Your Daily Thread

March 9, 2010 Written by Danielle Davis

What if one way to make L.A. more people and less car friendly were to narrow the streets? What would tapered streets look like? How would a two lane road instead of a four lane one change the mood of a thoroughfare? How might they encourage/necessitate alternative transportation? What would it be like not to be “sunning at an outdoor cafe just steps from the edge of a six-lane, 50mph road”?

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So asks David Yoon at Narrow Streets: Los Angeles. http://narrowstreetsla.blogspot.com/

And then he makes it happen. In photographs anyway.

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Here’s Main and Hill in Santa Monica.

And here’s the same, but narrow.

It looks a lot more inviting to pedestrians and pedalers with sidewalk size in proportion to the street. And crossing now looks like a hop or skip versus a jog.  Here’s Sunset and Virgil by the Vista Theater.

And here’s the same, but narrow.

That vast expanse of asphalt has certainly shrunk as has the distance between destinations. Narrow Streets: Los Angeles takes requests if you have a street in mind that needs some shrinking.

March 9, 2010 Written by Danielle Davis

If you’ve been following Candice’s series on green remodeling, then you know there are ways to up the eco ante in your current digs. But if you’re in the market for a new home, one that’s already been greened to order, look no further than some recent developments in Los Angeles.

Here’s a list of new green home options in our fine city.

Loft Living:

We like lofts and condos because they mean shared space and resources, denser living and, in many cases, proximity to car free errands.

TLofts: If you want to stay west and live well, TLofts may be up your alley. Its list of green distinctions is mighty long and includes 18 electric car charging stations, bike parking, rainwater harvesting and many more features as part of its green building cred. And let’s not forget TLofts are sleek and pretty too.

Evo: Evo’s elegance is made even more appealing with its LEED Silver Certification—meaning it was constructed with renewable and recycled materials and its units save energy and have cleaner indoor air. And if you work and play Downtown (Evo’s in South Park), your commute is cut to zero.  Walk  Score calls it a walker’s paradise. If you’re looking for loft living high on luxury, find out more about Evo here.

Cherokee Lofts: These slick spaces were born from Cherokee Studios where the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and David Bowie recorded. Not to mention The King. So if that isn’t enough of a selling point, maybe that the building claims the title of being the greenest mixed-use development in the state will win you over. We think its greatest hit is the green living roof.

Homes:

The Mews: In recently revived Atwater Village, an eco-minded housing complex of 23 solar-paneled units is putting down roots. They’re super spacious (like three bedrooms and two car garages) and modern, complete with views and bang for your buck.  Plus, it’s just a stone’s throw from Griffith Park.

Rock Row: This string of 15 LEED certified sustainable homes in Eagle Rock is so rockin’, they’ve all been long sold. But you never know what the future will hold…

Both projects give thanks to L.A.’s small lot ordinance, which allows multiple homes to be built on one lot in what was once zoned just for apartments and commercial properties.

The Gatsby Hollywood: In the heart of Hollywood, The Gatsby considers itself a green community doing its part to lessen its impact. Like saving 34 trees and over 40,000 kilowatt hours every year. These homes may have a historic feel in a historic location, but they also sport energy technology for our times: solar, of course.

Apartments:

If you’re a renter like me and you have a strong commitment to living sustainably in the city, check out L.A. Eco-Village. It’s the real deal.

One thing to keep in mind, particularly if in the market for an urban loft—don’t move into one right on the freeway. LA Weekly’s cover article last week, “Black Lung Lofts,” will tell you why.

Images via The Gastby Hollywood, Tlofts and The Mews

March 2, 2010 Written by Danielle Davis

Mountaintop removal coal mining has been in the news lately. It’s even been on the The Colbert Report.

What’s the scoop? It sounds like what it is. Blowing off the tops of mountains to get to the coal inside. According to iLoveMountains.org, the first four steps are clearing (as in trees), blasting, digging and dumping (as in waste).

What’s the problem? Where to begin. Coal companies like this method of coal extraction because it requires fewer workers. So one problem is more unemployment throughout coal country, the central/southern Appalachian Mountain region. Other ills: the forests are cut down, plants and animals destroyed, streams damaged by or even buried in toxic waste (1,200 miles of them as of nine years ago), sludge ponds created, and drinking water contaminated by pollutants and heavy metals. And these are mountain areas that took millions of years to evolve to things of beauty and biodiversity. A recent study in Science has experts saying , “the environmental and public health impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining are ‘pervasive and irreversible.’”

The people most affected by mountaintop removal are, of course, those living near the mountains. From noisy blasts to serious health concerns via drinking water to the destruction of their land, people in places like Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee are being hit hard.  But we all have a stake in it. And we may be more connected than we think.

After all, everyone uses electricity, over half of which comes from burning coal.

At iLoveMountains, you can type in your zip code and find out if your utility buys mountaintop removed coal . Mine, the City of Los Angeles, does.

There is good work to be done if we want to put an end to this practice.

• We can cut down on our energy consumption.
• We can elect to buy some of our power from green sources (aka wind and solar).
• We can tell our leaders what we think.
• We can find out more.
• And we can heed that wonderful Kentuckian, Wendell Berry’s admonition:

“That precious creatures (or resources, if you insist) that are infinitely renewable can be destroyed for the sake of a resource that to be used must be forever destroyed, is not just a freak of short-term accounting and the externalization of cost – it is an inversion of our sense of what is good. It is madness.”

iLoveMountains has a take action page to do just that.

And I recommend the documentary, Burning the Future: Coal in America for more on the subject.

You can also check out my interview with a college student who grew up in Eastern/Central KY for a firsthand perspective.

And if you’re so inclined, check out the Colbert Report episode below.

February 23, 2010 Written by Danielle Davis

In Los Angeles, we get 80 degree days in February, but that doesn’t change that overall, winter still means more days indoors, protected from cold or rain. And everywhere, people spend more time inside than ever before, clocking in at closed up buildings. My biggest complaint about a previous job I had was that the windows didn’t open.

Why does it matter? Because the air inside may not have smog per say, but it can be up 10 times more polluted than what’s outside that window (according to my favorite book on the subject, How To Grow Fresh Air. A home or office can be poorly ventilated and have too high or too low humidity. And the real kicker is that what we surround ourselves with in spaces can be, well, toxic. Yeah, that new paint, new carpet, new couch smell—all bad. Same goes for what you can’t smell like printers and particle board furniture and curtains. The culprits range from VOCs (volatile organic compounds) to formaldehyde and none of them is good to have hanging around.

So in the service of breathing better when you’re inside and can’t open a window, here are ways to freshen up your indoor air:

*Kick off your shoes. Footwear can track in all kinds of chemicals, dog doo doo, pesticides, oil and who knows what else from the street. If you leave shoes at the door and don socks or slippers, you keep all that off your floors and from your lungs. Even a welcome mat can make a difference eliminating pollutants. (Those made from recycled tires go the extra eco-mile.)

*Invest in indoor plants. Growing things inside connects us to nature while actually improving our mood, concentration and creativity. Greenery makes us feel better all around (amazing indoor plant facts here). Certain ones have been found particularly helpful for cleaning up the air we breathe too because plants filter chemicals like nobody’s business. A comprehensive resource is aforementioned How To Grow Fresh Air. But this article will get you started. Here’s my own plant collection for you to see how I keep things fresh and green in my apartment all year round.

Other efforts:

*Use the fan over your stove when you cook and the one in your bathroom when you shower.

*Choose only no VOC paints when embellishing your walls with color. (More on eco-friendly paint and where to buy it.)

*Open a window for ventilation when possible.

*Opt for natural cleaning products. (Or make your own like we recommend.)

*If you can swing it, get rid of carpet, harborer of dust and mold and gunk.  Here’s a fabulous resource for green flooring options. And here’s one for recycling the old.

*Look for real wood furniture (FSC certified is even better) and eschew toxic stains.

*Consider making your bedroom an eco-haven for you and not for chems and dust mites.

*Only use candles made from bees’ or soy or another natural wax, scented with essential oils and sporting an all cotton wick.

Oh yes, and don’t buy an “air freshener” full of scary chemical fragrance. Spritz some lavender water or hang some cinnamon sticks instead.

Got any more fresh ideas on how to clean up indoor air? Do share!

February 9, 2010 Written by Danielle Davis

As they say, when the times get tough, the tough get…sharing. That’s right. One positive side effect of this recession is more people are getting together and pooling what they have. So, for Valentine’s Day, maybe we can ditch romantic exclusivity and share the love—and other stuff—all around.

Here are a few places emerging (some in their beta stages) that are all about sharing resources for the common good.

There are neighborhoods and there are neighbors’ goods. If you’re in Southern California, at NeighborGoods you can find and borrow them or lend yours out.  It hooks you up with those who have what you need or need what you have, helping to arrange a barter, borrow or loan. Anything but a buy. Perfect for that camping tent, stud finder or ladder you only need once in a  blue moon. I also like that there are groups to join or form, a chance to create a kind of lending circle.

I knocked on a neighbor’s door for some brown sugar a few years ago, but realistically it doesn’t happen all that often, and not just because I’ve ditched sugar for agave. Share Some Sugar reinvigorates the idea of neighbors who share. Its nudges you to knock on doors and open yours; you just get to do it online in case the person literally next door doesn’t have what you need and vice versa.  It lengthens the reach of a lending hand.

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At VeggieTrader, the stuff to  barter (or buy/sell) is foodstuff. It matches up growers nearby who have extra lemons weighing down their backyard tree or enough salad greens from the garden to feed an army of rabbits. When your bumper crop would overwhelm your compost bin, why not share the bounty?

Those of us in apartments long for some dirt in which to dig. If only some big-hearted person with a big garden would share a corner of her plot for our carrots and cabbage. Maybe she will if you find her on GrowFriend.  It’s designed to partner those who want to garden with those who have the land to make it happen. A match made in paradise.

Of course, you can share without a website to help you. Throw a clothing swap, create or join a Time Bank (like the one in Echo Park), leave herbs from your kitchen garden on an unsuspecting doorstep or try out a carpool or rideshare (here’s one we’ve written about.)

For a more comprehensive resource on how to make lives and communities better designed for sharing, there’s Shareable. I’ve been intrigued reading it and excited to be contributing as well.

To shooting for sharing the love this Valentine’s Day and beyond.

February 2, 2010 Written by Danielle Davis

When a natural resource falls from the sky for free, it makes good sense to collect the bounty. That’s the story with rainwater harvesting.

By getting a simple rain barrel designed for the task, you can collect rainfall to water your garden (or wash your car). (An added bonus is that rain’s not treated with chlorine like that which flows from the tap, making it perfect for plants.)

Brainchild of writer Alex Metcalf and landscape designer Paula Henson, RainBud barrels answer the call for Southern Californians who want to water their gardens without paying their utility or draining reservoirs. They also ensure you do your part to divert rainwater from streets where it picks up pollutants and washes out to sea. And the best part is RainBud products contain no new plastic and are made right here instead of far, far away.

The duo at RainBud takes food grade polyurethane containers from local food importers (think giant vats of pickles) and retrofits them for use under your house or apartment’s downspout. Complete with hose bib and mosquito screen, they’re ready to go. Since only 30% of homes don’t have rain gutters in L.A., there’s a good chance you’re a perfect candidate for the super easy install a barrel requires.

1/10^th of an inch of rain will fill a 60 gallon barrel. That’s a fraction of what could be collected each year, even in our dry climate, even in a drought. For example, just a couple of weeks ago our Southern California downpour delivered a dozen inches in some areas. That would fill a lot of barrels.

According to the EPA, you could save 1,300 gallons of your outdoor water use in the summer by saving rain from an earlier season.

A RainBud barrel is a little over a hundred bucks, and if you live in Santa Monica, it’s very worth looking into a possible rebate. And ydt readers, Alex says you get free delivery.

Or there’s always this quirky mini version.

One more thing: check out TreePeople as a smart resource for even more ways to capture rainwater on your property.

January 26, 2010 Written by Danielle Davis

The folks at the Livable Streets  initiative are “taking back our cities, one street at a time.” They’ve set up a network of Streetsblogs in five major cities, and Los Angeles is one of them.

So what makes a street livable?

It depends on who or what you’re talking about wanting to make feel at home, cars or humans. 

I talked to Damien Newton, editor and blogger at LA.Streetsblog and transportation activist, who defines a livable street as one more concerned with moving people than moving cars from point A to point B.  Unfortunately, we all know that if there are too many cars, people aren’t so comfortable. While the ones inside the vehicles may have temperature control and their favorite playlist going, they still have congestion on the roads and in the air to contend with. And cyclists, pedestrians and people at the bus stop have an even hairier situation. Plus, in current traffic counts, their numerical value is 0.

But LA.Streetsblog is all about solutions. Creative solutions. It’s a source to learn about and take action for saner streets in our city, the kind you want to spend some time meandering. It’s an advocate for all the spokes of the alternative transportation wheel, if you will, that posts information about biking, walking, public transit and open space happenings that affects our communities.

We just might nullify the lyrics of that Missing Persons song if the sidewalks were wider and dotted with trees, we had green medians and the streets were bike-friendly.

Two projects on Newton’s radar: a new possible park on Olympic and Grand and the beautification project on the Sunset Strip that goes beyond beauty.

Check out LA.Streetsblog and get in on the action to create a walkable, bikable, livable Los Angeles.

January 12, 2010 Written by Danielle Davis

Hankies have been out of mainstream fashion for some time and while I applaud anyone saving tissues by using them, I for, one, don’t want to keep goobers in my pocket. There is, however, a new handkerchief-inspired product that makes a whole lot of sense environmentally, even for germaphobes like me!

What about a personal towel you carry with you when you’re out and about? Especially one that’s super cute, made from Fair Trade, organic cotton and non-toxic dyes, is only for your use and saves all those paper towels?

That’s where PeopleTowels come in.

The PeopleTowel people say that by using them, the average person will save ¼ of a tree in a year. Get three friends to carry them and that’s a whole tree. Get a few more people and, well, that’s a whole lot of trees not downed in the name of dry hands. You can reuse them over and over again, stick em in the wash with your other laundry, and start reusing for a few more years.

If we carried personal towels, businesses could save money by not having to buy paper ones, not to mention diverting landfill waste and the water it takes to make wood-based products. (Find out more about paper production here.)

And don’t worry, each comes with a hangtag for affixing to your bag or belt. It seems to me they’re most suited for a student, someone who works in an office or a guy or girl on the go who like me drinks a lot of water and, thus visits the facilities frequently. If we’re carrying our reusable bag and bottle, perhaps this is the next natural step.

So, would you use one? I’m thinking I would.

See all the PeopleTowel designs here. And some real people out and about with theirs.

One more thing: when you are shopping for paper products in your home or office (I mean, we can’t do away with tp right?), check the Greenpeace Tissue Guide first to make sure your brand is made from 100% recycled fibers, 50% of which are post-consumer waste, and not bleached with toxic chlorine.

ydt Giveaway: Enter to win a set of three PeopleTowels by commenting below with how and where you’ll use yours!