>> 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
Smokey Bear's back with a new series of public service advertisements that encourage you to "Get Your Smokey On" by practicing fire safety habits. Odd feature of the main TV spot: Smokey gender morphs!
A girl metamorphoses into Smokey -- who warns some boys about forest fires in a girly voice -- before turning back into a girl. Then Smokey with a boy's voice comes on to say the usual "Only you can prevent wildfires" line.
I'm guessing the point of the ad is that everyone (women included!) can do like Smokey and educate others about forest fires. I don't remember this gender-morphing happening in the past though -- and Smokey really has a long past, having been around since 1944. Anyone remember a past campaign when Smokey was female?
We've certainly had a lot of fires in SoCal of late, so Smokey's advice, if not new, remains relevant. If you're bored at work, Smokey Bear's website features a vault with posters, as well as radio and TV spots since the '40s.
>> 21 (Eco)Visualizations for Energy Consumption Awareness. Check out these visuals, applications, and devices that can motivate you to conserve by making you see more clearly the environmental impacts of your (or our collective) actions. Above is one of the 21: the USA National GAS Temperature Map (h/t groby)
>> Re-visualizing trees. Artist Rob Kesseler's created strange but pretty electron microscope images of tree bits for his exhibition "Canopy" at Kew Gardens, London. According to New Scientist, "Kesseler's images are intended to show trees on a scale you have never seen before, through artistic manipulation of high-powered microscope technology."
>> Local enviro-group TreePeople will launch a comprehensive California Wildfire Restoration Initiative that will help restore forests that won’t recover on their own. The initiative will include a volunteer mobilization campaign; about 7,500 volunteers are needed to help cover about 10,000 acres over a period of 3-5 years. The effort will be funded by a $1 million grant from the Boeing Co.
>> Girl drives under speed limit, sees 14% gain in fuel efficiency. Writes Karina at Tiny Choices: "I will add ... I did my best to drive the speed limit but I was generally driving within 5 miles of the speed limit, and that there were at least 1 or 2 trips that were a little faster than originally planned because I was in a big hurry."
>> A biodiesel boat trying to circle the globe in record time bumped into an unknown object and is now "limping across the Pacific," reports Wired's Autopia. "Earthrace was on pace to beat the record, set in 1998 by Cable & Wireless Adventurer, by 15 days before the collision. With that kind of cushion, Earthrace might still pull it off, but only if nothing else goes wrong."
>> A new report, Stop Trashing the Climate shows that aiming for zero waste by reducing waste and encouraging the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra "is one of the fastest, cheapest, and most effective strategies available for combating climate change." Get involved with L.A.'s Zero Waste Plan!
>> Dwell on Design begins today! The exhibition portion doesn't start until Saturday, so you still have time to use the coupon code for free admission and see what the event's all about.
Image courtesy of gasbuddy.com
 Go hiking this Saturday! June 7 is National Trails Day 2008, and in celebration, nearly 1,000 outdoorsy events are happening around the country.
The day's activities aren't limited to hiking; you can go biking, horseback riding or paddling too -- though what you do may be limited a bit by the types of events that are planned in your area. Check the list of California events to find the one nearest you.
Irvine seems to have the most going on, with a hike, a bike ride, exhibits, workshops, and other activities happening over this weekend. If you'd rather get your hands dirty prettying up hiking trails, head up to San Fernando to help the USDA Forest Service with trail maintenance and construction.
National Trails Day is organized by the American Hiking Society, self-described as "the only national organization dedicated to promoting and protecting hiking trails, their surrounding natural areas and the hiking experience."
 >> 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
>> 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
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
Last minute eco-Mother's Day gifts:
>> Get your fair trade flowers from Ten Thousand Villages Pasadena, or from the Fair Trade LA booth at the Santa Monica Festival today.
>> Go shopping with your mom at eco-boutique Regeneration in Eagle Rock. Mothers get a 15% discount until May 15.
>> Give your mom a night of eco-pampering by getting mom-and-daughter tickets to "Beauty and Sustainability: An Eco-Evening of Networking, Pampering and Discovery," happening Tuesday, May 13, 7:30 to 10 pm in Beverly Hills.
>> If you're reading this Monday and your gift's gonna be late anyway, check out my list of eco Mother's Day gifts for any budget.
In other news:
>> The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area could get bigger. In what comes as a surprise, at least to me, President Bush signed legislation ordering the Interior Department to consider making additions to the protected area. Many obstacles -- including the high cost of land -- still remain.
>> How science-for-hire helps keep toxic chemicals legal. Read Newsweek's review of David Michaels' new book, "Doubt Is Their Product: How Industry's Assault on Science Threatens Your Health": "'Product-defense firms' have sprung up to spin the science and manufacture doubt—proudly. One boasted on its Web site of persuading the Food and Drug Administration to let an unnamed drug stay on the market for '10 additional years of sales' before the FDA banned it for harming people." (via enviroblog)
>> Dell says it'll reduce packaging waste, after bloggers call the company on it. A similar incident happened with the iPhone way back when: A girl put up a YouTube video about her 300+ page paper iPhone bill, prompting iPhone to make some quick changes.
>> New(ish) misleading excuse from anti-environmentalists: "It'll hurt the poor." That's what one guy getting money from Exxon claims will happen if polar bears are declared an endangered species.
Photo of fair trade rose courtesy of TransFair USA
 >> Free eco-themed Mother's Day e-cards from Grist. Earlier: Eco Mother's Day gifts for any budget.
>> Get your locally-grown, pesticide-free succulent arrangements from succulentla. Replace part of your lawn with them, and you'll save water for years to come. Remember: water rates are expected to go up and up ...
>> The Regional Connector project, which will link the Blue, Expo and Gold rail lines, has narrowed down the alternatives to two options: one above ground and one below. Eric Richardson of blogdowntown has the details.
>> Oil companies agreed to pay $423 million to settle MTBE contamination lawsuits, "brought by water suppliers and users in California and 19 other states over groundwater contaminated with the gasoline additive." However, six oil companies -- including Exxon -- did not agree to settle. More legal fights to come.
>> Beauty and the beak: Beauty the eagle got its beak shot off, giving her a handicap akin to having "only one chopstick to eat," according to one biologist. A team of volunteers is working to attach an artificial beak to Beauty. Earlier: Fake flipper for a turtle named Allison.
Yes, you can de-gift, re-gift, DIY-gift, or make a simple gift donation in your mother's name to a good enviro-charity. But for those who want to send something a little more tangible, here are some cute new green gifts to consider:
 A FREE eco-friendly Mother's Day e-card -- that benefits women's heart health to boot. While I still think a thoughtful paper card -- with post-consumer recycled content, of course -- trumps most e-cards, the Toast To Mom e-cards, created by Clos du Bois, have a cause behind them. For each card sent, Clos du Bois will donate $1 to WomenHeart, a nonprofit that educates and advocates for American women living with heart disease. Cost: FREE -- plus a $1 donation.
 Solar-powered glowing flower pot decorations. The Rainforest Site has these cool Glow-in-the-Dark Flower Pot Stickers, made with hand-blown glass and seeded with phosphorescent crystals that store solar energy then glow gently in the dark. Plus, the Rainforest Site will plant a tree with every order. Cost: 3 for $19.95, plus a tree planted on your behalf.
A traditional flower arrangement -- eco-style. Don't buy the pesticide-ridden conventional flowers, many of which have lost most of their scent. Opt for Veriflora or organic certified flowers instead. Organic Style's bouquets begin at a reasonable $39.95
An eco-friendly pampering kit (right). The Lil' Lula bag from Lula Organics includes paraben-free body shampoo and soap, along with a natural wooden brush, pumice foot scrubber and both a lavender mist and lavender bag. Everything comes in a stylish striped reusable tote bag. Cost: $55
 An organic wine-pear-pistachio basket. Here's the gift I'd really want to get if I were a mama. Actually, here's a gift I'd like to get, period: The Ceago Sauvignon Blanc Presentation from Organic Style. Organic pistachios, organic pears, and a yummy bottle of 2006 Ceago Sauvignon Blanc, a biodynamic AND organic certified wine by Stellar. Cost: $69.95.
A ticket to the "Celebrate the Farmers' Market" reception and dinner, happening Sunday, May 18 from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel Santa Monica, 101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. Support the Santa Monica Farmers' Market while enjoying a gourmet meal created with farmers' market ingredients by famous local chefs like Josiah Citrin of Melisse and Neal Fraser of Grace and BLD. Proceeds of the event, which also includes a silent auction and raffle, will benefit the Southland Farmers' Market Assn., a nonprofit organization representing the interests of growers in California certified farmers' markets. Reserve your tickets -- which are available only in advance -- by calling (310) 455-0181 or emailing howell@sfma.net. Cost: $125 per person.
 Gorgeous organic, locally-grown lilies in an eco-friendly reusable bag of Ugly Betty fame. Local floral company Wisteria Lane Flower Shop's offering an arrangement of Oriental lilies, delivered in a tote bag made of repurposed juice boxes. Betty of Ugly Betty is constantly carrying around this tote, so this gift may prove especially popular with moms who're fans of the show. Plus, 10% of the sales price will be donated to Good Shepherd Shelter and Beyond Shelter, two Los Angeles-based shelters for battered and needy women. Cost: $130 with coupon code WL0408.
Images courtesy of Toast To Mom, Lula Organics, Organic Style, and Wisteria Lane
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