Earth Day Water Expo at Balboa Park

I'm really excited about the Earth Day Water Expo happening Thursday, April 22, at Balboa Park.

For one thing, it starts at 6 p.m. so those of us who work all day can still celebrate Earth Day.

For another, they are going to have a whole mess o' vendors there with water-saving devices, landscaping tips, plant consultations, and the like.

DWP reps will be there too and I'm very interested in learning more about the so-called "Cash for Grass" program. (Think front lawns, not 4/20 folks). It's also referred to as the SoCal Water Smart program or the LADWP/MWD Residential Water Conservation Rebate Program.

The Expo is free and with more than 20 valuable raffle prizes you could actually end up in the plus column. Of course you'll for sure at least learn one useful thing you can take home regardless.

Do Earth Day right and take the Orange Line to avoid parking hassles or ride your bike (make sure your lights are charged up). The Sports Center building is on the Burbank end of the park on the West side of Balboa.

Stop Phone Books Before They Are Delivered

After just receiving pounds of phone books delivered to my home and office -- phone books that will never be used -- I was pleased to receive this electronic news from Smart 2 Be Green, about how to stop them from coming in the first place.

Visit YellowPagesGoesGreen and Paperless Petition.

In the meantime, phone books can be recycled with all your other paper recycling. Or you can reuse them as these enterprising college men did, courtesy of College Humor.com.

Go Green Expo This Weekend

I'm looking forward to the Go Green Expo this weekend. Last year's event had something for everyone -- families, homeowners, renters, pet lovers, hard-core greenies and people just getting informed. I've been informed that Made in the Valley will have a number of its member companies exhibiting including spa treatments by Bee Gorgeous Organics, organic coffee tasting by Aha Chocolate and pastries from Divine Delights.

There's a whole raft of workshops, yoga sessions, a drum circle, film screenings and seminars. Also, for some reason, there are a lot of events about pets including a pet rescue hosted by Linda Blair. Check the schedule here.

Tickets are $10 for adults which covers both Saturday and Sunday. Kids under 12 are free, seniors and students with valid IDs get in for just $5. The event is at the Los Angeles Convention Center so you can take the Metro. If you drive down, expect to pay at least $12 to park. Saturday the hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday it's 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (But from past experience, some vendors start packing up around 3 p.m. on Sunday so don't wait until the last minute.

The Dreaded Affluenza Virus

Influenza dominates the news these days, but you're much more likely to be afflicted with affluenza this time of year.

That's right, affluenza -- a mental health disease that is known to affect mental processing and logic functions. It is particularly strong in the Northern Hemisphere between November 24 and December 25.

To find out if you are in danger, take the Affluenza Risk Assessment&nbsp

Read More

Another NC Votes For Bike Lanes

Glenn Bailey, chair of the City of LA Bicycle Advisory Committee reported via e-mail that the Reseda Neighborhood Council has added its YAY (or yea, if you wanna get technical) vote for more bike lanes in the Valley. Following is the full text of his email.

"In response to the recent Reseda Boulevard peak hour motor vehicle lanes versus bicycle lanes controversy, the Reseda Neighborhood Council board voted overwhelmingly Monday night to support the installation of bicycle lanes on Reseda Boulevard "where feasible."

According to a map presented by the Department of Transportation's Paul Meshkin, there is currently adequate width on Reseda Boulevard between Valerio Street on the south and Chase Street on the north, a distance of approximately one mile, to allow for such lanes.

The remaining stretch in Reseda between Vanowen and Valerio streets is too narrow to allow for bicycle lanes without the removal of parking or traffic lanes but will be studied for bicycle route designation (signage only), Meshkin said."

Make YOUR voice heard by reviewing AND COMMENTING ON the draft bike plan before Nov. 6.

Eco- and Wallet-Friendly Shoes

Just saw an article in the Daily Sundial (the Cal State Northridge daily newspaper)about a line of eco-friendly shoes introduced by Payless Shoesource in April. They're cute, cheap, and use organic, natural and recycled materials (mostly). Check them out!

Newsweek recently came out with a list of what it called The Greenest Big Companies in America. It's incredibly disappointing -- they really should have stopped at the top 25.

The 65th Greenest Company in America, Medtronics, lives right here in Northridge. Here's what Newsweek had to say about why it ranked in the Top 100:

In 2008, (Medtronics) recycled 44% of its total solid waste, a 5% increase from the previous year. Also has made small efforts to eliminate controversial substances, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), from products. But beyond setting short-term goals on air emissions, the medical device manufacturer has announced few other plans.

Really? that's it? They recycled? Is that all it takes to be this high up on the list? I'm afraid that if I read any further I'll just pop a vein.

Cal State Northridge Sustainability Efforts

The most recent issue of Northridge Magazine, the alumni magazine of Cal State Northridge, is an ode to the wide variety of sustainability initiatives on the campus.
The Physical Plant Department has been leading the way in energy efficiency for more than 20 years and the campus boasts the largest fuel cell power plant of any university in the world.
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, CSUN will be hosting its first Water Day. Leave your super soakers at home -- this is a free educational event, open to the public, that will include workshops and lectures on the water issues facing California (past and present), tips and tricks to increase personal water efficiency, updates from DWP and others on the future of water, and more.
Then on Wednesday is Campus Sustainability Day. Workshops and roundtables to invite the local and campus community to discuss sustainaibility issues and presentations by CSUN students about sustainability research and projects. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., join the Associated Students Environmental Affairs Committee at the Orange Grove. Help pick oranges that will be used in campus food services and donated to local food banks.
At 5 p.m. Hillel Center will be hosting a Sustainable Gardening Social. Exchange a non-perishable food item (to be donated to a local food bank) and in return you'll get dinner, including produce from their experimental food garden, and a show!