Archive for the 'Environmentalism' Category

Changing Commutes

Published on June 17, 2008 in City Life and Environmentalism. 1 Comment

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I’ve long-been a believer in economics being the best motivator for mass environmentalism. I bought CFL bulbs for my apartment a long time ago to reduce my energy consumption, but most people I know bought them because they tear up big electric bills.

I’ve only been biking here in L.A. for a few months, but over that short period, I have definitely noticed a very large increase in the amount of bikes I see on the road. The LAist recently posted a picture of the jam-packed bike rack outside my office (where, incidentally, it was stolen) — and there were definitely less than half those bikes when I first started locking up there.

Of course, all of these changes pale in comparison to George Calvarescu, who ditched his auto-based commute from the Valley to Long Beach for a river-based route. He says he does get pretty dirty by the end of his commute, but his company has a shower — and he’s lost 100 pounds since he started paddling to the office.

Can’t argue with that. And it’s nice to see someone using the L.A. River for something other than a garbage bin or action scene backdrop.

Not sure about the early parts of his route, though. I know I’d need a lot of head bandages after going under that first bridge:

via End Pavement

Photo by Shoreline

Anza-Borrego Powerlines … Again

Published on June 16, 2008 in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, City Life and Environmentalism. 1 Comment

nullSometimes, it ain’t easy being green. Like when you have to fight the construction of a new solar plant to prevent environmental damage.

As public demand and acceptance of alternative energy sources continues to rise, so does the opposition when it’s about to move from the planning table to actual real-life implementation. We saw this in 2006, when a vocal minority of Cape Cod residents (including the Liberal Lion, Sen. Ted Kennedy himself) objected to the Cape Wind Project — which aimed (and is still aiming) to be America’s first offshore wind farm.

Now, it’s hitting California’s largest state park — Anza-Borrego. Or, more accurately, I should say “still hitting.”

Also in 2006, San Diego Gas & Electric proposed building high-voltage power lines through 75 miles of the Desert State Park, to transmit electricity from a large, new solar plant. Predictably, residents of the area were upset about the plan, and set about fighting it. But instead of the aesthetic NIMBYism of the Kennedys, et. al., the folks fighting this project are definitely in the right. The showdown continues to make news.

First, SDG&E said this Sunrise Powerlink project would save San Diego County billions of dollars. First, it was $400 million a year. Then that figure got cut down to $140 million a year. Now it’s pretty much negligible.

Now the company is instead relying on a “disinformation campaign,” effectively presenting the choice as clean power vs. dirty power — assuming, of course, that clean power pumped to cities by tearing up wilderness is cleaner than locally installed rooftop solar panels like they’re building here in the L.A. area.

The State’s Public Utilities Commission will ultimately decide whether or not they can run lines through the park, and so far people have been doing a great job of letting them know how they feel. Hopefully, they’ll take a cue from the California Coastal Commission, which voted down the San Onofre State Park Toll Road earlier this year.

Until then, stay up to date at fine local sites like DesertBlog and UCAN.

Image by Stepleader.

Morning Rage

Published on May 16, 2008 in Environmentalism, National Parks and Monuments and Politics. 0 Comments

I haven’t had my morning cup of joe yet, but I read this article on MSNBC and it did all the blood-boiling I need to get going on the rest of the day.

The Bush Administration, which loves the U.S. Park Service so much that it made one lame web video about it and pretended to be some horrible bizarro version of Teddy Roosevelt is at it again — this time, they want to show their love of nature by allowing more pollution in our National Parks.

The EPA wants to change the way pollution is measured around the parks, abandoning the same method that’s been used for three decades, and instead adopt an “annual average” method that would basically make it so that pollution spikes from increased power demand and other phenomena would never show up in the data. Mark Wenzler, of the National Parks Conservation Association, sums it up: “It’s like if you’re pulled over by a cop for going 75 miles per hour in a 55 miles-per-hour zone, and you say, ‘If you look at how I’ve driven all year, I’ve averaged 55 miles per hour. It allows you to vastly underestimate the impact of these emissions.”

The NPCA says this new rule change would allow 33 new coal plants to be built within 186 miles of 10 National Parks. This, at a time when Western Parks are experiencing their highest smog levels in ten years and it’s often unhealthy to breathe the air at Smoky Mountains National Park.

… At least now I know what to suggest for the President’s National Park Service Centennial Initiative — more interpretive plaques, like this one at Joshua Tree:

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for good measure, read more on Bush’s abysmal environmental record.

Earth Day Activities

Published on April 22, 2008 in City Life and Environmentalism. 0 Comments

nullToday is Earth Day, 2008 — conveniently held, like Election Day, on a Tuesday. Fortunately, most groups in Southern California hold an (observed) style holiday, from anytime in mid April to mid May.

But if you want to do it right, head down to Wilshire Center, where they’re shutting down a section of the thoroughfare to traffic from 10AM to 5PM to accommodate 15,000 visitors attending a free street festival.

The City of L.A. actually passed a resolution declaring today a “Car Free Day,” so try to walk, bike, or take public transit to wherever you’ve got to go. Thankfully, today is the first day my doctor said I could return to my normal physical activity, so I’ll be happily biking to the Miracle Mile in the morning. Of course, if you’d rather stay inside, you could pass your time watching NASA’s High-Def stream of earth footage, from 6AM to 8PM EST.

… just wherever you go and whatever you do, don’t leave a mess, ok?

Oldest Living Tree Found

Published on April 16, 2008 in Environmentalism. 0 Comments

National Geographic is reporting researchers have found and located the world’s oldest living tree — a 13 foot tall Norway Spruce.

The actual trunk of the tree has a life span of about 600 years, but because the tree’s roots remain alive even after the trunk has died and sprouted a replacement, this particular tree is estimated to be 9,550 years old.

No word yet from California’s Methuselah tree … or this guy, for that matter:

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Image by Elfinke

Destructive Hiking

Published on April 11, 2008 in City Life, Environmentalism, Griffith Park and hiking. 8 Comments

nullLA.com’s Daily News is reporting hikers are damaging the re-opened trails of recently burned areas of Griffith Park by straying off trail and trampling over recovering chaparral. And who, you might ask, is doing all of this irresponsible hiking? According to the News, “elite hikers of the Sierra Club.”

Up to 500 Sierrans hike Griffith Park three nights a week, and apparently their reckless off-trail stomping isn’t news either to park rangers or Sierra Club hike leaders. Endangered Species Task Force hike leader Rosemarie White recalled running into another group of Sierra Club hikers while leading a moderate on-trail hike: “They were coming straight up where there was no trail, grabbing branches like it was the cat’s meow.”

Large-scale off-trail hiking can increase erosion and destroy plant habitat anywhere, but in this area of fire recovery, stomping boots can crush new seedlings, kick up roots, and displace planted mulch and seeds.

But that doesn’t matter to hikers like Andy Serrano, who

said a trail is a trail, with many undesignated paths leading to stairways, bridges and other man-made features.

In some areas, he said, the unofficial trails are the only way to get from place to place, as from Lake Hollywood to Mount Cahuenga.

“I’m a fast hiker, but I don’t blaze new trails,” Serrano said. He added that, without the sporting element, many hikers would rather stay home. “They won’t come. I wouldn’t come.

“I’d go to the gym, where there are pretty girls in leotards,” he said. “The smaller trails … are very steep. You do some technical climbing. There are rocks. They’re more challenging.

“The fire trails are like a sidewalk. There’s absolutely nothing interesting there.”

Hey, Andy, you know what? I don’t like fire roads, either. But when I want a challenging trail, I find a challenging trail. I don’t make my own.

Also, you’re in the Sierra Club. Act like you at least have an ounce of respect for the natural features that others protected so you could enjoy them.


Via CurbedLA.
Photo by Al.Hermmann.

Concert for Trash Prevention

Published on April 7, 2008 in Environmentalism and Joshua Tree National Park. 0 Comments

Remember that proposed trash dump right outside of Joshua Tree National Park? If you were around during the prehistoric early days of this site, you would — it’s one of the very first things I posted.

The on-again, off-again legal relationship still hasn’t made any progress since the last appeal, but the coalition of groups fighting to stop a giant pile of L.A.’s finest garbage from getting piled up on the doorstep of SoCal’s most accessible National Park is holding a benefit concert in Pioneertown on April 18th and 19th.

According to the Press Release:
“If you like good ole rock n’ roll or are concerned about our desert environment, join us for a fun weekend and support a good cause in Rockin’ For Joshua Tree. For more information call Donna Charpied (760) 574-1887 or email donna.c@ccaej.org. Donations to support the legal battle can also be made. Checks should be made payable to CCAEJ, earmarked for Stop The Eagle Mountain Dump, mailed to Donna Charpied/CCAEJ PO Box 397, Desert Center, Ca. 92239. CCAEJ is a non-profit organization under IRS Section 501(c)(3). All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.”

Via National Parks Traveler, who also have some good info on the history of the legal battle to prevent this dump.

Biking to Work

Published on March 10, 2008 in City Life and Environmentalism. 3 Comments

nullLast week, I finally bit the bullet and started biking to work.

It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, but kept away from because of those same tired-and-tested excuses we’ve all heard — roads in L.A. are too dangerous. All the bikers I know have gotten in accidents. Bikes are expensive to buy. Bikes get stolen all the time, etc. etc.

But when a friend donated his old bike to me, I really couldn’t argue any more.

So far, the experience has been great. Starting my day every morning with constant breezes of cool, fresh air (at least for L.A.), buzzing past cars stuck in long lines and enjoying the sun on my face is better than any venti caffucino-whatever could ever provide.

Not that I needed it, but the world seems to be aligning itself to affirm my decision.

I stumbled upon New Belgium’s Team Wonderbike, which is asking folks to bike to work 2 days a month for the next year to reduce CO2 output. (Come on, you can do that!)

Last week, gas prices hit an all-time national average high, and are expected to rise another 20 to 30 cents this summer.

But the kicker? This week, the Vatican added polluting to its Official List of Sins.

I knew there was a reason I was feeling guilty about driving!


Image by ibcbulk.

Roadlessland.org

Published on March 4, 2008 in Environmentalism, National Forests and Recreation Areas and Politics. 3 Comments

Reader Nelson commented on some of the recent entries about the Forest Service’s attempt to overturn the 2001 Roadless Rule. He provided a link to his web site, devoted to educating the public about the Roadless Rule — roadlessland.org.

It’s an easy and visceral way to get an idea of just how much land could be affected if the Roadless Rule is overturned. Here in Southern California, large swaths of the Angeles and San Bernardino Forests will be up for grabs, while almost all of the Los Padres National Forest could be facing new construction crews.

The dark green diagonals are already-established Wilderness Areas. The light green areas are currently-held Roadless areas, which may potentially lose their protection if the Bush Forest Service gets its way.

You can click on the sections of forest to get more information about each one, as well as search by state and name. If you want to get a bit more informed, there’s an excellent summary of the issue … and if you want to be scared about what might happen, they’ve got aerial photos of some particularly invasive Forest Service roads.

Update: Roadless Rule

Published on February 29, 2008 in Environmentalism, National Forests and Recreation Areas and Politics. 2 Comments

Today, the L.A. Times reports the state of California filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service over the Bush Administration’s attempts to overturn the Roadless Rule. And they didn’t stop there.

The Golden State also slapped the Forest Service’s wrists on their current levels of designated Wilderness areas in California, saying the 500,000 acres already protected needs to at least double in order to protect endangered and threatened species.

Wow. Maybe a bit of payback for the fuel efficiency EPA waiver smackdown from a few months back?

Whatever the reason, it’s good to be a Californian today.