>> Santa Monica’s celeb-studded sushi spot The Hump could be shut down for serving endangered Sei whale meat, after Heal the Bay president Mark Gold called them out. The restaurant’s on city property, which means the city can terminate its lease if restaurant owners commit a crime. More in two weeks, after the city investigates the issue.

>> Love Tender Greens‘ local, organic produce paired with organic wines? A new Tender Greens location opens at Sunset and Vine in Hollywood today.

>> Grace restaurant will move to downtown L.A. later this year — and plans to get up to a quarter of its produce from its own garden. to the rectory of St. Vibiana’s later this year, Owner Neal Fraser “has an idea for taking diners into the garden to pick, say, five ingredients for a tasting menu.” This feature article from the L.A. Times also highlights the green efforts of many other local restaurants, including Tender Greens, York, Comme Ca, Napa Valley Grille, and Mixt Greens.

>> The City of L.A.’s growing gardeners with a green gardener training course intended to give eco-friendly and marketable skills to lower-income residents:

Thirty-one gardeners participated in the pilot training program that began late last year, and 89 are expected to be trained soon through the program, which was funded with $250,000 in federal stimulus money, through the city’s Community Development Department, and conducted in partnership with the Institute of Popular Education of Southern California, an immigrant education group.

Earlier: A Green landscape design contest — and 6 free green garden events

Photo by Jory .

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Nearly 10% of L.A. County residents need food assistance — yet perfectly good food gets thrown in dumpsters around our city every day — which has environmentalists and freebie seekers alike dumpster diving for free food.

Freeganism’s not new news anymore — but a film about freeganism is! It’s called Dive!. Watch the preview’s below (via MNN):

Dive! is screening in L.A.-area venues this month:

>> Thurs., March 11 at 7 pm Conscientious Projector screening at Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. FREE.

>> Sat., March 13, 6:15 pm at the 15th Annual International Family Film Festival, Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. Tickets cost $10 each.

>> Mon., March 15 at 7:30 pm as part of 7 Dudley Cinema at The Talking Stick, 1411 Lincoln Blvd., Venice. FREE.

More screenings will happen in April and May, if you can’t make these. I like the idea of freeganing, but I tend to be very afraid of food-borne illnesses, since recalls even on food still on supermarket shelves seem to happen every month. The L.A. Times recently reported that food-borne illnesses really cost you:

A new consumer research report released Wednesday has found that the health-related costs of food-borne illnesses total $152 billion a year, including the costs of medical bills, lost wages and lost productivity.

Get ill and you could end up spending a lot more than you saved on your freegan food. So to freegan more safely, read Leah Koenig’s dos and don’ts of dumpster diving.

Freeganing not adventurous enough for you? Try being a frugan — a frugal vegan, according to one Katherine Fairfax Wright, who dumpster dives for her animal-product-free eats and resells salvaged trashed goods at a profit. She blogs at Frugal Living.

Earlier:
>> Dumpsters get popular: Freegans and junk yard tours
>> Book Review: The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved

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>> Get to Hollywood for The Toxies, a red carpet event giving awards to “bad chemical actors.” Organized by CHANGE (Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy), the Toxies begin on Wed., March 3 at 11 am at the Egyptian Theater, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles.

>> The next Green Business Networking happens Tues., March 9 from 6 pm – 9 pm at The Ambrose Hotel, 1255 20th St., Santa Monica. Meet greet and shmooze over organic food and drinks. Cost: $15. Earlier: About GBN.

>> Sign up to take a Green Living Workshop with Santa Monica nonprofit Sustainable Works. Workshop participants meet once a week for 6 weeks to learn all about shrinking your carbon footprint. The next round of classes begin early March; pick from Mon., Tues., or Wed. night meetings. Cost: $25 for Santa Monica residents, $50 for L.A. residents.

>> The next Permaculture Design Course taught by Larry Santoyo of EarthFlow Design Works begins next month! I took the course last year; sign up now.

>> Sign up now to take your own reusable net-bag by taking a Net-making Workshop with Mike Metzger, happening Sat., April 17 from 11 am – 5 pm at the Machine Project. The $35 class is capped at 10 students, so seriously, sign up now.

Image via The Toxies

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Eating local’s great — except when you need a caffeine kick or chocolate fix. That’s where fair trade treats come in! Here’s a short holiday gift list of newish decadent fair trade and organic edibles that’ll make you drool:

For the vegan chocoholic: nicobella vegan organic chocolate truffles. Looking for chocolates with health benefits and antioxidant powers? nicobella truffles are packed with good-for-you ingredients like blueberries, green tea, and flax seeds — all covered in delicious 70% dark chocolate and slightly sweetened with agave nectar and brown rice syrup.

The decadent truffles come in a set of six — Walnut Flaxseed Crunch, Blueberry Almond, Ginger Green Tea, Pure Cocoa Bliss, Sunflower Banana, and Pumpkin Chai — in a recyclable paper box made from FSC-certified paper. Get a box at fair trade, organic chocolatier Theo for $13.20.

For the cookie monster from New England: Taste of New England Gift Basket. Miss home? Comfort yourself with a cookie fix from Dancing Deer, a women-led natural baking company that’s teamed up with fair trade company Equal Exchange to create yummy gift baskets featuring fair trade goodies alongside local treats.

I haven’t tried Dancing Deer’s cookies myself, but the molasses clove cookies, shortbread cookies, and brownies look delicious. The basket also comes with fair trade Equal Exchange Rooibos Tea, which I have tried, plus raw local honey from Boston Honey Co. and trail mix from local nut shop Fastachi — all delivered in a seagrass basket for $59.95. A large basket — which adds on more baked goods plus fair trade coffee and chocolate — costs $99.95.

For the treehugging caffeine addict: Arbor Day Specialty Coffee. You won’t be sacrificing taste for eco-altruism with the Arbor Day Blend;  Coffee Review gave this brew a 92 rating! Enjoy a cuppa with the happy knowledge that the proceeds from this triple certified coffee — organic , fair trade, and Smithsonian Bird-Friendly — goes directly to the Arbor Day Foundation’s Rain Forest Rescue Program to preserve rain forests.

Addicted? Join the Coffee Club, which will send you a 10-ounce bag plus an Arbor Day mug for $6.95 — with two more bags sent every four weeks  at $8.95 per bag. Earlier: 3 Tasty, triple-certified coffees — all with an extra 4th cause with a kick.

Photos via Thoe, Dancing Deer, Arbor Day

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Meet the new face of eco-fashion: Rachel Avalon! An environmentalist with a holistic nutrition business in Los Angeles, Rachel was announced the winner first ever Project Green Search — a contest to find the next eco it girl — at a final wrapup party at the Ecco Ultra Lounge in Hollywood last Friday.

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If the 4 eco-fashion and beauty events happening this week aren’t enough for you, here are more green places to be:

>> The L.A. Bicycle Master Plan meeting for Northeast Los Angeles happens Wed., Nov. 4, 6 pm – 8 pm at Ramona Hall, 4580 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles.

>> Project Green Search’s wrap up party’s free and open to all! Come mingle with green models and their judges on Fri., Nov. 6, 7 pm – 10 pm at ECCO Ultra Lounge, 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles.

>> The Yes Men Fix the World starts an open run at the Laemmle’s Sunset 5 and Laemmle’s Playhouse on Fri., Nov. 6. Go make friends with the Survivaballs!

>> Take a FREE Beginning Smart Gardening Workshop from the LA DWP to “learn more about backyard composting, worm composting, grass recycling, water-wise gardening, and fire-wise gardening.” Compost bins will be on sale at subsidized prices! The lessons begin Sat., Nov. 7 from 9:30 am – 11:30 am at Ocean View Farms Community Gardens, 3300 Centinela Ave., Los Angeles.

>> True Blood’s Kristin Bauer wants you to join her to support The International Fund for Animal Welfare’s Tails for Whales Campaign. Meet her, learn about whales, and get free chips and a bath bomb on Sat., Nov. 7, from 1 pm – 3 pm at LUSH Cosmetics, 1404 Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Calif.

>> California State Parks Foundation wants you at its film series, “California State Parks Starring in Hollywood Films” at Paramount Studios this weekend. Watch The Adventures of Robin Hood, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Vertigo on Sat., Nov. 7 and Sun., Nov. 8 at Paramount Studios, 555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. Tickets — which include popcorn — cost $19 for adults or $9 for children per film. Weekend and VIP tickets and packages are also available.

>> Santa Monicans can get info and rebates on rain barrels and cisterns at the city’s FREE first annual rainwater harvesting products showcase and sales event. Be there Sun., Nov. 8 from 10 am – 2 pm at Santa Monica Airport, 3050 Airport Ave., Santa Monica.

>> Organic wine lovers won’t want to miss the Alma Rosa Organic Wine Tasting! Try out a flight of 4 wines while learning about sustainable winemaking from Alma Rosa Winery’s partner Robert Szerwo on Mon., Nov. 9, 7 pm – 9 pm at Pourtal, 103 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. Cost: $15.

Image via Project Green Search

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Always miss your local farmers’ market day, despite your best locavoring intentions? In Hollywood, farmers’ market day’s now everyday thanks to The Farmer’s Kitchen, which celebrated its grand opening and dedication yesterday.

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L.A.’s getting an eco-activist theme park! Environmentaland will open its doors at a 7000 square-foot space in Hollywood and Highland on Oct. 1 — for 21 days of fun, play, and prizes.

A project of artsy eco-activist group Global Inheritance, Environmentaland’s described as “a hybrid museum/theme park, with the goal “to provide a diving board into activism for every type of person from every sort of place.” Step into Environmentaland and you’ll get a scorecard with the chance to earn points for your eco-knowledge and skills at stations like:

TRASHed :: Art of Recycling Exhibit, Desert Mini Golf Course, Organic Taste Test Challenge, 18 & Up Alternative Energy Golf Carts, THINK BIG Mini-Bin Design School, The Energy FACTory, Recycled Paper Plane Shoot Out, Tour De Energy Bikes & Lightbox, Portal Potties, Recycled Planetarium, Pearl Jam Hand Powered Listening Station, WASTed On The Clock.

Those points can be exchange for everything from VIP festival passes, merchandise from FUEL TV and other entertainment companies, organic clothes from Loomstate, film, and music.

Environmentaland will be open from 11 am to 6 pm every day from Oct. 1 to Oct. 21. Admission’s $5 — or just $3 if you take the subway, bus, or bike. Students also get the discounted $3 admission.

Evenings at Environmentaland will feature special events, including readings, art shows, movie screenings, speakers, and fundraisers. musical appearances, art shows, book readings, speakers, and fundraisers. In fact, Environmentaland’s already been holding special events for quite a while, including the screening of Earth Days I went to while the theme park was still under construction. To find out about upcoming special events, join the Environmentaland mailing list by emailing nightevents@globalinheritance.org.

Images courtesy of Global Inheritance

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Prius preeners — Want your car scrubbed down by green bikini-clad models with eco-friendly waterless cleaners — for free? Then find a reason to carpool over to the southeast corner of Highland Ave. and Franklin Ave. in Hollywowod on Tues., Aug. 25 from 10 am – noon!

There, a quintet of bikini models will be awaiting your arrival, ready to clean up your eco-ride with a waterless car wash. Caveat: Your car must be an electric or hybrid car! No car washes for gas guzzlers!

The free washes come courtesy of Angry Green Girl, a new eco-friendly site that’ll be celebrating its launch with the event. According to the PR rep, Angry Green Girl will be “a brash, sexy and hilarious green lifestyle destination” featuring “hot girls telling you how to save the environment through webisodes, product reviews, etc.”

Are bikini-clad models really what’ll get people interested in environmental issues? The pre-launch site brags about “shamelessly exploiting everything I got to save our world” — a statement that’ll make many an environmentalist raise a skeptical eyebrow — though I’m guessing the free car washes and the attendant models will prove popular. I’m curious to see what Angry Green Girl will look like once it actually launches –

Image courtesy of Angry Green Girl

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>> It’s National Farmers Market Week right now, thanks to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s proclamation. (via LAist)

>> The L.A. Times has a new interactive guide to Southern California farmers markets, searchable by zip code or by name.

>> Hollywood’s gonna get its first pedestrian alley,located west of Cosmo Street between Hollywood Boulevard and Selma Avenue. According to L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti, “The pedestrian alley is expected to be completed by Summer 2010.”

>> Pedal and be counted in the 2009 Bicycle Count Survey, put together by the L.A. Bicycle Coalition: “We hope to use the data from this fun and civic-participatory event to furnish evidence for the need for more urban planning integrating mass transit, cycling, and walking.”

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