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>> The second Westside Permaculture Gathering will be an "Intro to Permaculture" primer, put together by community permaculturists, as well as a local potluck. All are invited to the free event: Monday, June 23, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. Contact Sean Jennings at swjennings@gmail.com with questions.
>> At the "ReGreen: Green Home Improvement" event, everyone from homeowners to design professionals can find out about the ReGreen program -- "best practice guidelines and targeted educational resources for sustainable residential improvement projects" developed by the American Society of Interior Designers' Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council. The free event happens Tuesday, June 24., from 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the Multi-Purpose Room of the Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. RSVP to gbrc@globalgreen.org are appreciated but not required.
>> Hear the authors of the Homegrown Evolution blog, Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen (interviewed here), at an L.A. Eco-Village event titled "The Urban Homestead: A Talk, Slide Show and Book-Signing." The event happens Thursday, June 26, at 7:30 p.m., at the L.A. Eco-Village, 117 Bimini Place, Los Angeles. Suggested donation's $5; RSVP to crsp@igc.org.
>> Join artist Jane Tsong and curator Donna Conwell for a conversation at the Farmlab Public Salon, " 'Everything is Alive' and Other Street Projects." "Everything is Still Alive" is an art project in which native California poppies were planted on patches of exposed earth in the L.A. area: "where the poppies survive, orange blossoms reveal the disparate patterns of land management." The free event takes place Friday, June 27 at noon at Farmlab, 1745 N. Spring Street #4, Los Angeles.
For more eco-themed events happening in the L.A. area, check out the Emerald City green calendar.
Photos courtesy Jane Tsong via Farmlab
So-called biodegradable or compostable flatware come with their own problems, an L.A. Times article pointed out yesterday. Since most of these only biodegrade in industrial composting facilities that get things really hot -- and since few cities have such facilities, let alone city-wide collection programs for these newfangled disposables, most of the allegedly greener food containers and utensils go to landfills, just like non-recyclable goods.
But if you live in Santa Monica and have a green bin, you're in luck. The city of Santa Monica's green bins now accept compostable food containers and utensils, in addition to yard waste and food scraps. To make sure all the compostable containers break down properly, the collected waste's then taken up to an industrial composting facility in Sun Valley.
Although the city's already trucking all the green bin waste to Sun Valley, public outreach about the program hasn't yet begun -- which, according to Wes Thompson, solid waste supervisor for the city of Santa Monica, means the program hasn't officially launched. "Our fliers are at the graphic designers," Thompson says.
Santa Monica residents don't have to wait for the fliers to hit their mailboxes, however. Start putting their compostable containers and food scraps into your green bins now!
Of course, if you live in an apartment like I do, you don't yet have your own green container. "We're working on that," says Thompson, who says multifamily housing units in Santa Monica tend to be landscaped more -- and thus produce more yard waste -- than similar units in other cities. "If we're going to get to zero waste, [expanding the green bin program] will be the only way."
 Getting a city-wide green bin program in place for multifamily housing units, however, will likely take a couple years, says Thompson. In the meantime, Santa Monica will get a smaller program: Green bins where people can drop off their compostables will be placed in a couple spots around the city. Thompson doesn't have the spots picked out yet, but said the bins will definitely be in place by the end of the summer.
If you don't live in Santa Monica, this green bin program sadly does NOT apply to you. The city of L.A., for example, cannot handle compostable food containers in its green bins -- though vegan food scraps are allowed. You can try to push the city to go the Santa Monica route -- or just get into the habit of using your own, non-disposable utensils.
Top photo by Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times; bottom photo courtesy of reusablebags.com
 If you're in the building biz, this is a good time to get involved with the U.S. Green Building Council, since L.A., Pasadena, Santa Monica and many other SoCal cities have all passed green building ordinances. Whether or not you've passed your LEED AP exam, you can stop by the free "Kick Off Summer & Get Involved" event, organized by the L.A. Chapter of USGBC:
When: Wednesday, June 18, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Where: Knoll Showroom, 214 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200, Santa Monica
Cost: Free! RSVP before June 16 to krobinson@usgbc-la.org with "RSVP Knoll" in the subject line.
Go network over food and drinks, and find out more about USGBC's L.A. chapter while you're at it. For more generalized green biz networking, check out this list of eco-shmoozing events.
Inspired by the green building event? Then put that energy to use by putting together a green project, design or idea and submitting it to the Lifecycle Building Challenge (via Inhabitat). Just come up with an innovative way "for reducing to conserve construction and demolition materials and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by designing buildings for adaptability and disassembly."
The contest's open and free to all! If you're one of the six winners, you'll get free passes to eco events like West Coast Green and EPA Lifecycle Construction Conference, as well as opportunities to present and promote your work. Get your submission in by the July 31 deadline.
Mrs Winston's Green Grocery has what I believe is the greenest, tastiest salad bar in the greater L.A. area.
The huge salad bar at this unassuming Santa Monica spot boasts everything from vegan chili to organic produce to curried tofu to tuna salad to noodles to vegan Caesar salad dressing to all manner of sprouts. Mrs Winston's also has a sandwich bar and offers a number of quick, healthful snack bars and drinks -- including a couple brands of chilled kombucha -- as well as more decadent items like vegan and organic cookies.
Around noon today, a couple friends and I joined the growing but fast-moving lunch line, picked up compostable containers and filled them up with fresh, healthy yumminess. We then tried to guess the weight of our containers at the counter; on Fridays, if you guess the cost of your meal down to the cent, you get your food free (we failed). Then we took a seat in the sunny courtyard outside and enjoyed our meals.
Afterward, we composted our containers! While most places that offer compostable containers don't actually provide composting bins for post-meal disposal, Mrs. Winston's has green bins lined up -- with clear signs pointing out what goes where.
Mrs Winston's Green Grocery. 2450 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica. (310) 315-2777.
Photos by Siel
One yummy benefit to procrastination: If you hit the farmers' market during the last hour or so, you can get some really, really great deals on organic fruit.
Yesterday, I got two 3-packs of strawberries -- for $6! Yes -- that means just a buck for each one of those little green baskets. The Bautista Family Organic Farm booth was trying to sell all its strawberries before the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmers' Market closed, and I lucked out.
Regular prices got me great deals too though. I got six sweet organic nectarines for $6!
And five heirloom tomatoes plus three zucchini -- all organic from Tutti Frutti farms, all for $6.
Best way to make sure you get the most out of your organic, local strawberries: Wash and cut them as soon as you get home, and eat the really ripe ones during the process. This morning I had steel cut oats decorated with strawberries.
Photos by Siel
 Summer's almost here, so get some sun! Besides enjoying the beach, maybe this is the summer you'll start harnessing some of the solar energy for your home -- especially since Californians have lots of rebates and financing options available for home solar systems.
If you're fuzzy on the short- and long-term costs and benefits of installing solar panels, a sun-powered event happening on Monday can help. Titled "Solar by the Numbers: 2008 Financing Options for Home Solar Systems," this informative panel will illuminate "new ways to finance the installation of solar electric and solar thermal systems ... -- options that weren’t available even a year ago."
When: Monday, June 16 at 7 p.m.
Where: Santa Monica Main Library, Multi-Purpose Room (2nd floor), 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica
Cost: Free; reserve a space by calling (310) 458-4992
The event's put together by Solar Santa Monica, part of Santa Monica’s Office of Energy and Green Building Programs, so the panel discussion will be most relevant to Santa Monica residents, as well as solar manufacturers and installers, financiers, and real estate investors who do work in Santa Monica.
Speakers include Gary Groff of New Resource Bank, one of Solar Santa Monica’s financial partners; Nat Kreamer of Sun Run, a company that provides solar electricity through a guaranteed power purchase agreement; and Maurice “Mo” Rousso of Helio Micro Utility Inc., which offers renewable energy financial products.
If you do sign up to get state rebates for installing solar power, make sure you really do take action within 12 months. The San Francisco Business Times reported earlier this month that "More than one in eight homeowners and businesses that signed up for lucrative state solar power rebates have dropped out without installing a system, leaving $9 million in "stranded" incentives trapped in the California Solar Initiative program." This means new people who sign up -- and actually install a solar system -- will qualify only for smaller rebates. Be a good neighbor; keep the solar promises you make.
Photo by Mike Spasoff via Flickr
 Celebrate World Environment Day by signing up for a green workshop series! The next round of classes for the 6-week Sustainable Works Green Living Workshop program starts next week.
Each week will tackle a new area of your life, from water to food to energy. The materials fee ($25 for Santa Monica residents, $50 for L.A. residents) -- waived for those who can't afford it -- gets you a workbook, a resource guide and some useful eco swag. The dates are:
- Tuesdays 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., starting June 10. Sustainable Works office, 1744 Pearl St., Santa Monica.
- Wednesdays 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., starting June 11. Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica
Space is limited, and after those series, new classes won't start until the fall -- so sign up now by calling (310) 458-8716 x1 or e-mailing roth_barent@smc.edu.
Photo courtesy of Sustainable Works
 >> L.A.'s greener than San Francisco and New York City, according to a study by think tank Brookings Institution. But Margot Roosevelt delves through the fuzzy math: "The calculations did not account for the fact that half the city's electricity comes from coal-fired power plants. Instead, Brookings used a state-wide average that included the hydroelectric and nuclear plants in Northern California. Omitted from the data are emissions from industries and commercial buildings, and from local roads apart from federal highways." Also omitted were CO2 emissions from long-distance commuters.
>> The L.A. River's getting revitalized -- and also getting tagged a lot. L.A. Times describes the graffiti as "tagging on steroids, with monikers big and bold, containing letters that often are as big as garage doors." Earlier: L.A. River, now with its own controversial mural.
>> Your own private L.A. traffic island. Guerrilla gardeners are taking over unkempt public spaces, bringing greenery to urban blights. "One of a slew of DIY gardening currents, such as permaculture (design of highly sustainable ecosystems), urban homesteading, composting and free fruit movement, guerrilla gardening is a response to dwindling green space, limited land and suspicions about food sources, say experts."
>> Go species scoping in the Santa Monica Mountains. BioBlitz 2008 starts at noon to end 24 hours later! Join scientists, naturalists, and fellow Angelenos to observe and record as many species as possible in a 4-hour-shift. Register on-site at one of the stations (PDF).
>> An organic burger-n-hot dog joint called O!Burger opens in WeHo this Saturday (via LAist).
Photo by Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
 Nowhere would a plastic bag monster be so popular as at a Heal the Bay party. Earlier tonight, Heal the Bay -- a nonprofit dedicated to cleaning up SoCal beaches -- threw its 17th Annual Bring Back the Beach Benefit Dinner party.
And people were lining up to take pictures with the plastic bag monster, who became a bit of a celebrity!
The event brought out a big crowd to the Barker Hanger at the Santa Monica Airport on a beautiful, if a little windy, day. I randomly met Jack Sahl, director of environment and resource sustainability at
Southern California Edison, an eco-initiatives person at Warner Brothers, then ran into the usual westside eco-peeps like Andy Lipkis of TreePeople. 
 Everything from a guitar signed by Maroon 5 to a Ford Escape Hybrid was auctioned off while people tucked in "an organic and sustainable menu" catered by Patina
Restaurant Group while sipping on local beers and "sustainable" but
not organic certified wine from Kunde Estate Winery. Amy Smart, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (left), and Ingo Rademacher all took part in the ceremonies.
In general, the event itself was very eco -- aside from all the driving people did to get there (I received a free parking pass but no biking instructions; in the end I eco-cabbed it). Heal the Beach's little brochure for the dinner -- printed with soy based inks on 100% post-consumer recycled paper processed chlorine free -- bragged that the event used neither single-use serviceware nor bottled water.
 Strangely, each gift bag given to attendees contained a plastic (#1) bottle of water -- something Anna Cummins, also at the party, pointed out to me. To be fair, the stuff isn't just plain water -- it's organic certified "Bone Water," (right) meaning that the concoction also includes evaporated cane juice and other juices, oils, and flavors -- as well as calcium and other "nutrients" that make the "water" taste a lot like a less-sweet but still synthetic Gatorade.
Heal the Bay's dinner brochure included a plastic warning educational page of sorts, which said this about #1 plastic: "Unfortunately, studies indicate that with repeated use, PET containers may release di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, an endocrine-disrupting compound and probable human carcinogen." 
Granted, the info mainly advises against reuse of #1 plastic bottles, but in general, Heal the Bay is no fan of plastic. I mean, most disposable water bottles are made of #1 plastic, which Heal the Bay bragged about avoiding -- outside the gift bags. Plus the nonprofit's leading the fight against plastic bags.
Of course, Heal the Bay has to make a lot of compromises -- something I wrote about when the L.A. County Board of Supervisors' decision on plastic bags came down. Bone Water wasn't even the only plastic bottle issue of the night. Heal the Money must've also gotten money from FIJI water -- because that company got a page in the dinner brochure.
The entire evening was full of conundrums such as these. The Escape Hybrid -- auctioned off for $30,000+ going directly to Heal the Bay -- has better mileage than other SUVs, but it's still an SUV made by un-eco Ford. Both the Paul Mitchell and Murad products included in the gift bags have some eco-properties -- but are preserved using parabens. Even the gift bags themselves are reusable totes -- but appear to be made of pesticide-intensive conventional cotton.
I'm not saying Heal the Bay was wrong to accept these sponsorships or products, necessarily. I'm just pointing out the quandaries to say I don't envy the jobs of the people who work there. Sure, I really do have a bone to pick with this Bone Water thing -- but every environmentalist has her pet peeve, and every little compromise the nonprofit makes must bring forth a cacophony of complaints --
 Santa Monica's gotten greener and greener of late -- too crunchy, perhaps -- to the point that now, we have about a biggish eco-event a day happening within the small city.
Take next week, for example. On Tuesday, we have "Smart Growth," a city-funded FREE Sustainable Santa Monica Event that centers around a presentation by Dimitris Klapsis, LEED Accredited Professional and a senior project manager with HMC Architects in Pasadena. Green building enthusiasts can stop by the Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, at 6 p.m. to hear Klapsis speak.
Then on Wednesday, we have "Green is the new Black," an environmental panel and reception organized by the Yale Club of Southern California, who despite their Ivy League education, couldn't manage to find a more creative title than this tired, now-hackneyed one. They're smart enough to charge $15-$25 to cover costs for the event, however. It goes down in The Haworth Showroom at the Water Garden, 1601 Cloverfield Blvd., Santa Monica, from 7 p.m.-9 p.m.
Thursday will take eco-activists back to the Santa Monica Public Library for a panel on "Running a Green Household." The FREE workshop will teach you how to make the best decisions while evaluating and purchasing products and services for your home. That happens in the Multipurpose Room of the SMPL at 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, starting at 7 p.m.
I know there's green stuff happening in other parts of the city; I keep track of them here. It just seems that most of them seem to be happening in Santa Monica. Of course, I live in Santa Monica, so perhaps I get a disproportionate amount of notices about events happening here while I never hear about others. Know 'bout an eco-event that's not on my calendar? Let me know, and I'll add it on.
"In a city where everyone defines themselves by what they drive, who are you if you take the train or the bus?" asks Andrae Gonzalo, a fashion designer who, with choreographer Jamie Benson, forms the duo performing "Go Metro" this weekend.
A Metro-inspired dance comedy that incorporates vaudeville shtick, contemporary dance, and everything in between, "Go Metro's" described as a "surreal but comedic look at the metropolitan experience, exploring characters and scenarios inspired by real individuals [Benson and Gonzalo] have encountered on the elaborate caste structure that is L.A.'s public transportation system."
When: Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 24, 8:30 p.m. both days
Where: Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica
Cost: $20 regular, $15 for members, students, and seniors. Buy tickets online
Get there by bus (or bike or foot), because the Westside's still got no rail.
 The good news: Our beaches are cleaner and healthier! The bad news: They're cleaner and healthier because we're in a drought! That means less rain -- which means less urban runoff and less ocean pollution.
That's the latest news from enviro-nonprofit Heal the Bay's 18th Annual Beach Report Card released earlier today. The Report Card monitors the water quality from more than 375 California locations year-round (517 locations in dry weather from April to October) -- then grades them on an A to F scale based on the risk of adverse health effects to beachgoers.
Los Angeles County still has the lowest beach water quality in the state -- for the third year in a row. However, our water quality still improved considerably from last year. Plus, our stats are a little skewed by the fact that we collect our samples directly in front of flowing storm drains and creeks, where water tends to be dirtier. Most other counties haven't made the switch to this more accurate sampling method -- something Heal the Bay is pushing to change in the future.
In any case, only five L.A. County beaches are named and shamed on Heal the Bay's "Top 10 Beach Bummers" this year, down from seven last year. Yippee! Here's the list:
1. Avalon Harbor Beach on Catalina Island (Los Angeles County)
2. Santa Monica Municipal Pier (Los Angeles County)
3. Poche Beach (Orange County)
4. North Beach Doheny (Orange County)
5. Marie Canyon Storm Drain at Puerco Beach (Los Angeles County)
6. Cabrillo Beach harborside (Los Angeles County)
7. City of Long Beach -- multiple locations (Los Angeles County)
8. Campbell Cove State Park Beach (Sonoma County)
9. Clam Beach County Park near Strawberry Creek (Humboldt County)
10. Pismo Beach Pier (San Luis Obispo County)
Read the full report here (PDF). Happy surfing...
 >> Upset about the felling of ficus trees, Santa Monica's Treesavers group plans an all night "Save Our Trees" protest tonight at City Hall. Among the things the group's asking for: A Tree Commission. (via LAist) Earlier: 23 ficus trees are chopped down in Santa Monica.
>> The Santa Monica Community Permaculture Gathering happens tonight at 7 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room at the Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica.
>> Missed the Great L.A. River Cleanup? Volunteer vicariously via Mark Mauer's photo essay in LA Daily. "First pick out dozens of plastic bags, then when that gets too frustrating, switch to digging out some huge piece of trash." Now that Mark's cleaned it up for you, take a tour of the spiffed-up river!
>> The White House interfered with the Environmental Protection Agency's decision over California's bid to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in vehicles, says Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Frank O'Donnell provides links to documents in question in his Grist post.
>> The U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) raised its tree planting goal to 7 billion trees by late 2009, up from the previous goal of 1 billion trees in 2007. Like our city's own Million Trees L.A. program, UNEP lets people register their newly planted trees online. Also like L.A.'s program, UNEP "does not check that all seedlings or saplings are actually planted or survive." Earlier: I never wanted to be a tree killer.
>> Our noise may be causing ecological tragedies. Man-made noise -- a.k.a. anthrophony -- intrudes on "the information flow in the jungle," affecting the population of some species by changing the soundscape. "Cities have long had noise ordinances," writes Clive Thompson in Wired." "Wilderness areas could benefit from tighter protections as well." Earlier: Those loud leaf blowers.
>> Beware the Easy-Off Oven Cleaner. Wired explains the ingredients in the scary stuff: "One of the most commonly abused inhalants, butane poses severe health risks. But that's not a worry here: Huffing fumes from the other ingredients would almost certainly kill you first."
Image from Santa Monica Treesavers
>> Santa Monica's Green Business Certification is getting popular, with beauty shops, hotels and consulting firms all going after the green sticker. Earlier: Office eco-audits and certifications.
 >> Want a Green Business Certification for the city of L.A.? City Councilman Richard Alarcon's expected to introduce a motion to fund a $200,000 pilot certification program with city money. Call your council member to show your support for it.
>> What to expect from a home energy audit. Anh-Minh Le gets her home audited, then details the process and offers tips in the San Francisco Chronicle. (via Re-Nest)
>> D.J. Waldie on why you should take the bus and support public transit funding, even if it sucks sometimes. "All of us should know that we are actually making a new citizenry for a different city." I've actually rarely found the 720 or 704 to be as crowded as Waldie describes, but I guess I generally ride during off-hours. Earlier: D.J. Waldie and going green at Antioch College.
>> Some compromises between environmentalists and big business are beneficial, say Audubon California and Natural Resources Defense Council people as they tout the deals they helped broker between conservationists / environmentalists and oil / development companies.
>> High gas prices are here to stay. Get used to 'em.
>> $4 a gallon really isn't that high of a price for gasoline. "American gasoline is also dirt-cheap compared with gas in other countries. British motorists are currently paying about $8.38 per gallon for gasoline. In Norway, a major oil exporter, drivers are paying $8.73. "
>> Hydrogen cars won't make a difference for 40 years, despite Schwarzenegger's efforts to create a "hydrogen highway."
>> Wind power's potential. "A stunning new report just issued by the Bush administration finds that for under 2 cents a day per household, Americans could get 300 gigawatts of wind by 2030."
>> Harrison Ford waxes his chest hair as a metaphor for the clear-cutting of rain forests. Yes, it's true. ViroPop has it on video.
>> After a long battle between the city and treehugging activists, 23 ficus trees are chopped down in Santa Monica. "Efforts [by members of Santa Monica Treesavers] to have 153 ficus trees declared landmarks failed in February and two courts ruled that the group's lawsuit did not comply with the statute of limitations." Earlier: Will starve for ficus trees: Santa Monica tree fight rages on and in L.A., ficus trees get felled with no big outcry.
Photo by Gregg Moscoe
Your eco-questions, answered:
 Question: I'm a Santa Monica resident and have a question for you: Do you think there is anything we can do to stop the use of leaf-blowers in LA/SM? I understand that they are illegal, but every single day I see one being used in my 'hood. Currently, I do call the number and report offenders, but I'm just not feeling like it's doing any good in the long term.
If the city can bother itself to ticket street-cleaning violators $47 a pop, why don't they take this environmental disaster seriously enough and have some sort of patrol? Is it because they can't make any money off gardeners? Anyway, I would really appreciate your thoughts on the topic. -- Callie
 Answer: Yes, those noisy and polluting leaf blowers are indeed illegal in Santa Monica and restricted in Los Angeles. And you're not alone in hatin' on the blowers. I too dutifully call in leaf blower violations -- and I too have dealt with the frustration of calling in every week without ever seeing permanent results.
But I did a little research, and now feel a bit more optimistic!
Here's what to do if you've got a chronic leaf blower problem in your 'hood: Call your local Neighborhood Resource Officer, or NRO. Yep -- each patrol beat in Santa Monica got its own NRO in January; you can find your NRO -- along with his (yes, they are all men) phone number, e-mail, and smiling mug on the SMPD website.
Described by the Santa Monica Police Department as a "small town sheriff," the NRO is there to serve as "the direct link between the community and the Police Department." Recurring problems -- such as weekly leaf blowing -- that can't be handled via a regular call can be reported to the NRO for more efficacious resolution.
In addition, the SMPD is working on a leaf blower door tag notice to let offenders know about the law against leaf blowers. According to Sergeant Renaldi Thruston, the Community Relations person at the Santa Monica Police Department, leaf blowers are low on the priority list for police officers -- meaning that by the time an officer actually responds to your leaf blower-related complaint, the blowing's usually stopped and the blower long gone. That, as you can imagine, makes it difficult for police officers to prevent the problem from occurring again.
 Enter the leaf blower door tag. These (samples at right) can be hung by the police officer on the door of the offending property. The tags explain the anti-blower law in both English and Spanish. In addition, the bottom of the tag can be torn off to be given to the gardener, informing them about the law too.
The tags aren't being used yet because they're still going through a review process. However, Thruston says that he expects the police force to start using the tags next month.
So Callie -- I suggest either calling your NRO to report your problems now, or waiting until the end of June or so to see if your problem gets taken care of by the door tags (if not, then definitely call your NRO).
I don't, however, support the idea of having a police patrol to address this issue. Why? I get a LOT of e-mails from various Santa Monica residents asking why we don't have patrols for their specific pet peeve. Everyone has a different one -- Styrofoam use, lawn overwatering, dog poop on the sidewalk, etc., etc. -- and each feels their peeve deserves its own police patrol. While I feel these are legitimate enviro issues, instituting police patrols for all these things would mean 1) paying crazy taxes, 2) living in something that feels a bit like a police state.
I think our time and efforts would be better spent simply letting the city know when something's not working, then complaining loudly enough that the city hears it. Take this leaf blower issue, for instance. Clearly, enough people complained about this that the police dept. decided they needed to do something to address it -- then came the NRO thing and work on door tags.
Sometimes, I think that if Santa Monica residents who send me complaints about city issues simply made the effort to send those complaints directly to the appropriate person in the city itself, we'd get the issues resolved a lot more quickly and efficiently...
Lastly, if you're an L.A. resident who wants the city to address leaf blower problems -- Ha ha! Tee hee! Okay, just kidding (sort of). Call it in both to your police department ( [800] 996-CITY) and your City Council member, and if you're up to it, rally your neighbors around the issue to collectively push your council member to take stronger steps to resolve the issue.
Top image courtesy of zapla.org; photos by Siel
 For diehard environmentalists who only date people with low carbon footprints, there's now Green Speed Dating -- happening on Father's Day of all days, giving the event a slightly Freudian aspect...
When: Sunday, June 15, 6:15 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Where: The Hideout, 112 W. Channel Rd., Santa Monica
Cost: $20 donation to Developing Communities
Basically, you'll meet 20 people of the opposite gender (so don't plunk down the money if you're gay or you'll be sadly disappointed) in quick succession and note the people you'd like to see again on a sheet. Free appetizers will be provided; less free drinks will be available from the bartender. Within 24 hours of the event, you'll receive your mutual matches.
The event's limited to 40 people, so if you're interested, sign up now. You must be between the ages of 25-40. Sorry, again, older people (Will I get angry lectures about how "those who come are supposed to be there" again?).
The event's a creative fundraiser for Developing Communities, a group of six volunteers who are dedicated to the development of small communities in Central America. Three of the volunteers, including Jenean Smith, one of the organizers of the Green Speed Dating event, are former Peace Corps volunteers. One of their current projects is to bring solar power to a Nicaraguan town that's off the grid.
The whole event sounds kind of fun, but the possibility of an ex showing up feels too high. When did the Westside get so small?
Permaculture classes have been going on for years, but many of these are
intensive, multi-week courses for the already-converted. This month,
L.A. county's getting some beginner-level events for the
permaculture-curious.
When I think permaculture -- roughly defined as sustainable design principles that seeks to create human habitats that mimic natural systems -- the first thing that comes to mind is organic and biodynamic, get your hands dirty, old fashioned farming. But since permaculture's not only a portmanteau for permanent and agriculture but also for permanent and culture, its principles -- proponents say -- can be adapted to urban areas and systems too.
Even if you're not ready to dive in with both Birkenstocked feet, you can try dipping your toe into the permaculture pool.
A good beginner's event happens this Friday: "A Taste of Permaculture: Principles, Ethics and Zones," led by Tyrone Fay of Earthcare Design Solutions, a pro-permaculture organization. Stop by to get an overview of permaculture this Friday, May 16, 7 pm, at the L.A. Eco-Village, 117 Bimini Place, Los Angeles. The cost of the workshop's $100 (sliding scale) and reservations are required; contact (213) 738-1254 or crsp@igc.org.
Those who want to do some hands-on permaculture work can sign up for an all-day series of rotating workshops on Saturday, titled "Hands-on: Soils & Gardening, orcharding, seedball"
That happens Saturday, May 17 from 8:30 am - 5 pm, also at the L.A. Eco-Village. The workshop costs $100, and pre-registration's required.
For those on the west side, put the "Santa Monica Community Permaculture Gathering" in your calendar. Intended as the first of a series of monthly meetings, this gathering's hoped "to begin to build a community of local citizens interested in bringing about real sustainable change in the neighborhoods that we live in," according to Sean Jennings, the organizer.
"My hope is that this meeting will be permaculture in action," says Jennings. "That means we will be meeting our neighbors, discussing problems and possible solutions, and identifying action that we can take as a community and actually make it happen."
The gathering happens on May 20 at 7 pm at the Santa Monica Main Library, Community Meeting Room, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. For more info, email Jennings at swjennings@gmail.com.
Photo of people studying urban permaculture in Santa Cruz by matt bennett via Flickr
On Saturday, I took advantage of the free valet bicycle parking at "Revel With a Cause," the eco-themed Santa Monica Festival happening at Clover Park. There's my chainless white bike to the right, being rolled away to be locked and guarded. I got a raffle ticket too, for my chance to win an unspecified prize.
Children seemed to be having the most fun, making recycled crafts in what seemed like every other booth.
Most trash stations had a volunteer letting people know what to throw where, though
whoever was supposed to be watching this one must have taken a break.
I left too early to win the raffle. But I collected my bike right after this very cute bicycling father-daughter duo (or uncle-niece or big bro-lil' sis). You can't tell very well from this picture, but both were expertly biking one-handedly while holding Icees in their left hands.
Photos by Siel
What do you think of Ed? That's Santa Monica's favored cartoon dude, used to illustrate the city's Environmental Directory (PDF).
Hot or not, Ed's your enviro man, educating Santa Monicans on air quality, farmers' markets, transportation, and everything in between. If you live in, or are planning to move to, Santa Monica, I strongly encourage you to download this Environmental Directory (PDF) to get a sense of the enviro-services and opportunities in the area.
At first I thought the Environmental Directory simply highlighted the city's environmental services. Turns out, Santa Monica's Ed relies A LOT on the work of independent nonprofits. In the "Ocean Water Quality" section, nonprofits Heal the Bay and Surfriders Foundation are named first, with city resources falling at the bottom of the list of resources. In the "Air Quality" section, the South Coast Air Quality Management District -- a larger governmental organization that oversees Orange County and parts of L.A., Riverside and San Bernardino counties -- tops the list, followed by the nonprofits National Resources Defense Council and Breathe California, before going on to recommend general books on the topic.
This may, of course, be the most efficacious presentation of resources available to city residents. Maybe all cities should weigh the roles of the federal, state, county, and state agencies as well as the locally active nonprofits in putting together its environmental directories.
On a more practical level, here are the numbers Santa Monica residents should call to report any enviro-violations:
My biggest peeves: wasted water, abandoned trash (i.e. half-destroyed furniture left in the alley), and loud leaf blowers. I call about this stuff, but rarely see the results I hope for. And like-minded readers are writing in about these issues too. It's time to investigate --
 Tired of being sprayed by sprinklers? If the sight of puddles on sidewalks in our drought-prone state makes you cringe, you'll be glad to know Santa Monica's passed some new landscaping laws. On Earth Day last month, the Santa Monica City Council passed an ordinance for new building construction that not only limits turf-grass lawns but also prohibits putting sprinklers within 18 inches of concrete sidewalks.
That's right. New buildings -- including single family homes -- must limit their turf-grass lawns to just 20% or less of the total landscaped area. According to Santa Monica Council member Kevin McKeown, "residential lawns suck water at a rate that makes imposing low-flow showers in apartment buildings almost a joke."
The new landscaping rules -- which are part of a larger revision to the city's Green Building Design code -- are scheduled to go into effect on May 22.
Unfortunately, existing overwatered lawns in your 'hood likely won't be affected; the ordinance applies only to new or significantly remodeled buildings. Still, edible gardening, drought-resistant landscaping and local, organic succulent plant companies will likely get much, much more love in the years to come. And cactus shopping looks like it'll get more popular too.
Below is an excerpt of the ordinance that refers to landscaping rules. You also can read the text of the entire ordinance, or the staff recommendations to the City Council that informed the ordinance.
Relatedly: If you missed Steve Lopez's column about how one Glendale family planted an eco-friendly garden -- and risked jail time, read it now. Prior to issuance of a building permit, landscaping and irrigation plans shall be submitted for review and approval in a manner prescribed by this Code. No Certificate of Occupancy nor final building permit shall be issued until the landscaping and irrigation system has been installed and demonstrated to operate in full compliance with this Code.
(a) The design and installation of all projects must conform to the current edition of Guidelines for the Design & Construction of Water-Efficient Irrigation Systems in the City of Santa Monica issued by the Director of Environmental and Public Works Management (EPWM). These Guidelines shall reflect and effectuate the purpose of this Subpart B and shall include, but not be limited to consideration of the following elements: quality assurance, design requirements, and installation requirements. The Guidelines are intended to reduce the amount of potable water used for landscape irrigation in the City and to ensure that the potable water that is used for landscape irrigation is used efficiently and effectively.
(b) The maximum area permitted for turfgrass shall be twenty percent of the total landscaped area on the site. The landscaped area shall exclude building footprints and impermeable hardscapes, but shall include the parkway if any. Higher percentages may be permitted when turfgrass is an essential component of the development approved in writing by the Director of EPWM. Plants used in non-turf areas, rated as having high water needs for Region 3 in the current edition of WUCOLS shall be counted as turfgrass for this calculation. Alternative documentation of water use may be presented for plants not listed in WUCOLS.
(c) Plants listed in the current Invasive Plant Inventory for the southwest region by the California Invasive Plant Council are not permitted..
(d) No sprinkler irrigation shall be permitted to be located within eighteen inches of any impermeable hardscape unless the hardscape is designed and constructed to drain entirely to landscaping.
(e) Irrigation systems must be designed and installed in such a manner that a precipitation rate of 0.75 inches is not exceeded in any portion of the landscape.
(f) Fountains, ponds or other decorative water features, excluding swimming pools or spas, shall have a footprint of less than 25 square feet in area. Larger water features shall be prohibited unless they are approved in writing by the Director of EPWM. All allowed water features shall use a water recirculation system. All water sprayed into the air from allowed water features must remain within the water feature and shall not be allowed to spray or run onto surrounding landscape or hardscape areas.
(g) All newly planted trees shall be planted in permeable soil.
Photo by Esther Perez via Flickr
 A friend asked me if I was going to the National Train Day festivities at Union Station on Saturday, and I rather grumpily said no. What's the point, when I never get to take rail? One day, when the Subway to the Sea finally gets built out to Santa Monica, THEN I'll celebrate trains.
For Santa Monica residents and others feeling similarly left out by our rail-less-ness on the Westside, there's an eco-ish festival for us on Saturday too! Take the bus or bike over to the "Revel with a Cause" Santa Monica Festival to see and hear world music and dance on solar powered stages, participate in art workshops using pre-loved materials, shop from eco-friendly vendors, and sample international cuisine served with biodegradable foodware.
When: Saturday, May 10, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Where: Clover Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica
Cost: Free!
The recycled art workshops sound like they'll be the most fun:
- re:Fashion Workshop: Turn newspapers into wearable fashions, then model it on the re:Fashion Catwalk.
- Scratch Art & Spin Art: Learn to DJ with Scratch Academy -- then turn vintage vinyl into art.
- The Nutty Recycler's Amazing Trash Puppetry Factory: Turn trash into puppets!
- People, Cats, Dogs and Whatever Else: Turn old materials from past Santa Monica Museum of Art programs into a collage about you and your pet.
If you don't want to commit to an entire workshop, you can browse the Eco Zone -- booths with eco orgs and vendors eager to help you reduce your carbon footprint. You can also bring old cellphones and other small electronics to drop off for reuse and recycling.
Throughout the day, there'll be performances from a diverse group of musical acts, from L.A.-based 1960s Cambodian pop band Dengue Fever to Romanian folk music group Fishtank Ensemble.
Cyclists will be able to valet park their bikes; bus riders can hop on the Big Blue Bus #8 to be dropped off right at Clover Park. But if you really enjoy fighting traffic and scrambling for a parking spot, take advantage of the free (but never hassle-free) parking.
Ever stained your favorite pair of jeans on your bicycle chain? I've actually never had this problem, but many of my friends have had their pant legs greased or torn up during a bike ride. Today, I put together a bike that'd get rid of this dirty issue altogether -- because the bike is entirely chain-free!
Dynamic Bicycles makes a snazzy line of chain-free bicycles that look good and ride easy (here's an explanation of the chainless technology). The Web-based company only lets you order their bikes online. Mine arrived in a box via UPS a few days ago -- and today, thanks to the good people at the Bikerowave, it got assembled!
Bikerowave is a little DIY bike shop in Santa Monica, which serves as the Westside counterpart of sorts to the Eastside's Bicycle Kitchen. For just $5 an hour, you can drop in to use all the bike tools and equipment in the place, maybe even find salvaged parts at a bargain, and work on your bike with guidance from one of Bikerowave’s volunteers. 
 So that's where I took the bike-in-a-box. Now, it's an actual bike! There it is in its black-and-white glory, above.
 Overall, assembly wasn't hard, especially since Dynamic Bicycles includes in its box pretty much all the tools necessary to put the bike together. However, we did run into a couple unexpected issues. The biggest snafu was an unnecessary ferrule on the brake line (right), which we had to take the line apart to remove.
 The second issue was that the back fender and one wheel spoke got slightly bent / dented in the shipping -- though neither issue affected the mechanics of the bike at all. The last issue: The back reflector (left) didn't fit anywhere on the bike.
But we got it together! The Bikerowave people attached a couple lights, and now the bike's ready to hit the road. I and a bunch of people at the 'wave tried riding it around a bit. One person even tried attaching a video camera to the handlebars (right).
So far, the Dynamic Bicycle appears to work just like "regular" bikes, sans the problems that come with the bike chain. In addition, the chain-free bike was quieter and the body looks more spare and clean.
A fuller review will come once I have the chance to ride it for a little while. For now, I'm glad that Bikerowave will be using both the tools and leftover parts that came with the bike! Bikerowave even has a recycling system set up, so most of the plastic bags and cardboard wrapping will go into the blue bin. The big bike box itself is being saved for reuse.
Photos by Siel
That's Katie Ricketts, community/market organizer at Southland Farmers' Market Assn. and contributor to Emerald City, giving out bags of yummy, farm-fresh produce in front of the Santa Monica Main Public Library!
Stop by between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. today and you can meet her in person -- and sign up for the Santa Monica Market Basket Program. Want in-season strawberries but don't want to fight the crowds at the Santa Monica Farmers' Market? If you join the Basket Program, all you'll have to do is choose a pick-up location -- either the SM Main Library or the parking lot at the SM City Hall -- and a pre-packed bag will be waiting for you between 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. every Wednesday.
Cost: $25 for a "classic" bag, which'll contain 8 to 10 pieces of produce. You can opt for a $30 "specialty" bag that includes a few items with higher price points or a $38 family bag. Yes, prices have gone up a tad because some of the summer produce costs more.
To sign up, just stop by either location during the pick-up time on a Wednesday -- or contact Katie at katie@sfma.net or (310) 740-7544. After prepaying (credit card, check or cash), you can start picking up your bag o' goodies every week! Eating local's never been easier.
I believe the Basket Program's still trying to implement a viable bag reuse program, but having a hard time making the process simple and feasible for produce buyers. Got suggestions?
Photo by Siel
Fred Segal Green celebrated its grand opening today in Santa Monica. Located in a 1200-square-foot space at the back of Fred Segal's east building , this eco-friendly home and lifestyle store showcases the cutting edge of green design.
Collected here are all the gorgeous eco home decorations you've only seen in pictures on Inhabitat. You'll be able to touch and feel the sleek Monacca
laptop bags and calculators, made -- according to the little explanatory sign -- "from ecological wood such as trees that have been pulled down during the programmed maintenance plan of Japanese reforestation."
 Customers have their pick of recycled glassware to pick from -- as well as a whole big set of recycled stainless steel knives with funky designs on the blade, made to last a lifetime.
There's furniture too -- mostly a variety of stylish side tables and stools made from sustainably-harvested wood or scrap and recycled materials.
Eco-conscious pet owners can buy gourmet pet food (below) free of all the weird stuff that apparently goes into the "conventional" pet food. Sustainable pet toys are available too -- though I suspect that the less expensive stuff at My Pet Naturally would be just as beloved by kitties and puppies.
High-end eco products get dissed a lot, because they can make environmentalism seem like an elitist movement for the rich Gelson's crowd. But examining these unique, fairly-traded, hand-crafted, carefully-designed products, I felt vaguely hopeful about a different sort of consumer culture. There's an anti-disposability to these items that serves as a refreshing contrast to today's one-use, throwaway world.
Of course, I can't afford to actually buy the stuff. (above: bamboo bowls)
What I would love to own are these Ronel Jordaan pillowy, river-stone-like cushion-seats. I want a big one that I can curl up on top of, catlike, for daytime naps. But I can't put a grand or so toward fulfilling that desire.
Or to be more accurate, I can only afford a few things at Fred Segal Green. A couple items are actually doable for the regular middle-class person. For example, there are the Daff Feel Filz coasters, placemats, and silverware holders (above), made of eco-friendly merino wool felt. Coasters cost $25 for a set of four.
And perhaps even more practical are these Brelli umbrellas (right), made of biodegradable plastic and bamboo. Cost: just $28 for a small one! Metaefficient raves about them.
Expensive certainly doesn't mean necessary or useful. I have a hard time seeing the practicality of the chair below, for example.
And as much as I heart eco-friendly soap, I'm not sure if it's even possible to make soap that looks crunchier than this soap-on-a-rope stuff.
And is it just me, or is this kinda fugly? (below)
But it's good to see Fred Segal going green. This anti-plastic-bag slogan (below) is all over the store right now:
And all weekend, each department at Fred Segal Santa Monica will hold drawings to benefit local anti-plastic-bag org Heal the Bay.
Go green now, before we all burn up. The store carries a surprising number of memento moris -- made of recycled silver or glass, of course.
Fred Segal Green. 420 Broadway. Santa Monica.
Photos by Siel
Earth Day came and went, but the green calendar's packed for the rest of the month! Alt Build Expo's already started; but many more festivals and expos are happening all over the L.A. area all weekend:
Earth Weekend at the Aquarium. Sat., April 26 - Sun., April 27, 11 am - 6 pm both days at Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, 1600 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica.
The Aquarium's observing Earth Day a few days late with a weekend-long celebration. There'll be educational activities are planned for the whole family, including ocean pollution workshops, arts and crafts, and face painting. Children under 12 get in free with a paying adult ($2 admission; $5 suggested donation), but if you join the beach cleanup and leave Santa Monica a little cleaner than you found it, you can get in free! Just pick up some cleaning supplies from the beach clean
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