>> Support Trash for Teaching, an eco-nonprofit that upcycles discarded stuff into educational materials and projects. Trash for Teaching’s benefit event Let’s Talk Trash, which’ll feature appetizers and half-priced drinks, happens Thurs., June 25 from 6 pm - 9 pm at Rush Street, 9546 Washington Blvd., Culver City. Cover: $20, all of which goes to Trash for Teaching programs. RSVP to kathy@trashforteaching.org.

>> This month’s Car Free Fridays event will “spotlight roads we want prioritized in the Bike Plan, painted with Sharrows in and around Silverlake and Echo Park,” according to the L.A. County Bicycle Coalition. Meet at 8 am at Sunset Junction at the corner of Sandborn and Sunset on Friday, June 26, 8 am.

>> NorthEast Trees will have a Tree Planting & Community Day of Service — plus a citrus tree adoption for L.A. residents — on Sat., June 27, from 8 am - 1 pm at 850 N. Mission St., Los Angeles. Contact Simran at simran@northeasttrees.org for more info. Update: Mayor Villaraigosa will be a-planting here.

>> Diverted Destruction 2, a second annual recycled art show, will have its opening reception on Sat., June 27 from 7 pm - 11 pm at The Loft at Liz’s, 453 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles.

>> A second green exhibit’s happening Saturday: Conservation photographer Robert McGinley’s exhibit “Topography, Light and Magic” will feature photographs of threatened wetlands, woodlands, farmland and prairies — with sales from the exhibit benefiting Heal the Bay and Santa Monica Baykeeper. The opening reception happens Sat., June 27 from 6 pm - 9 pm at Blue Seven Gallery, 3129 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica.

>> Get ready for the Los Angeles Business Council 3rd Annual Sustainability Summit (PDF). Dubbed “Building a Green Economy, Transportation & Innovation,” speakers this year include U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa, and leaders from LA DWP, Metro, and green companies. It all happens on Mon., June 29, from 7:30 am - 3 pm in the Harold M. Williams Auditorium at The Getty. Register online. Cost: $135 - $300 per ticket.

Image via theloftatlizs.com

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Thanks to the growing interest in local, organic food, Angelenos can suddenly pick from a wealth of community supported agriculture programs with locations all over the metropolis. CSA programs basically let you invest in a local farm — for which you’re rewarded with weekly boxes of fresh local produce grown from that farm.

Some of the programs below have stretched that definition of the CSA a bit, to pool produce from more than one organic local farm, for example. Still, the general goal — to connect you to local, seasonal produce and the farms and farmers around you — remains the same. Your options:

(more…)

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Question: I have several bicycle tubes that wold like to recycle but don’t know where. Any ideas? I live in L.A. by LAX. Emilio

Answer: The easiest solution I know of right now: The next time you visit Santa Monica, drop them off at Bikerowave. Says Alex Thompson, who’s involved with the bike co-op:

We recycle them. We just have a big box of rubber recycling, which eventually gets taken to the SM recycling center, where they actually recycle them. We don’t repurpose them = no real use/lack of volunteer resources.

You might also consider calling bike shops near you to see if they have recycling programs — but the few local ones I tried calling did not, which is why I suggest the Bikerowave route. You may, however, be luckier than me.

If you’re feeling more motivated, convince a local shop to start a recycling program with upcycling companies like Alchemy Goods or Green Guru Gear — and make bike tube recycling easier for your whole neighborhood.

Or if you’re feeling crafty, Instructables has several 1000 uses for old bicycle tubes.

Anyone know of other L.A.-based or national bike tube recycling programs?

Photo by 7-how-7

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I’m unfortunately flying a lot this summer — which is why I’m “buying carbon offsets” and writing about packing light. Later this month, I’ll write about greening flights as much as possible — but this post’s about greening pre-flight!

Besides eco-issues, getting to the airport in a car can be annoying for other reasons. Driving your own car and parking at the airport for a weekend can get expensive — and trying to arrange a friend drive you can be a hassle, especially if your flight takes off really early, really late, or during business hours. Luckily, L.A.’s got a lot of great green travel options:

Public transportation: Bus or rail’s usually the cheapest option for getting to the airport. If I take my local Big Blue Bus, I can get to the airport for just 75 cents! Compare that to about $40 via taxi.

The downside to this method’s that many towns don’t have robust public transportation systems — especially early in the morning or late at night — so in some places, going by public transportation can take significantly longer. In addition, if you’re taking a longer trip with more luggage, the travel process can be cumbersome — especially if you have to make multiple transfers.

On the other hand, if you don’t have much luggage and are close to a direct bus or rail line to the airport, travel by public transportation can actually be a lot less stressful than driving. Especially lucky are those close to rail lines; you’ll avoid rush hour traffic jams entirely! Ryanne of Ryan is Hungry took Metro from LAX to downtown L.A. — and made it across town in just an hour for $1.25. [Update: I think Ryanne should've actually paid $2.50. See comments]

Shuttles: The Flyaway shuttle moves people between 3 spots around town to the airport for $5 - $7 a trip — which is convenient if you live close to one of those 3 spots. A couple more expensive shuttles like Primetime will pick you up and drop you off at your residence — but cost about $20 a trip.

Usually, I’ll take the Flyaway to get to the airport if I’m flying during normal daylight hours. But because I have to take the BBB 2 or Metro 720 to get to the Flyaway, I’ll opt for Primetime if I need to get to the airport rather early or late in the day.

Eco-friendly taxis and cars: L.A. has a couple eco-friendly cab companies — Taxi Taxi and Eurotaxi — that use hybrid, CNG, or biodiesel taxis. I’m hoping we’ll also get PlanetTran, an eco-friendly transportation service to the airport with a mostly-Prius fleet equipped with wifi — but that service is only in the San Francisco Bay and New England areas right now (via The Green Girls).

However, eco-friendly taxis and cars aren’t necessarily greener than, say, driving your own Prius to the airport — so group travel’s generally the greener way to go.

How do you usually get to the airport?

Earlier: A 5-step program for the public transit-phobic

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Plan for it now, since this weekend’s going to be busy:

>> The next monthly Green Business Networking happens Tues., June 9 from 6 pm - 9 pm at The Ambrose Hotel, 1255 20th St., Santa Monica. There’ll be green entrepreneurs, desperate job seekers, and organic food and drinks. Cost: $10. Earlier: About GBN.

>> The next Westside Permaculture Gathering will revisit the 100 Gardens Challenge event to see where to go from here. Bring food for a potluck and your own reusable utensils on Tues., June 9 at 6:30 pm to the Multipurpose room of the Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. See you there!

>> LA River Community Cleanup includes a mini-fair and post-cleanup BBQ! Join volunteers from Heal the Bay, Pacific American Volunteer Association (PAVA), Anahuak, Urban Semillas and Council District 13 on Sat., June 13 from 9 am - noon. For more info, contact PAVA at pava@pavausa.com.

>> Serious yogis: Take a free yoga teacher training info session — including a short class and a Q&A — with Santa Monica Yoga. The class happens Sat., June 13, 11:45 am - 1 pm at at 1640 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica. RSVP required to Santa Monica Yoga at 310.396.4040.

>> Learn about the pending water allocations from Santa Monica’s water efficiency expert. The talk, which according to the organizers “will explain how water allocations will affect you, steps to start living a water wise lifestyle and funding opportunities to help you get started,” happens Sat., June 13 from 1 pm at the Fairview Branch of the Santa Monica Library, 2101 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica.

>> New art on a recycled billboard will be revealed above the Eco-LogicalArt Gallery during Second Saturday at Eco-LA. The free opening event happens on Sat., June 13 from 6 pm - 10 pm at Eco-LogicalART Gallery, 4829 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. See you there!

>> The 3rd annual No Cookie Left Behind Bake Sale will even feature vegan cookies this year, thanks to eco-foodies at Spork Foods. The events part of Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale; proceeds go towards fighting childhood hunger in the United States. Go ready to eat on Sun., June 14, from 2 pm - 6 pm at Scoops, 712 N Heliotrope Dr., East Hollywood. (Thanks for the info, Tannaz)

Images via Heal the Bay and No Cookie Left Behind

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Got a green business idea? What better way to refine it than to pitch it to fellow eco-thinkers — who’ve been drinking! Last night at V Lounge in Santa Monica, eco-social mixer Green Drinks teamed up with Bloblive, a weekly open mic event for entrepreneurs, for an eco-entrepreneurial social.

After a couple hours of mingling over organic drinks, would-be green-biz movers and shakers got on stage to make a 90-second pitch to a roomful of slightly buzzed Angelenos — who then asked questions and gave feedback. Unfortunately, the setting didn’t exactly work in the brave biz-pitchers’ favor; speakers had to compete not only against a Lakers’ game playing on TV screens all around the bar (and the fans watching and cheering them on), but also a distracting Twitter screen constantly updating on a screen right behind them.

But the venues for both Green Drinks and Bloblive change frequently. Hopefully future entrepreneurs will be able to make their pitch to a more captive audience. I’m not sure if Bloblive and Green Drinks will be teaming up again soon, but both events happen weekly in the L.A. area. Visit their sites to find out where they’re happening next.

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>> Green Drinks and Bloblive have teamed up! A green mix-and-mingle plus open mic night for eco-entrepreneurs happens at this Thurs., June 4 from 6 pm - 10 pm at the V Lounge, 2020 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. I’ll be there, especially since that bar’s in walking distance from me.

The teamup means freebies: First 40 people get a stainless steel water bottle and 4 DVDs of eco-docus.  Inside, you’ll get appetizers from V Lounge and Whole Foods, Coconut Bliss ice cream, and organic non-alkie drinks. For the harder stuff, you’ll need to pay — but there’ll be $5 organic wine and beer available. Aside from the 8 pm - 9 pm hour when the open mic happens, you’ll be free to mingle and / or zone out to the Lakers’ game. Cost: $5.

>> A free screening of Food, Inc. — followed by a panel discussion about strengthening SoCal’s local food system — also happens Thurs., June 4, at 7 pm at Whittier Village Cinemas, 7038 Greenleaf Ave, Whittier. RSVPs are required to 323.341.5091.

>> Westside bicycling enthusiasts — or even eastsiders with lots of pedal power — are invited to BikeroPARTY 2.0, featuring FREE stand time to fix your bike, games (Barrio Kart, bike karaoke rides, jump rope, four square, tube exploding contest), and a raffle (52CM single speed bike and Toms Shoes. The party happens Sat., June 6 from 1 pm - 11:55 pm at Bikerowave, 1816 A Berkeley Ave., Santa Monica.

>> Don’t miss the free  screening of The End of the Line – as there’ll be free drinks and hors d’oeuvres! Just make sure you RSVP to events@ioe.ucla.edu for the June 8 event, happening from 6 pm - 9 pm at UCLA (Bridges Theater in Melnitz Hall). If you can’t make it to a screening, The End of the Line opens at Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills June 19.

>> The California Endowment’s Center for Healthy Communities is putting on Green Jobs, Healthy Communities: Building a Green-Collar Economy. Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO of Green for All, will lead a discussion “to find out if we can create pathways out of poverty through a green-collar economy.” (I’m guessing the answer here will be yes, we can) Stay around after the event for a coffee and dessert networking reception. That happens Tues., June 9 at 6 pm at Yosemite Hall, 1000 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles. Free admission and parking. RSVP online.

>> Get your eco family on TV. Rockhopper TV’s producing films on climate change for BBC — and wants to film an L.A. nuclear family with green aspirations over a week in early August “in order to see how one’s day to day life works alongside being green.” Email mike@rockhopper.tv if you think your family’d be a good fit.

>> Other upcoming eco opportunities not to miss: Green Living Workshops and LA River Tour.

Image via LA Green Drinks

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Above’s 3 overflowing green basketfuls worth of California-grown fresh ripe cherries — or the number of cherries you can get for $10 at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market on Arizona if you get there at 1:20 pm, 10 minutes before the market closes.

Earlier: Photo of the Week: Free Bike Valet at the farmers’ market

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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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>> An L.A. forest to be clearcut. Luckily, it’s a fake forest that was an experiential art exhibit of sorts at the Machine Project. Now, a Deforestation Squad wants to upcycle the fake forest materials into whatever you want! Just send in your 100 words-or-less request to lizglynn@machineproject.com.

>> I’m hoping this becomes a trend: Santa Monica company won’t hire car commuters. A media company’s looking for an office assistant that supports sustainable transport and walkable ‘hoods: “We seek only candidates that live close to the office and can either walk or ride their bike to work.” Unfortunately, the pay’s only $10 an hour.

>> Remember how the American Lung Association gave L.A.’s air an F? A new study suggests that polluted air can change our DNA in just 3 days, increasing your chance of getting cancer and other diseases.

>> On a happier note: L.A. got 14,600 storm drain covers, and will get 34,000 more. The screens catch big pieces of trash, preventing them from getting into the LA River and Ballona Creek — and eventually the ocean.

Photo by Ben Amstutz

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