Green Options

There are always sooooooo many events going on during the week of Earth Day, which is technically on Wednesday, Aprill 22nd, it’s hard to know which to choose. But at least there’s a searchable database that contains what appears to be a complete listing – there are 49 events within 25 miles of my 90401 zip code.

A few look particularly interesting, like the Soyjoy-sponsored Battle of the Chefs: Eco-cuisine. Each chef is charged with creating three different soy-based dishes on site, with the winner scooping up a $15,000 prize package (wanna bet there’s a lot of soy products in it?) There’s even a celebrity judge (Julianna Moore) – it is LA after all – to taste the well-known chefs’ concoctions. The best news is that you can to, if you go to the event on the 22nd.

So, I attended the Green LA Coalition and Liberty Hill-sponsored event meant to let us all know how the billions headed for California will be spent. The verdict?

For small businesses, like mine, and nonprofits, it might be tough to get in on the action unless you’re prepared to work as a government contractor, which requires jumping through many hoops. But, if you are willing/able to do so, check out Grants.gov, a searchable listing of what’s available.

There’s more than $50 billion coming your way, Californians!

That’s the amount that the California Budget Project expects the State and its residents to receive. The goal is the creation of 400,000 jobs, many of them “green jobs”. The funding comes none too soon, since California’s unemployment rate hit 10.5% in February.

But how will that money be spent in Los Angeles? The Green LA Coalition and the Liberty Hill Foundation seek to answer that question on Friday, April 3rd at “The Federal Stimulus: What it means for Los Angeles and the Environment”.

Working at home sounds great, doesn’t it? With the average Los Angeles commute topping 30 minutes each way, think of what you could do with that extra time. And think of what the environment could do without all of those emissions.

A new report from the World Wildlife Fund indicates that non-manufacturing companies could cut their carbon footprint in half by allowing telework. With more and more companies looking to reduce their eco-impact, a shift towards telecommuting would be a big step forward.

But what about all of those meetings?

At least in California, that’s where some of it’s going - $10 million dollars to be exact. The money will be used to fund the Green Corps, a program that will provide training for underprivileged youth to learn jobs in green construction, energy, and technology. The funding will be matched by an additional $10 million from public-private partnerships.

Announced by Gov. Schwarzenegger last week, the program provides for 1,000 youth, ages [...]

You might just think of it as Sunday, but this particular Sunday, March 22nd, has a larger importance – it’s World Water Day, an international day of observance and action, drawing attention to the fact that over 1 billion people that share this planet do not have access to clean drinking water.

Born from the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, World Water Day has a different theme every year. This year’s focus is on transboundary waters: sharing water, sharing opportunities.

Across the globe, restaurants, businesses, residents and municipalities are marking Saturday, March 28th, 2009 on their calendars.

Why? At 8:30pm on that date, the lights go out.

It may sound like the beginning of a horror movie (or the rolling “brownouts” we suffered a few years ago here in LA) but this time it’s on purpose. This time, it’s a blackout with a message (read in deep, movie announcer voice).

Earth Hour, a worldwide effort to bring attention to the dangers of climate change, is inspiring people to vote for progress with their light switches and remotes by turning of all nonessential lights and appliances in their houses and businesses for an hour.

Having recently seen sprinklers running along the side of the 405 – in the middle of the afternoon – made me wonder how Los Angeles was ever going to do it. How would we ever become a sustainable city, if we couldn’t even water our landscaping at night? I mean, aren’t we in a drought? We are? I thought so.

Well, maybe Bill can help. Last week, Bill Clinton himself announced that the Clinton Climate Initiative would be working with the City on a street lighting retrofit project. The five-year program will replace 14,000 street light fixtures with LEDs, improving the quality of the light, reducing energy use, and saving money.

Well, I suppose that depends. If we’re talking about the actual building, then yes, apparently it can, as announced recently by California-based Carl’s Jr. The company behind the ubiquitous burger chain, CKE Restaurants, Inc. opened its first eco-friendly Carl’s Jr. just a few miles from its Carpinteria headquarters.

What makes it green? Energy saving features include Energy Star-rated equipment, an energy management system, a reflective roof, and LED lights in the parking lot. Plus, rainwater reuse and smart irrigation systems will reduce its water consumption.

Has Valentine’s Day always meant going out to eat? I suppose the tradition of the holiday (and those little candy hearts) is best left to another post, but since eating out seems to be de rigueur for couples these days, aim for making it as green as possible. A few joints in LA seem perfectly suited to the task.

Those that focus on organic, local food, like Akasha in Culver City, reduce the footprint of your special night out without reducing your enjoyment of the experience. Don’t think that local in LA means all avocados and fish tacos, either. Restaurants like Axe in Venice bring inspiration from around the world to their organic, seasonal dishes – Korean-style scallion pancakes anyone?