Long Beach Green Guide

LOCAL WALKING SPOT BLOOMS WITH COLOR

2009-03-26T08:14:00.001-07:00

For those of you who enjoy walking, Rynerson Park in Lakewood might be worth a visit. Spring blooms are in profusion right now and offer a visual color feast for the eyes. Walking path wends its way around the perimeter of an expansive grassy area, passing by the backside of Lakewood Equestrian Center. Bunnies, next to the stables, can be seen sitting in the grass, nibbling away on spring greens.

Besides being a nice spot for exercise enthusiasts, this park is also a great place for moms with young children in strollers.

Bicyclists can access the San Gabriel River bike path from a wooden bridge at Rynerson Park, which is located at Del Amo Blvd. and Studebaker Rd.: Google map

CSULB TO OFFER SEMINARS AND GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

2009-02-06T07:18:00.000-08:00

Right in our own backyard, CSULB's extension program is growing green. Returning this year by popular demand, they are offering seminars on green home design and construction. In addition, UCES, is launching a certificate program in April on sustainable building.

Check out the three upcoming events:

1) Green Vendor Fair, February 26, 11 am to 3 pm
Fair details

2) Building Green: Home Design and Construction Seminar
3/4, 4/22, 5/27
Course description
Schedule and fees

3) Green and Sustainable Building and Certificate Program
April 15 through June 3
Course description
Schedule and Fees

STAYING HEALTHY DURING THE FIRES

2008-11-17T07:42:00.000-08:00

Southern California has been hit hard by the fires. People have lost homes, lives have been disrupted and the land has been scorched beyond recognition. For those of us who live miles away from the infernos that have been blazing for days, we're also affected by the smoke. The air has been filled with particulate matter and breathing has been a strain. So what can we do to keep our bodies healthy during such a challenging time?

Storm Cole, our local holistic health practitioner and certified clinical nutritionist, has offered some advice on boosting our immune systems and clearing toxins from our lungs and bodies.

1) Use an air purifier. Stay indoors.

2) Take immune support: echinacea, aloe vera, garlic or astragalus

3) Home air quality:
Diffuse lemon oil throughout your home. This cleanses and increases oxygen.
Steam or vaporize peppermint (tea bags or leaves). This cleanses and dilates bronchials and decongests sinuses.

4) Useful food/vitamins/herbs for oxygenation:
Chlorophyll, vitamin E (wheat germ), yellow dock, black walnut, green leafies, vitamin C (kiwis have the highest amount), fish oil, or omega 3 from walnuts (fats always save you from toxic situations).

5) Juice as much as possible. Juicing relieves the digestive system so your body has more energy to deal with the smoke.

6) Asthma attack:
Cranberry juice concentrate. One teaspoon, put between the lower lip and teeth.

7) Specialty supplements/aromatherapy:
Any of the drainage products below.
-all-cell detox
-lung terrain
-lymph terrain
-skin terrain
-patchouli oil (takes out any chemical pollutants from your body that might have been burned in the air). 20 drops to 8 oz of olive or coconut oil. Put on skin, especially liver area

8) Drink lots of water.

9) Pets will have a hard time. They should have their water charged--or alkalized--with HealthWalk's HydroMag (available at Calypso Juice on Main St. in Seal Beach). Change the water 2x per day. Give them greens and fats. Keep them off of wood floors.

Storm Cole, HHP
5018 Katella Ave.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
(562) 972-1235
Hours: Tuesday through Friday

PAMPAS GRASS: GARDEN FRIEND OR LANDSCAPE FOE?

2008-10-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

They bend, they sway, and the plumes flutter in gentle winds. They also disperse seeds, which settle into soil and take root in areas where other species are trying to thrive.

Pampas grass, though a garden friend to many, is really a landscape foe threatening California natives, soils and precious wildlife.

Planted for their stately presence and low-water needs, pampas grass--a native of South America, has become a menace in California. Along the Pacific Coast going north toward Big Sur, pampas grass dominates native species and has now become a tremendous challenge as it crowds out smaller plants and tenaciously clings to coastal slopes. It can also be found in the desert, along highways, city roads and even in your neighbor's yard.

In Southern Calfiornia, these silver-colored landscape staples are often planted in home gardens for their height and feathery elegance. So what's the problem? Here are some reasons to pass on planting pampas grass:
-jubata grass and pampas grass are invasive species (originally planted as ornamentals)
-each plume disperses 100,000 seeds when blown by wind--and can travel up to 20 miles
-can crowd out native plants and wildlife that can't compete
-aggressive growth can degrade natural habitats
-pampas grass can become a fire hazard

Though this grass may be beautiful and many gardeners select it as a landscape focal point; it is clearly a growing threat to our local environment. The great news is that we have better choices. Read on for ideas.

Learn more about pampas grass:
National Park Service website

Invasive ornamental grasses and alternative choices:
Cal-IPC.org

Cal-IPC plant categories with non-invasive options:
Cal-IPC.org

Get the low-down on invasive plants:
Cal-IPC resource page

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BIKESTATION GETS SPOT ON BIZ PAGE

2008-07-22T09:46:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, the Press-Telegram ran an article on Long Beach's Bikestation. Read the piece and learn how the nation's first "bike garage" has prompted other cities to follow suit:
Life in the Bike Lane

CREATIVE REUSE STORE COMES TO EAST VILLAGE

2008-07-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

I've been hoping for quite some time that someone would do just what Lisa Hernandez has done: open a reuse store in Long Beach. It's called The Long Beach Depot for Creative ReUse and it's located in the East Village Arts District. Haven't been to it yet, but I'm thrilled that such a "depot" exists for cast offs, scraps, and other odds and ends.

Find out how one woman's family values spawned an idea that is now a reality in our city, by reading Karen Robes' 7/15 article, Scrap Mettle, in the Press Telegram.

GREEN WASTE RECYCLING A POSSIBILITY IN L.B.

2008-07-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

Read this week's article in the Grunion:
Composting Green Waste Could Make Environmental Sense

RECYCLING IS COMING TO MORE L.B. RESIDENTS

2008-07-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

Read the Grunion Gazette article:
Large Apartment Buildings To Get Recycling Within Year

STRETCHING GAS MILEAGE

2008-06-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

Paul B. from Long Beach would like to share some ideas on improving gas mileage and lowering emissions. He has had excellent success with a couple of changes to his cars. Read on...

Hello friends,

I just want to pass on a few tips that considerably help reduce auto emissions and will also save you money. I am not affilliated with any products or companies mentioned below.

The first two products are both effective alone, and live up to the sales pitch. Using them together is much more beneficial. The first is a simple change of spark plugs. www.Pulstarplug.com will show you all the technical data. These hi-tech plugs are far beyond the innovate tip kind sold at automotive stores. They run about 25 dollars each so that's a $100-$200 investment depending on your cylinder count. They're rated for 50,000 miles, which is average.

The second item is a cold air intake. K&N Filters (www.knfilters.com) is the leader in this for automotive applications. On their site they are called hi-performance air intakes. There are similar ones on Ebay at less than half their price and every bit as good.

I did these two modifications on each a Toyota Tercel and a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The benefits are more pronounced on the 1500cc Toyota than the 5.2L (318 for all you old timers) Jeep. That will hold true for all cars and trucks. The smaller the motor, the bigger the benefit. On the Jeep the gas mileage went from 13 city/ 19 hwy. to 16 city/23+ hwy. That's an extra 100 miles per tank on the road! When I had the vehicle smog tested my emissions were 33% lower than the previous test!

Now for the Tercel. I must tell you it's a 1988 with a one barrel carburetor. I expected the results to be good, but I was actually impressed. The mileage went from 33 city/39 hwy. to 45 city/56 hwy. I went from Long Beach, Calif. to Phoenix, Ariz. at 75mph on under 8 gallons. It hasn't been smog tested yet, but there's a very noticeable reduction of carbon residue in the tail pipe.

I am just beginning to test a third product called Ethos. It's an organic gas additive available at www.SimpleGasSolution.com. The website is a bit lengthy but well worth the read. This is NOT an alcohol or petroleum-based additive sold as an octane booster. Hopefully I can post my test results in a couple of months. Besides gaining another huge gas mileage benefit this product should cut my emissions by at least another 30% on both vehicles.

Ethos is a fuel re-formulator that uses esters to separate gas molecules for more efficient combustion. Gas is considered a heavy molecule and the molecules tend to clump together. An ester is a much smaller molecule, completely organic, and when mixed with gas, or diesel, causes a nearly 100% burning of the fuel. This is because the esters have moved the gas molecules apart thus allowing the complete burn. Most cars burn about 80% of their fuel and the remaining 20% of unburned fuel exits your tailpipe as pollution. The website above gives a decent overview and explanation of the product function.

Note: Esters can be inorganic as well as organic. For a detailed definition please visit: www.wikipedia.org.

If you are so inclined, after installing the cold air intake and plugs, you can add headers and/or a Catback exhaust. These are more costly items, do not lower emissions, and take longer to get a return on your investment.

Most everything I've mentioned above is sold as a horsepower improvement. An increase in HP equates to a more efficient motor so keep your foot out of it, reap the rewards, and reduce your vehicles footprint.

Contact Paul with questions or comments.

NEW LISTINGS ON LBGG

2008-06-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

Check these out:

--Power Truck Mount Steam Cleaning (see "Carpet Cleaning"), LBGG "C"
--The Undershirt (see "Promotional Products"), LBGG "P"
Sells green promotional T-shirts.

LOOK WHO'S GREENING

2008-06-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

Even Little Leaguers can get on board the eco-train!
Read how one team has made some very impressive changes in the way they feed their fans:
Press-Telegram: Greening Baseball

LBGG ANNOUNCEMENTS

2008-06-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

1) Events
--Today, Frieda's Produce is hosting its first open-air Fresh Marketplace in Los Alamitos. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
www.friedas.com

--Restorative Yoga Workshop at FreeSpirit Yoga in Bixby Knolls
1-3 p. m.
*Click on "Schedule" then on "Workshops & Retreats"

--Lavender farms in Southern California open their sweet-scented doors to the public. See LBGG Events page (link below).

2) New Listings
--Acupuncture/Peaceful Waves Healing Center
--Rolfing/Peaceful Waves Healing Center
--Wes Harding Construction (Construction Companies/Green, Contractors/Green)

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ON THE PROWL FOR PAINT

2008-06-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

You'd think that purchasing an eco-friendly paint would be a breeze, right? Wrong!
I've been researching and researching, trying to find the "best" paint that meets my needs for a small project. Unfortunately, the hunt resulted in some disappointing facts--though I still remain hopeful as more companies begin to offer low odor/non VOC paints.

This is what I found, locally:

--Dunn-Edwards (on Bellflower near Stearns St.)
Carries "Eco-Shield" line, but only in gallons.

-Frazee Paints (on Bellflower near Spring St.)
Sells "Envirokote" line, but doesn't have it in stock.

--Lowe's
No "eco" lines.

--Sherwin-Williams (on Willow St. at California Ave.)
Carries "Harmony" line, but only in gallons.

My problem? I needed only a quart of paint.

My dilemma? Drive to The Road Less Traveled in Santa Ana, spend the time and gas to buy one quart of AFM Safecoat, OR just buy one quart of latex paint at a nearby Lowe's. That's what I decided to do and my project is now finished.

Sometimes going green is not such an easy task and requires weighing the pros and cons of each situation.

The moral of the story? Long Beach needs at least one store that sells a few lines of "green" paints that come in different sizes.

Who will take on the challenge?

VISIT VEGETARIAN MAVEN: NAVA ATLAS

2008-05-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

May 19-25 is National Vegetarian Week, so I'll be posting links to some interesting sites, including that of well-known cookbook author and artist, Nava Atlas.

Visit her at: In a Vegetarian Kitchen

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LBGG ANNOUNCEMENTS

2008-05-21T13:12:00.001-07:00

1) Green Drinks is tomorrow (Morry's of Naples). RSVP by today and get 50% off of your first drink.
Email Jenny

2) New categories on LongBeachGreenGuide.com:
--Eco-Entrepreneurial Training
--Health and Healing
--Solar (Solar Ovens/Step Solar)
--Vegetarian Restaurants

3) New listings:
--El Dorado Audubon (under "Activities with a Gentle Footprint and "Bird Watching")
--Evan Little (under "Realtors/Green/Orange County")
--Micro Enterprise Solar Harvest (under "Solar")
--Nature Centers-extended listings.
--OneLove YOGA, Seal Beach (under "Yoga")
--Peaceful Waves Healing Center (under "Health and Healing")
--Viento y Agua (under "Coffee Houses")

4) June Events now posted!

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LONG BEACH MOVING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY

2008-05-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

Read article in this week's Grunion Gazette:
www.gazettes.com

IDEAS FOR A GREEN WEDDING

2008-05-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

The wedding season is upon us, and with it comes many opportunities to make green choices when planning a matrimonial event. Blue Planet Wedding, out of Canada, has some great tips for keeping things eco-oriented.

95 Ideas To Make Your Wedding More Environmentally-Friendly

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NEEDED: YOUR GREEN WISH LIST FOR LONG BEACH

2008-05-12T10:16:00.001-07:00

Hello all,

Over the weekend I received an email requesting information on car detailers in Long Beach who use earth-friendly products. Unfortunately, I don't know of any here. If you do, please send the info along:
lbgreenguide@gmail.com
Read one woman's eco-preneurial story:
Family Talk Magazine
Visit Emerald Car Cleaners

Also, I'd like to know your "green" wish list for Long Beach. What businesses do you want here? How can we improve? Send ideas to above email and I'll post them in the coming days.

I think we've got a good start when you see the listings on LongBeachGreenGuide.com. We just need to keep at it!

PHOTOS: DOMINGUEZ GAP WETLANDS

2008-05-09T08:02:00.001-07:00

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RECIPES FOR SPRING

2008-05-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

Though the wildflowers may now be a thing of the past, it is still spring and many foods are associated with this season, from fresh salad greens to sweet strawberries.

Here are some recipes by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff, a cookbook author and health-food store manager in San Francisco.
IndiaCurrents.com

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DOMINGUEZ GAP WETLANDS OFFICIALLY OPENS 5/8

2008-05-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

Right here in our own backyard a new riparian community is taking root. Dominguez Gap Wetlands, a 50-acre Los Angeles County Flood Control project, officially opens with a ceremony tomorrow morning at 7:45. Shuttles will take visitors to the location near Del Amo Blvd. and the 405 Fwy. Learn more details on the LBGG Events page

MAY 4TH BEGINS "BE KIND TO ANIMALS WEEK"

2008-05-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

A message from Shirley Vaughan:

"Join Friends of Long Beach Animals in celebrating American Humane's "Be Kind To Animals" week May 4th-10th. Friends of Long Beach Animals promotes kindness to animals every day of the year. This is a special week that we want to bring public awareness to the fact that we all need to treat our animal friends with the respect and dignity that they deserve.

If you feel like being very, very kind and have room in your household to adopt a critter there are many wonderful pets available at the Companion Animal Village, 7700 E. Spring Street."
--Shirley Vaughan, Friends of Long Beach Animals (FOLBA)
www.friendsoflongbeachanimals.org

RECYCLING BINS COMING TO BELMONT SHORE...MAYBE

2008-05-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

Trash on 2nd St. may find its way to "green" bins if a partnership is worked out between the Belmont Shore Business Association and Shoreline Media. Read more: Grunion Gazette

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LBCC ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS FAIR TODAY

2008-04-30T08:15:00.001-07:00

2008 Long Beach City College
Annual Environmental Awareness Fair

Bldg. E, Quad (lawn) Area

• 10:00am – 2:00pm: Environmental Fair and Electric Car Show

There will be booths from various environmental organizations as well as local green businesses on campus. There will also be a vegetarian food sampling.

• Long Beach Litter and Abatement Awareness Campaign
• El Dorado Nature Center
• Long Beach Green Guide
• ARC International Electronic Waste Management
• Surfrider Foundation
• Electric Car Sales and Services
• Happy Veggie Vegetarian Restaurant
• And many others

"REUSE": LOST IN TRANSLATION

2008-04-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Today, while eating a leisurely lunch, I glanced over at a pile of filled, plastic bags headed for the Goodwill. One of my daughter's projects for Saturday was to clean out her bedroom closet. "Mom, where do you want me to put all the stuff I need to get rid of?" she said with slight annoyance. (The cell phone rings in her pocket. Friends beckon...)
"I've saved some large bags and they're in the kitchen cabinet on the bottom shelf," I said, hoping that she heard the 'plural' in my response. Her closet was bulging.

Two hours later she announced that she was done. Today the give-aways got lugged to the front door, where I glimpsed some humorous words on a large Target bag, which will soon be on its way to the thrift store.

For 23 years I taught English as a Second Language. It never ceases to amaze me how messages get lost in translation.

"10 WAYS TO REUSE YOUR TARGET BAG"

1. Tiny Trashcan Liner (Tiny???)
2. Doggy Duty (That's a busy dog.)
3. Water Balloon (Wouldn't be able to lift it. Too heavy.)
4. Road Trip Rubbish (If someone's eating that much, they're in big trouble.)
5. Soggy Laundry (I thought "soggy" was for lawns.)
6. Ice Pack For Head Lump (That would need to be one BIG head lump!)
7. Toiletry Tote (How many toothbrushes can fit into a 2-foot high trash bag?)
8. Kitty Litter Liner (For a lion, maybe.)
9. Tomorrow's Lunchbag (My husband would be the laughing stock of the office.)
10.Care Package Padding (Surely, one could do better than using a Target bag for care package padding.)

Bag: "Made in China"

Can Target not afford expert copywriters?

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