>> Learn about sustainable design and architecture at Sustainable 20|10 – 20 people, 10 slides, “an inspiring evening of twenty people presenting ten images of innovative sustainable design and architecture.” The event begins Thurs., Feb. 25 at 7 pm at SPF:a Gallery, 8609 Washington Blvd., Culver City. RSVP to will@aialosangeles.org.

>> Join the last Malibu Public Beaches Safaris by The Los Angeles Urban Rangers! On Sat. Feb. 27, the rangers will offer three FREE 1.5-hour mini-safaris, taking off at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. You don’t even need to sign up — Just show up at the public beach accessway between 22140-22126 Pacific Coast Highway (~.5 mis west of Carbon Canyon Rd. and ~1 mi. east of Malibu pier). Rain cancels the safaris. Earlier: Malibu Public Beach Safaris: Why activists should chill on the beach this summer.

>> L.A. Council President Eric Garcetti wants you to join him for a Day of Beautification in Echo Park. Meet on Sat., Feb. 27 at the Walgreen’s parking lot in Echo Park (northwest corner of Sunset Boulevard and Echo Park Avenue) at 8:45 am, nibble on refreshments and get instructions, then clean up the hood for 2 hours.

>> Take a crash course on Small-Space Food Gardening with gardening expert Darren Butler, who’ll teach you how to grow food even if you don’t have a garden plot. The day-long class happens Sat., Feb. 27 from 8:45 am – 4:30 pm. Cost: $100, or $85 if you pay before Feb. 19. Earlier: Fresh Food From Small Spaces – Balcony gardens, simplified.

>> Cut back on your water bill by taking Greywater 101 with Leigh Jerrard, founder of California Greywater Corps, who’ll show you how to reuse waste water from bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks and laundry for landscape irrigation. The lesson begins Sat., Feb. 27 from 2 pm – 4 pm on the east side; RSVP to Julie at contactgbf@gmail.com for the exact address. Cost: $25.

>> Planning a green wedding? The FREE Champagne & Cupcakes Eco-Bridal Trunk Show presented by Copper Willow Paper Studio will feature eco-friendly wedding vendors and resources, green wedding and event experts, creative tutorials and demos, dessert and hors d’oeuvres tasting, and hourly prizes and giveaways. Be there Mon., March 1 from 4 pm – 8 pm at Copper Willow Paper Studio & Collection, 8530 Washington Blvd., Culver City. RSVP required to info@copperwillow.com or 310.836.6004. Earlier: Copper Willow – Gorgeous green letterpress holiday cards from Culver City. Earlier: Soi-Meme: Eco-weddings made economical.

>> See eco-celebs at Global Green USA’s 7th Annual Pre-Oscar Party. Famous actors attend, and famous musicians perform, at this annual eco-event and fundraiser — but would-be attendees should be warned that last year, the party got so full ticket holders had to stand in line for hours to get in. Perhaps they’ll be better organized this year. The party begins Wed., March 3 at 8 pm at Avalon Hollywood, 1735 Vine St., Los Angeles. Cost: $75.

>> The Green LA Coalition’s put together a workshop on Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programs: Community Benefits, Workforce Opportunities & Challenges (PDF). Learn about everything from broader environmental implications of retrofits to direct benefits for building owners and apartment renters on Thurs., March 4, 9 am to noon at The California Endowment, 1000 N. Alameda, Los Angeles. RSVP to szabanal@greenlacoalition.org by Feb. 26.

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So you’ve been BYO-ing your own reusable bag to the grocery store for years. And you’ve heard a lot about how disposable bags could get disposed of real soon, thanks to anti-one-use-bag laws-to-be in California. And you’re wondering if your BYO-ing ways will become every Angeleno’s 2010 New Year’s resolution.

Ha ha!

Okay — The situation’s not THAT bad. We’ve got many allies on our side, and A Day Without a Bag in the works. Plus, the move to ban plastic bags isn’t simply an environmental one in SoCal, considering the fact that our tourist dollars depend on clean-looking, not-too-plasticky beaches. But despite pretty widespread support for a plastic bag ban, these bans are a hard time coming.

Why? The plastic bag industry, which has been killing marine life with its products for years, is marketing itself as an endangered species in need of environmental protection.

That’s right — The plastic industry’s renamed itself the “Save the Plastic Bag” coalition. And it’s arguing that the California Environmental Quality Act — which requires environmental impact reports for projects and plans that may harm the environment — applies to plastic bag bans! The industry’s saying that cities and counties must be required to conduct time-consuiming environmental impact study to see if banning plastic bags could be bad for the environment. Mark Gold, President of environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay, wrote about this crazy irony back in January:

If you were to believe the letter [from the plastic industry] that reads as if it came straight out of Lewis Carroll, banning plastic bags will lead to major climate change and deforestation impacts.

Thank God the plastic industry is trying to save us from global warming….

Surely, this is the definition of insanity. Also, the precedent of being forced to complete an EIR on every ordinance or zoning change is beyond horrifying, and would lead to a perpetual state of inertia in local government.

Sadly, the plastic industry’s been quite successful at using environmental laws to stall plastic bag bans. Remember how Manhattan Beach voted to ban these bags back in July 2008? That city got sued, so the ban’s still not in effect. L.A. County voted in not-even-that-threatening voluntary reductions, to be followed up by a bag ban if agreed-upon reductions don’t happen by July 2010 — and got sued by the plastic bag industry. Santa Monica started working on an ordinance for a ban in Feb. 2008 — then decided in Jan. 2009 to hold off on passing a ban because the plastic bag industry threatened to sue.

The one city that hasn’t gotten sued is Malibu, whose plastic bag ban went into effect Oct. 2008. Why no lawsuit? Who knows? “It’s very bizarre,” said Kirsten James of Heal the Bay earlier this week, “but it’s good news that they slipped through the cracks.”

So what happens now? Kirsten James says that local counties and cities are trying to work together on joint Environmental Impact Reports to cut costs. The hope is that L.A. County will be able to complete its EIR by spring, before the automatic ban trigger kicks in, thereby throwing off the plastic industry’s lawsuit.

And hopefully, the City of L.A. will see a ban soon too. The Los Angeles City Council actually voted to ban plastic bags by Jan. 1, 2010 if a statewide user-fee on plastic or paper bags has not been established by that time. No state law’s been passed, which means a city-wide ban should become reality — except the a ban doesn’t automatically kick in Jan. 1. The City Council now needs to pass an ordinance to adopt a city-wide policy banning plastic bags — which isn’t likely happen before Jan. 1, according to Kirsten James. This means Angelenos need to put pressure on the City Council to pass that ordinance ASAP.

On the state level, my own state assemblymember Julia Brownley introduced AB68, which, if passed, would put a 25 cent fee on paper and plastic bags, with the revenue going to local governments to help clean up trash and litter. Kirsten James says the bill’s stuck in its first house at the moment, but hope remains: “The budget is an excuse for a lot of things in the last year … but we see this as a potential revenue generator.”

Want the city to pass a bag ban ASAP? Write your councilmembers asking for the ordinance they promised. Want the state to tax the bag? Heal the Bay’s Trashed site has a handy letter supporting AB68 you can send to the California Legislature.

Earlier: Bring your own bag: How to BYOB in easy eco-style

Photo by Envirowoman

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>> State parks will stay open, but most will have “reduced hours of operation and maintenance levels,” reports The L.A. Times. Also, “The park system faces a larger budget cut of $22 million next year.”

>> Construction begins on Malibu Legacy Park, a private/public partnership that’ll create a central park for the city as well as function “like an environmental cleaning machine to reduce pollution impacts and improve water quality in Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon and the world-famous Surfrider Beach.” (via ecosalon)

>> Report roadkill via the California Roadkill Observation System. According to The Sierra Club’s The Green Life:

The project, developed at UC Davis, aims to increase understanding of how roads affect ecosystems, and is part of an emerging field called ‘road ecology.’ We already know that cars kill large numbers of animals every year; the project’s aim is to get more detailed information about where roadkill occurs most often, and which animals tend to fall victim.

The roadkill photo gallery’s rather gruesome.

>> L.A. Times profiles the East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, “part of a new generation of urban, blue-collar environmentalists” tackling the disproportionately bad environmental pollution in their working class neighborhoods.

Photo of Montana de Oro State Park by docentjoyce

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California state parks have been getting some much needed attention lately — if for rather downer reasons — but Angelenos have yet more public playgrounds to be taking advantage of: Beautiful Malibu public beaches.

Many Angelenos don’t even know we’ve got 27 miles of public beaches in Malibu — much less taken advantage of them. Thanks in part to unfriendly Malibu homeowners and public beach funding issues, these gorgeous beaches can be tough to find for newbies.

That’s why a group of activists who call themselves Los Angeles Urban Rangers have taken it upon themselves to take Angelenos out on Malibu Public Beach Safaris — to introduce people to the beaches they own, and to engage them with the many issues and fights over private-public spaces happening in the L.A. area. The Safari’s are free, thanks to grant funding.

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>> The closing reception for “Topography, Light and Magic” by conservation photographer Robert McGinley will feature a speech about land and resource conservation by eco-actor Ed Begley, Jr. Plus, proceeds from the exhibit benefit Heal the Bay and Santa Monica Baykeeper. Be there tomorrow, Friday, July 31 from 7 – 9 pm at Blue Seven Gallery, 3129 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. RSVP to Ali Sivak at 323.936.1447 or ali@caapr.com.

>> Friday must be gallery night. The opening reception for “Land Sea Air“ will feature “three installations that reflect the land, sea and air of Huntington Beach presented by artists Robert Wysocki, Peter Segerstrom, and the Cypress College Contemporary Art & Technology Seminar” — whose students have created “a large inflatable Pterodactyl (her name is Prana) that changes color based the quality of air outside of the museum,” according to Ed Giardina. Be at the Huntington Beach Art Center, 538 Main St., Huntington Beach on Friday, July 31 from 7 pm to 9 pm. The exhibit will be on view until September 06, 2009.

>> Curious about Colony Collapse Disorder? Go to a fundraiser for and a sneak peek of the documentary film The Vanishing of the Bees, where you’ll see clips from the film, hear a Q&A with filmmakers George Langworthy and Maryam Henein, and maybe bid in a silent auction. All that happens Fri., July 31 at 7 pm at G2 Gallery, 1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice  Cost: $10 donation.

>> Don’t forget about Fallen Fruit’s 4th annual Public Fruit Jam on Sunday, Aug 2, 10 am – 1 pm at Machine Project in Echo Park.

>> Sign up for the next series of Green Living Workshops with Sustainable Works. The 6-week workshops meet once a week to cover many aspects of green living. Pick from Sunday (starting Aug. 23), Tuesday (starting Aug. 25) or Wednesday (starting Aug. 26) classes, both offered in Santa Monica locations. Cost: $25 for Santa Monica residents; $50 L.A. residents.

>> Also sign up for the Malibu Public Beaches Safaris and take back the beach! The free events happen on Saturdays and Sundays in August.

>> Bike advocates: Don’t miss the 4th Street Bike Blvd Campaign Meeting! Help make 4th St. a real Bike Blvd. by participating on Thurs., Aug. 6 from 6:30 pm – 8 pm at Shatto Park, 3191 W 4th St., Los Angeles.

>> Drink pinot responsibly if you drive your plug-in electric car to Plug-ins, Pinots and Progress, Plug In America’s annual fundraiser. You’ll see rare plug-in electric vehicles, enter auctions for cool items, nibble on organic yummies, drink wine, and just party with other eco-thinking folks. The event happens Sun., Aug. 9 from 4 pm – 8 pm at Thomas Fogarty Winery, 19501 Skyline Blvd., Woodside. Tickets start at $120.

Image via Heal the Bay

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Malibu beaches are lined with “private street” signs, but as activist Jenny Price has pointed out, many of these beaches are publicly owned.

And now, the 4th Malibu Public Beaches Safaris can show you exactly what beaches’re there for your surfing pleasure — and how to find, park, walk, picnic, and sunbathe there: “Each safari visits two different beaches. Skills-enhancing activities include sign watching, trailblazing the public-private boundary, a no-kill hunt for accessways, and a public easement potluck.”

When: East Malibu beach tours happen:

>> Sun., August 2 from 11 am – 2:30 pm (FULL)

>> Sun., August 16, from 9 am – 12:30 pm

>> Sat., Aug. 22 from 3 pm – 6:30 pm.

A West Malibu beach tour happens Sun., August 23 from 4 pm – 7:30 pm.

Cost: Free with RSVP by emailing info@laurbanrangers.org with tour date, name, and number of people.

The safaris’re put together by the Los Angeles Urban Rangers, a collective of artists, writers, architects, and urban designers who explore LA and work to help others do likewise. Can’t make the safari? Download the Malibu Public Beaches Guide (PDF)!

Update, 8/24/09: I went on a Malibu Public Beach Safari: Why activists should chill on the beach this summer

Photo via LAUR

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The good news (for me, at least): I live just a short bike ride away from the beach. The bad news: That beach, while popular, is a pretty polluted mess.

Enviro-nonprofit Heal the Bay released its annual beach report card for California beaches, and the beach nearest me — Santa Monica Municipal Pier — was named and shamed as one of “The Top 10 Beach Bummers.” Santa Monica’s beach earned a nice fat F for pollution, along with 22 other beaches.

The F could mean health problems for those who decide to enjoy a dip in these beaches. According to Heal the Bay:

The lower the grade, the greater the health risk. Potential illnesses include stomach flu, ear infection, upper respiratory infection and major skin rash (full body).

However, announcing bad news can apparently have some good results. According to the L.A. Times, “Heal the Bay data analyst Mike Grimmer said spotlighting water-quality problems has spurred action: At least seven ‘bummer’ sites have been allocated funds for pollution reduction under the state’s clean beach initiative. Santa Monica, for example, Wednesday turned on a new pump at the pier intended to redirect runoff to a recycling facility.”

Those funds are especially necessary since Gov. Schwarzenegger cut nearly $1 million from state beach monitoring funds last year, forcing monitoring agencies to scramble for alternative funding — or monitoring less or not at all. According to the report card, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties were most affected — which means the report card doesn’t even have grades for many beach locations in those counties.

That’s rather frightening news. On the upside, among the beaches that were monitored, 85% received As and Bs.  Planning a summer vacation in California? Stick to the cleaner beaches — and take note of the most polluted ones below. You can also check Heal the Bay’s site closer to when you visit to get the latest grades on the beaches you’re interested in.

The Top 10 Beach Bummers
1. Avalon Harbor Beach on Catalina Island (Los Angeles County)
2. Cabrillo Beach harborside (Los Angeles County)
3. Pismo Beach Pier (San Luis Obispo County)
4. Colorado Lagoon (Los Angeles County)
5. Santa Monica Municipal Pier (Los Angeles County)
6. City of Long Beach at LA River outlet (Los Angeles County)
7. Poche Beach (Orange County)
8. Surfrider Beach at Malibu Creek (Los Angeles County)
9. Campbell Cove State Park Beach (Sonoma County)
10. Doheny Beach at San Juan Creek (Orange County)

Earlier:Cali beaches: Pretty clean, except for LA beaches

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>> Come 5:30 pm tonight, I’ll be at V Lounge, 2020 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, getting ready to watch the VP debate. The event’s also a fundraiser for Obama, and the recommended donation’s $25, though you can slide in with just $10.

>> Post debate, I’ll be at Green Drinks at epOxyGreen, 602 Venice Blvd., Venice. That starts at 7 pm and has a $5 suggested donation.

>> Tomorrow, Oct. 3, I’ll be at a panel discussion of Santa Monica City Council Candidates, happening from 6 pm – 8:30 pm at Santa Monica College Concert Hall, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Submit questions by calling the League of Women Voters at 310.394.4661 or emailing walstons@aol.com or inatsugub@aol.com.

>> The Autumnal Green Festival happens at 650 Laguna Canyon Rd. in Laguna Beach on Fri., Oct. 3, from 1pm – 9:30pm and Sat., Oct. 4, 8:30 am – 9pm, and Sun. Oct. 5, 8:30am – 5pm. Cost: $15 for a 3 day pass, $7 for a day pass before 6pm ($15 after 6 pm), or FREE if you ride your bike to the main entrance before 10 am on Sat. or Sun. A Symposium’s also attached to this — but it’s a lot more expensive.

>> Malibu’s throwing a festival too: the Wallflower Organic & Eco Festival happening Sat., Oct. 4 from 10 am – 6 pm at 23555 Civic Center, Malibu. There’ll be a “green village,” eco speakers, and live bands on a solar-powered stage.

>> Going to the Detour Festival? Eco-boutique Regeneration’s throwing a shopping party at 1649 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock, with wine, snacks and 15% off everything in the store if you stop by between 7 pm – 9pm on Saturday, Oct. 4.

Photo by Barent Roth

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>> The Great L.A. Health Care Rally for universal health care will be joined by Lt Governor John Garamendi, Actress Lily Tomlin, State Senator Sheila Kuehl, Maria Elena Durazo, Dolores Huerta — plus music, entertainment, and political activism, of course. Be at Los Angeles City Hall this Sat., Aug. 18 at 1 pm.

>> A Fandango Fundraiser for Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, featuring food, drinks, and live traditional music from Veracruz, Mexico, happens Fri. Aug. 10 at 8 pm, SAJE: 152 West 32nd St., Los Angeles. $10 donation requested; All proceeds go toward the upcoming 1st Annual Come Together Community Festival.

>> Malibu Public Beaches Safaris‘re happening Saturday and Sunday. [image from LAUR]

>> KCRW’s pledge drive drives on. I’ll be volunteering from 10:45 to 12:30 tomorrow — Call in! 800.600.kcrw.

Update, 8/21/08: SB 840’s coming up for vote in the state assembly for reals now! Take action!

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