Your turn to help me –

You may think only Angelenos read my blog, but I’ll have you know I have a following in Finland. A following of one, perhaps, but a following nonetheless –

Antti from Finland’s a fair trade advocate in a land that, amazingly, has no Starbucks. And he’ll be in LA — car-free in Hollywood — for one day on a stopover from a conference in Las Vegas to Heathrow.

Antti wants suggestions: What green activities would you recommend for a Finnish person with a Sunday night and Monday morning to spare in LA? Preferably, this’d be something v. LA — something he couldn’t ever do in Finland.

Put in your two cents, and I’ll compile the suggestions in order of my preference and put them in a post, as I get “what should I do in LA?” type questions relatively often. My fave suggestion gets an as of yet undetermined cool eco-freebie from me –

Photo by R.Duran

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So I learned a lot at the In-class session of the Bicycle Street Skills Class on Saturday — but didn’t make it to the On the Road session on Sunday due to a bad hangover….

Luckily, I — and everyone who wants to be a safe urban biker — have another chance. The same in-class and on the road sessions are going to be offered thanks to Antioch LA — this time with snacks and beverages. Best of all, the in-class portion is free!

In-class: Saturday, Aug. 9, 9 am - 2 pm in room A1000 at Antioch University, 400 Corporate Pointe, Culver City. No RSVP required. FREE!

On the Road: Saturday, Aug. 16, 9 am - 3 pm in room A1000 at Antioch University, 400 Corporate Pointe, Culver City. Bring your working bike plus helmet. The class will be capped at 10 students, so make your reservation at the August 9 session OR RSVP to Andrea Richards at 310.578.1080×206. Cost: $25

The classes will be lead by League of American Bicyclists certified instructor Ron Durgin, who was one of the instructors for the class I took over the weekend. For participating, I got a “Bicycling Street Smarts” booklet by John S. Allen, a wallet-sized guide AND a AAA booklet of California Vehicle Code stuff relating to bicycles, and a Medical Information Carrier System with my info in case I pass out from bike-related injuries.

The med info’s now been stickered into my helmet; the wallet-sized guide’s been put into an old plastic name tag holder and taped into my bike basket for easy reference in case of future skirmishes with motorists.

I’m signed up for the Aug. 16 class — See you there! If you see me on the 15th, don’t let me drink too much.

Top photo by SeraphimC

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If you’re staycationing this summer, you can take a vicarious road trip by following Mary Logan Barmeyer — National Geographic Green Guide research specialist — and her cousin, Trish Harris via their blog, Two Green Girls on the Road.

These two girls took off from Atlanta on July 20 and have been driving across the country while trying to keep their eco-footprint as small as possible by crashing at friends’, hypermiling, and spending just $25 a day. Their ride itself, a gas-guzzling borrowed Volvo, isn’t green — but the car’s supposed to put the girls in the same boat as many American families traveling this summer.

Luckily, the girls are trying to take alternative transportation in the places they visit. In LA, for example, the girls took the Metro from Echo Park to Santa Monica beach!

I was supposed to meet up with these girls when they were in town last week week, but the time they were available — Wed. morning — conflicted with a Green L.A. panel I was on :( But I did get to chat with Mary Logan on her cell as the two drove out of the city.

Mary Logan says LA was “cool,” though it seems they ran into some snafus: They got on and off the Metro 4 and 704 all day, checking out West Hollywood and Beverly Hills on their way to the beach — but didn’t save money by getting a day pass because they didn’t know you could buy said passes on the bus. They also got turned away from The Echo because one of the girls forgot her ID –

But Mary Logan and Trish also got to check out Lovecraft Bio-Fuels, enjoyed some home garden-grown food, and visited Patagonia’s headquarters. The girls are now in San Francisco — and about to head back home. You can follow their progress on GeoMaps.

One odd coincidence, sort of: there are a couple dudes at CNN who’re doing like the exact reverse of what the Green Girls are doing. CNN.com producer Cody McCloy and web developer Brian Hardy are in the middle of biodieseling from San Francisco Bay to Atlanta. At the moment, the boys are in Winslow, Arizona.

If you’re planning a vacation of your own, Grist has a nice comprehensive guide on how to green your vacation. Happy summer –

Photo from National Geographic

[crossposted on BlogHer]

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>> Higher walkscores better for waistlines. “People with a lower body mass index – a measure of obesity – tended to live in areas with older buildings and where a higher proportion of people walked to work.” Earlier: Walkscore and Google Maps.

>> The LA City Council’s considering a moratorium today on new fast food restaurants in South LA in an effort to encourage healthier food options in the area. “A report released last year by the county’s Department of Public Health found 30% of children in South L.A. were obese, compared to 25% of all children in the city.” Update: Moratorium passes!

>> Whole Foods-Wild Oats merger hits snafu: “a federal appeals court overturned a lower court ruling that allowed the deal to go though.” The case goes back to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia now.

Screenshot from Walkscore

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The Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge is back! The main idea of the challenge is to make all trips under 2 miles by bike, but this year’s message is simpler and easier: Bike Once a Week to Fight Climate Change.

Still don’t have a bike yet? The 2 Mile Challenge site features a Bike Builder, which lets you, you know, build your own bike — then sends you a gear list and info on where to get the stuff.

I built myself a cruiser with a cute basket and blinky lights (above) and was v. tempted to buy it — except oh wait — I own one –

If you’re lucky, the 2 Mile Challenge biodiesel tour bus‘ll come to your town, “loaded with trip-mapping and Bike Builder kiosks, an inspirational cycling video and the market’s best commuter bikes, along with CLIF BAR samples.” Unfortunately, the bus won’t be coming to my town, but will apparently be hitting “hotspots in the Midwest.” There are hotspots in the Midwest? This is news to me –

No, those Clif bar wrappers still aren’t recyclable in the traditional sense — but Clif has teamed up with eco worm-poop company Terracycle to turn those wrappers into “unique accessories and other upcycled products.” Sign up to collect the wrappers — and a nonprofit org of your choice can get 2 cents per wrapper you send in!

Afraid a biking habit will mess up your ‘do? Summer has a nice guide to looking hot while biking on BTC blog — from the side-parted low hairstyle to bamboo denim trousers — complete with diagram (right). Read and learn.

Top image courtesy of 2 Mile Challenge; bottom photo illustration by Summer Bowen

[crossposted on BlogHer]

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>> Downtown loft living’s fun — and saves you money, apparently. Two stories: Guy moves to downtown LA loft, enjoys walking to work, loses 10 lbs, saves a lot of money. Girl moves to downtown LA loft, saves lotsa money, gets a life: “In the last month alone, I’ve attended a free salsa class, an evening concert on Grand Avenue, an art lecture at MOCA, a “locals” happy hour with complimentary appetizers and a $10 marimba concert at the Colburn Music School.”

>> Why we waste so much energy in the US. “The only way a typical utility can lose money is if demand drops. So the last thing most utilities want to do is seriously push strategies that save energy, strategies that do not pollute in the first place.” Things’re much better in Cali, however: “If all Americans had the same per capita electricity demand as Californians currently do, we would cut electricity consumption 40 percent…. Significantly, California adopted regulations so that utility company profits are not tied to how much electricity they sell.”

>> Sewage closes our beaches — yet again. And just yesterday my friend Kristen and I talked ’bout how sewage spills seem to have decreased from last year. Guess we spoke too soon –

>> Electric dirt bike Zero X gets a rave review from the LA Times. Cost: $7,450.

Photo by Topheroo via Flickr

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>> Free trolley rides to Dodger Stadium from Union Station start today. “The shuttle is presented by the City of Los Angeles in the hopes that event goers will take advantage of the many bus and rail lines that convene at Union Station.” Bike parking there still sucks though, apparently, as the bike rack area’s a smokers hangout — exposing healthy cycliststo second hand smoke.

>> The Metro Board voted to seek a half cent sales tax increase, with the extra money going to transit and highway projects — like the subway to the sea. Assuming the state legislature and County Board of Supervisors approve the plan by August 8, Californians will vote on the proposed tax increase in November. Damien Newton at Streetsblog LA has the details on what went down at the Metro Board meeting.

>> California’s gonna have the world’s toughest pollution rules for ships. “The rules, which take effect in 2009, would require ships within 24 nautical miles of California to burn low-sulfur diesel instead of the tar-like sludge known as bunker fuel.”

>> California’s one of 11 states in the Western Climate Initiative, which has come out with a draft proposal for a regional cap-and-trade program. The final proposal’s due in September; state and local governments would then have to agree to make the proposal official before it goes into effect in 2012. (via grist)

>> How medical marijuana in Cali’s transforming the pot biz. “Growing ganja lets you feel that you’re still living on the edge, especially when you’ve become a little complacent politically.”:

The people I met in the high-end ganja business had an affinity for higher modes of thinking and being, including vegetarianism and eating organic food, practicing yoga, avoiding prescription drugs in favor of holistic healing methods, travelling to Indonesia and Thailand, fasting, and experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs. Many were also financially savvy, working long hours and making six-figure incomes.

Top image via Dodgers website

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Google Maps gets walkable! (via grist)

Above is an illustration of how useful this function will for barhopping sans drunk-driving.

All you have to do is click the “Walking” option in Google Maps to get directions that recognize pedestrians can walk the wrong way on a one-way street, etc. The function works for trips up to 6.2 miles long — so if you’re training for a 10k, you can easily map out a running route that takes real-time traffic (so you don’t get run over) and terrain into account now.

We’re still waiting on Google Transit for bus and subway directions — as well as a biking directions feature.

Despite LA’s reputation as a drivers-only town, LA makes top 10 list of most walkable cities — with an overall walkability score of 67 of 100. I think the rankings stuck just to bigger cities, because surely the city of Santa Monica’s more walkable than 67? My zip scores an 88.

The more detailed look at the walkability of different LA neighborhoods is pretty interesting. Mid city tops the list with a score of 92, while Bel Air gets a sad 18. The rich (and the people who work for them) have no choice but to drive –

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Still too scared to get on a bike in LA? The upcoming Bicycle Street Skills Class — taught by League of American Bicyclists certified instructors Ron Durgin and Henry Hsieh — should boost your confidence.

According to the LA County Bicycle Coalition’s description, the class “gives cyclists the confidence they need to ride safely and legally [emphasis mine] in traffic or on the trail” — so I’m guessing freeway biking a la the Crimanimalz will not be on the schedule. Things that will be covered: “bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques and includes a student manual.”

You can either just take the one-day in-class course on Sat., August 2, or return on Sun., August 3 to hit the road and put into practice those new bike skills. Just to be clear, you MUST attend the Saturday class in order to attend the Sunday class.

In-class: Saturday, Aug. 2, 10 am - 2 pm at Community Corp, 502 Colorado, Santa Monica. Bring a pen, pencil, and bike; lunch optional. Successful completion will get you a certificate from LACBC, which can be applied as $10 discount for future participation in the full course. No RSVP required.

On the Road: Sunday, Aug. 3, 9 am - 3 pm at the North Parking Lot (enter from alley between Olympic and Michigan near 7th St.) of Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica. Bring your working bike plus helmet; lunch optional. Successful completion will receive a Road I certificate from League of American Bicyclists. Must RSVP to Aurisha of LACBC at 213-629-2142 because the class will be capped at 20 students.

Cost: $15 for LACBC members / $20 for non-members for just Saturday; $40 for LACBC members/ $50 for non-members for both days.

In other bicycling news:

>> Cyclists speak up at the Santa Monica City Council meeting about the latest draft of LUCE, the Land Use and Circulation Element that’ll influence transportation policy for the next decade in Santa Monica. Sounds like the councilmembers were on the cyclists’ side — except for Holbrook, whom I did not vote for.

>> Bicycle for a Day’s hopefully coming to Santa Monica on Sept. 20. Councilman Kevin McKeown’s seeking city authorization to basically create a West Coast equivalent to a planned event in NYC. If things come together, we’d have bike valet parking at the Pier, where at least four big regional rides will converge. Logistics have to be worked out, as Sept. 20 is also Heal the Bay’s beach clenup day. Says McKeown: “Everyone is approaching this year’s more-or-less ad hoc event as an experiment, with an eye toward an ongoing annual event in conjunction with BFADs in other cities around the globe.”

>> NoHo gets new bike racks at the subway station, thanks to the speedy work of LA Councilman Tom LaBonge. Streetsblog just put up an interview with LaBonge about biking in Europe.

>> DIY bike lanes spotted in LA. Sean Bonner saw one one the Fletcher LA River Bridge heading east. Anyone see others?

Photo by SeraphimC

Update, 8/4/08: Missed this class? Repeat classes are happening in Culver City Aug 9 & 16.

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For those who joined us for the Green Apartment Living Class last week — As promised, some links and resources to eco your westside rental:

Balcony Gardening by Summer Bowen
Here’s the Grilled Tofu dinner recipe — along with Tzatziki Sauce and chopped salad made with balcony garden produce.

You can also read up on porch gardening via Summer’s blog posts on growing lemons, making summer garden omelettes, window herb gardening, and caterpillar picking.

Read the comments for fascinating convos such as this:

Me: I’m a lil creeped out — Did it try to nibble on your finger?

Summer: Nah, he’s vegan.

Summer Bowen is the founder of online eco-store BTC Elements, a boutique collection of fashion, gifts, and accessories that are hand selected with an eye to the environment and social justice. Here’s the potato chip wrapper waste basket featured in Traci’s presentation.

Eco Apartment Renovations by Traci Reitz
Stay on top of the enviro-news in Santa Monica by visiting Sustainable Santa Monica. There you can find more information on the Low Carbon Diet event happening July 29 and also sign up for the monthly Sustainable Santa Monica e-Newsletter.

For more info on the 6-week residential greening program, visit Sustainable Works and/or read this post.

Traci Reitz is the Community Sustainability Liaison for the City of Santa Monica. She recommends the blog Re-Nest for more on green apartment living.

Car-free apartment living by me
Find links and resources for making more friends while using less fossil fuels here, along with some long term ideas I’m thinking about and a few recommendations for further reading.

Thanks for coming, everyone!

Photos by Summer Bowen

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