This first event, the American Democracy Institute’s Empower Change Summit, is a biggie. To be held this Saturday, November 3rd at UCLA’s Royce Hall, the event features Bill Clinton and centers on empowering yourself, your friends and your community to affect change in your everyday lives and thus, the world.

Sponsored by the American Youth Summit, the focus of the discussions has a decidedly environmental tilt. Additional panelists and speakers include Jonathan Greenblatt, Founder of Ethos Water, and Blake Mykoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes.

Entrance is free, but you must register in advance. I’d do it quickly…with this lineup, tickets are sure to go fast.

Next up, an event that is of particular interest here in LA. The Santa Monica College Environmental Issues Lecture Series continues with, "Can Technology Solve our Transportation Problems?" on Wednesday, November 7th at 6:30pm. The event is free, and features Intelligent Transportations Systems (ITS) Engineer Jesse Glazer from the US Department of Transportation, who will discuss the latest in ITS.

Lastly, the 2007 AFI Festival begins today, and runs through November 11th. As part of the International Shorts Competition (Program 2) the documentary film South Central Farm: Oasis in a Concrete Desert World will premiere. This film spotlights the controversy around the largest urban farm in the US, which pitted poor farmers and their supporters (including a few celebrity tree sitters) against developers and the city. Producer/Director Sheila Laffey will be at the viewings.

The film runs twice, on November 6th and 8th, but if you miss it now, you can catch it this fall as part of PBS’ Natural Heroes Series.

Sometimes, it’s hard living in Los Angeles. But when (free!) events like these come to town, it’s easy to say, "I love LA!"