "What IS organic?" Which makes me think that perhaps I should write an eco-fashion series, focusing on one material at a time.
More importantly, a number of people rued that, while they know eco-friendly fashion's out there, it's tough to find in Los Angeles. I'll have to put together a handy list for fun eco-shopping in LA --
Photos by Siel
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Gov. Schwarzenegger has declared a drought, and L.A.'s about to get mandatory water use restrictions. On the upside, lots of eco-themed water-related events are happening around town to help you adjust by finding smart ways to curb your water habit. 
Emerald City calendar