BRING YOUR OWN

Turtle with a girdle

2008-12-09T15:35:00.001-08:00

Meet Mae West, poster child turtle of the conservation world. Got caught in a plastic ring as a baby turtle, here she is years later....a living example of how durable plastics are.

Plastic Sushi

2008-11-26T17:51:00.000-08:00

Exactly a year ago, I wrote an article for the Santa Monica Mirror about keeping plastic out of our sushi.

Little did I know then that we would document three new fish species this year that are ingesting plastic. This summer, sailing across the Pacific JUNK, Marcus caught a rainbow runner with 17 plastic fragments in its belly. Plastic is slowly but surely becoming an unwanted part of our food chain.

Hungry as they were after 2 months at sea, they tossed this one.....

Here is the video account from JUNK.

Interview w/ BYO and JUNK on At Home Naturally

2008-11-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

This past summer, I met Sherry Beall, producer and host of “Healthy Planet, Healthy Me!” on KPFK 90.7FM. After showing her a Gyre sample, a Bring Your Own bag, and a photo of JUNK, she invited me to be a guest on her show.

She put together a wonderful program - Part 1 featuring Captain Charles Moore discussing Algalita's research on the plastic marine debris issue:

And part 2 with me discussing Bring Your Own, and a Satellite phone call in interview from Marcus on JUNK, in the middle of the Pacific!

Plastic industry finds BPA safe!

2008-11-07T06:56:00.000-08:00

Phew. I was worried, especially after Canada became the first country to ban BPA in bottles, acting on research that links BPA exposure to breast and prostrate cancer, diabetes, and hyperactivity, to name a few.

But according to research funded by the American Chemistry Council, we have nothing to worry about. Unless the following expose from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel gives you pause:

"Although the Food and Drug Administration will not reveal who prepared its draft, the agency's own documents show that the work was done primarily by those with the most to gain by downplaying concerns about the safety of the chemical."

If you still wonder about BPA's safety, this overview - from a study by Frederick Vom Saal might help - 12 out of 12 studies funded by Chemical Corporations find it perfectly.....safe.

Martha chats JUNK (and BYO bags!)

2008-11-03T14:19:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back, Martha Stewart had Marcus on her show to talk about JUNK and the plastics issue - an incredible opportunity to spread our message to millions of viewers - an audience we wouldn't often reach through our normal outreach channels.

In my completely unbiased opinion, Marcus did a phenomenal job communicating some of the key plastics hazards in a very short 6 minutes:

And in the solutions discussion, Martha featured a few of my reusable produce bags made from old t-shirts! Which will soon be available on my revamped website, coming soon.....

BYO on Whole Life Times!

2008-10-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

A little late posting this, but finally getting back to the blog, and my reusable bags now that JUNK has landed!

So it was great timing that Whole Life Times featured Bring Your Own in their October issue

Coming up next, see Marcus, JUNK, and BYO bags featured on the Martha Stewart Show!

Junk PSA #2: A Plastic Filled Ocean

2008-06-28T06:59:00.001-07:00

Calling for old T-shirts

2008-06-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

I'm looking for your old T-shirts! That stack of "well I might wear them for workouts" that so many of us have --I'm turning these into reusable produce bags, thanks to a grant from Patagonia. I'll then distribute 400 bags for free in exchange for your pledge to USE THEM at least 10 times.

Hopefully it then becomes a habit....

These aren't totes, but rather smaller, "plastic bag" sized bags - a non-petroleum solution to the farmers market dilemma:
lovely organic produce carted home in a plastic bag mountain.

Any T will do, as long as you're getting rid of them....tanks will also work, like this "Make love not war" bag. So far they are super cute, will post some pix soon.

A wonderful parent volunteer from Jefferson Elementary, where my sis is a counselor, is helping with the sewing. Local materials and local production for your local organic goods.

Once I have enough completed "baguettes", I'll find a tabling venue to give them away, and let you know. So drop me a line if you have a bag full, for every 20 Ts, I'll kick you back a baguette!

Now that JUNK is safely afloat, heading for the openwaters, I'm getting to creative projects to keep entertained......

A Plastic Predicament

2008-05-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

Reaching the next generation is one of our greatest hopes.

So we found the this student film, "A Plastic Predicament", most encouraging. The filmmakers, 10-15 year old "Plastic Eliminators" from Las Positas, have already won a few awards for their piece.

We're hoping to connect with this crew on our fall bike tour, from Vancouver to Mexico on amphibious bikes.

If you live somewhere along the way, and are interested in having us ride through, give a shout.

Junk's maiden voyage tomorrow!

2008-05-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

(Reposted from Junk Raft.)

For those of who you have been following the construction of "Junk", the raft built of 15,000 bottles to sail to Hawaii:

This coming Sunday, at noon, Junk will set forth on her first test sail before the big June 1st departure.

Junk is part 2 of our "Message in a Bottle" campaign, to draw public attention to the increasing ecological nightmare of plastic debris fouling our oceans. I won't be on this leg of the journey (I'll be blogging from land....) but will ride from Vancouver to Mexico with with Marcus next fall, giving presentations and passing out gyre samples to everyone we meet.

For Sunday's test run, Captain Charles Moore and a crew from Algalita will tow Junk with the ORV Alguita out to Catalina, where Joel and Marcus will have a chance to see how she handles wind and waves.

Hard to believe that what looked like this just a month ago:

Came to look like this a week ago,

......and by Sunday will be a complete boat, with masts, sail, and two sailors with some serious cojones.

We'll return to the Aquarium marina Monday around noon. After Monday, Joel and Marcus should have a much better idea of any final tweaking that needs to be done, and an inkling of what they have in store for them......

Kickin' plASStic in Panama

2008-04-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

Remember Tim Harvey, our favorite ecoventurous Canadian "zero emissions traveler", who crossed oceans and continents sans petroleum - riding, walking, sailing, and charming his way around the world to raise awareness about climate change?

He's now finishing up his manifesto in Panama, and tackling trash - for kicks - in his spare time.

Tim's friend Harreson, sick of seeing garbage strewn about, took matters into his own hands. He gathered a local crew, a willing Canadian with a truck, and began carting loads of crap from the beautiful countryside.

This awesome little photo montage tells the story. and makes garbage removal look way more appealing than in Los Angeles.....

Message in a Bottle Voyage

2008-03-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

(Reposted from Ship to Shore)

Building on the tremendous momentum of our recent voyage across the North Pacific Gyre, The Algalita Marine Research Foundation is planning another epic sailing journey from Los Angeles back to Hawaii....

On a raft built of 20,000 plastic bottles.

This will be the 2nd of a 3 part project called "Message in a Bottle", to raise awareness about our society's dirty disposable ways.....

Part 1: the Gyre 2008 voyage, Part 3: a bike/raft adventure from Port Townsend to Los Angeles, and:

Part 2: the upcoming plastic bottle raft adventures.

This next 3,00o mile leg is the brainchild of Dr. Marcus Eriksen, Algalita's research and education director - and as my friends/readers now know, my crazy fiance. Marcus will design and build the raft, with the help of AMRF staff, local business sponsors, school communities, and myself, doing all I can to help ensure his safety. Not that he doesn't have a fair amount of experience with these stunts already....

Marcus has a long history of experience building recycled bottle boats. In 2003, honoring a pledge he made to a fellow marine during the Persian Gulf War, Marcus built a raft out of 232 2 liter plastic bottles and sailed down the entire Mississippi River

This spawned the construction of numerous seaworthy bottle crafts:

Fluke, built with students from the Environmental Charter High School, sailed from Santa Barbara to San Diego raising ocean awareness along the way;

The Cola Kayak, also built with ECHS students rafted down the LA River;

The Plastic Poison, built in Juneau Alaska with partner organization Turning the Tide;

And the Potomac Attack - which we built with students participating in the Weather Channel's Forecast Earth summit, and paddled across the Potomac River.

WE NEED YOU ON BOARD!
Just as with these previous journeys, Message in a Bottle will need active participation from school communities and business sponsors. For information on how to get involved, or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Marcus: 323-295-1843, or Anna: 310-998-8616

With Algalita's experience researching plastic marine debris, and Marcuses experience building "junks", this mission promises to bring the plastic debris issue to new audiences, and continue engaging the public in solutions to this timely issue.

Dave rocks the Gyre on KROQ!

2008-03-06T14:29:00.000-08:00

This is well worth a listen, our friend "Sustainable Dave" holding his own with Kevin and Bean on KROQ.

You can imagine the ribbing he took from these guys - what kind of an eco nut saves his trash in the basement....for an entire year??!!?!?!

Dave proceeds to let KROQ listeners know that not only does he SAVE his trash, he carries an unusual piece around with him in his backpack.

You guessed it, a gyre sample, straight from the Pacific Ocean, collected by Marcus and myself on our recent crossing.....

Dave is on fire, and taking this zero waste thing on with a vengeance. Check out some of his awesome projects, listen to the interview here, and come visit us tonite at green drinks!

Return from the Plastic Soup

2008-03-02T19:10:00.000-08:00

We're back on solid ground after an incredible month at sea, 4,000 miles across the Pacific and back...

An unforgettable, exhilarating, and sobering adventure. From witnessing first hand copious amounts of our waste FAR from land, to being chased by a Mako Shark during a night snorkel, to getting engaged atop the boom of the Oceanic Research Vessel Alguita, to experiencing first hand the humbling vastness of our aquatic planet....in short, a watershed experience.

We brought back a ton of samples, using the "Manta Trawl" you see Marcus pulling up here - a fine mesh that we drag along the oceans surface. Half our samples will be processed in our lab, to determine the ratios of plastic particles to plankton. 10 years ago, these ratios were 6 to 1 plastic to plankton. Today, by a conservative estimate, they have increased 5 fold.

The other samples we will use for educational purposes, giving them away to educators, policymakers, and the media. The visual impact of actually seeing and touching a sample is profound - "out of sight, out of mind" is no longer an option.

You can see a sample image here - we gave one to Dave Chameides aka "Sustainable Dave", who shot a great little youtube clip for his website. Dave has taken sustainability education on with tireless passion - we'll post his morning KROQ interview soon.

And if you live in town, you can see several of our nastiest samples this Thursday at Green Drinks.

There were far too many images/stories to recount here, so I'll leave you with a few memorable moments from our daily blog:

Our visit to the worlds most polluted beach in tropical paradise;

Passing through an oceanic river of trash;

Experiencing the "plastic soup", not the good food kind....

Hunting for ghost nets, and finding huge schools of fish living under marine debris;

These, and many more, can all be found on our blog, or come chat with us at Green Drinks.

And now, the work begins to share this information with the public, and get our policymakers to kick plASStic! We'll be taking our samples and stories on the road next fall on a West Coast Bike Tour, more about that to come.....

BYO blog moved for my month at sea

2008-01-20T16:24:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, I'm headed out on a month long sea journey, sailing through the North Pacific Gyre with the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, to research the mounting issue of plastic debris in our oceans.

I won't have access to my blog, but you can follow our progress here. I'll be keeping this updated with live info and images from the worlds trashiest ocean region. Check back for new info, findings, voyage gossip (whose gonna hurl first....) the works.

Here we are, the full crew, minus Nicole (2nd from left) - I'll be the only chick on board. Yikes.

Captain Charles Moore has been studying plastic debris in the gyre for quite some time, yet believes that he has yet to see the worst of it. Which is a frightening thought, albeit intriguing at the same time.

Now that departure time is on us, time to let go of any anxieties or fears I may have, trust in the expertise of my crewmates, and welcome the opportunity to see first hand evidence of an issue that has intrigued me for the last 5 years.......

Lastly, if you are a teacher, student, or know students/teachers potentially interested in following the journey, direct them to the interactive Ship to Shore blog. Here students/teachers may post questions directly, or send questions to Holly Gray: vesselsupport@algalita.org

Questions will be posted on this blog, and the crew will answer them directly, weather conditions provided.

Texas sized garbage patch: mythbusting

2007-12-18T14:10:00.000-08:00

So it's time to set the record straight, or at least qualify a bit. I myself have been tossing the "Texas sized garbage patch" image about carelessly, something we well-intentioned environmensters do from time to time.....

There is certainly a GANG of plastic waste floating around in the Pacific, especially concentrated in the North Pacific Gyre. Its a huge problem.

However, its not quite nicely shaped together in a patch "now twice the size of Texas". Rather, its spread out over a massive area, more like a big plastic soup than a patch per se. Even referred to it as Plastic Soup a while back. "Patch" conjures up the notion of something solid, Trash Island, somewhere the hard core eco-travelers might consider vacationing.....

The map above gives an idea of the scope - HUGE area. If the waste were all contained in a nice neat pile, might be easier to consider a cleanup.....

Its just such an irresistible image, the "Texas sized" analogy. And visuals so help us to wrap our head around concepts that seem abstract or "out there", like many ecological issues.

Another way to make this issue tangible, is bringing the gyre back. I mean literally.

I'm headed there for a month in January/February, sailing from Hawaii to the Gyre with The Algalita Marine Reseach Foundation to do some more research on plastic marine debris.

We'll be bringing back actual samples, like the one you see Captain Moore holding below. If you want your own personal sample, for educational or personal enlightenment purposes, give a call, perhaps we can work something out.

December 20th: A Day Without A Bay

2007-12-13T16:51:00.000-08:00

I know you can do it.....and if you're reading this blog, you're likely inclined to do so already:

Next Thursday, December 20th, Los Angeles has officially declared a day of plastic bag abstinence.

If for any reason the lack of a bag is preventing you from joining in the BYO fun, this is your day to pick up a freebie - check out all the locations for bag giveaways.

You can read more about the event in my last SM Mirror column, or visit Heal The Bay's Site for more info.

Plastic bags blow. Keep 'em out of our landfills and oceans - Bring Your Own.

Potomac Attack Takes DC

2007-12-11T12:08:00.000-08:00

Despite my eco-cycicism, sometimes I see glimmers of hope for the future. This past weekend in DC was one of those moments.....

I joined Marcus Eriksen from the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, to attend the first Forecast Earth Summitt hosted by the Weather Channel, with 22 young eco-ambassadors from all over the US. The students, selected for their outstanding committment to sustainability, spent a whirlwind weekend participating in workshops, hearing presentations from speakers, going on various green tours around the Capitol....

And learning all about the plastics plague.

For many students, one of the weekend highlights was building a raft out of recycled plastic bottles with Marcus, test floating it in the Potomac River, and watching the two of us successfully paddle -using two old crutches fashioned into paddles - to the other side.

It was without a doubt a memorable way for these super inspiring students to learn more about plastics issues, after a morning of indoor presentations on the subject, including some hands on activities - dissecting Albatross boluses to quantify plastic contents, making super strong, boatworthy rope with hundreds of plastic bags, and crafting PSAs about various ecological issues. I have no doubt they will take their new found knowledge back to their communities, and inspire positive action. Read more about these future leaders here.

Marcus and a student test the raft for floatability.....

....before I hop in, and help paddle across river.

Mission accomplished!

Thanks to Erik Lesser for the awesome images.

Plastic Bag Ban for LA County - you in??

2007-12-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

You've been following this blog, you know plastic bags are a nuisance, you'd like to see them off your beaches and outta your sushi.....

LA County has been considering a bag ban for some time, following San Francisco's lead. This is a big move, and there is clearly tremendous opposition from "the industry" (read petroleum, huge financial interests, war....) Such that the process has been stalled. See Heal The Bay's Website for more background.

Now is the time to make your voice heard! Sign Heal The Bay's petition to ban plastic bags in LA County, let the Board of Supervisors know how you feel. Lets work together to bag the bag and kick some plASStic.

"..plastic bag use is increasing at an exponential rate in the County of Los Angeles, throughout California, and worldwide. In Los Angeles County alone, a estimated 600 bags per erson are used each year. Millions of barrels of oil are used each year in the United States to manufacture plastic bags. Unfortunately, these bags are seldom recycled. The California Integrated Waste Management Board estmates that less than 5% of plastic bags consumed in the state are recycled."

Keep plastic outta my sushi

2007-11-26T12:36:00.000-08:00

It seems a little self-promoting to post my own article here, but as its related to disposable issues, what they heck. A column I wrote for the Santa Monica Mirror, on Santa Monica's efforts to ban styrofoam and non-recyclable plastics.

For those that make the astute obervation that sushi-eating is hardly a green lifestyle practice, it's a metaphor. Though I admit sushi is one of my guilty pleasures....

My lovely photographer friend Rebecca was gracious enough to take this photo at the Grateful Bread on VERY short notice. If you find yourself with a mad cupcake craving after visiting her delicious website, trust me, you're not alone.

Consumed

2007-11-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

This week on American Public Media, CONSUMED, an excellent series about overconsumption, sustainability and how/if to reconcile the two....

Can we really expect to green-shop our way out of this mess?

Half-listening this morning while multi-tasking, I stopped in my tracks to focus, finding myself cheering silently at what I was hearing. We're burning up copious amounts of petroleum to fuel our voracious appetites for stuff - new stuff certainly don't need, flown in from all over the world.....

And the real costs for this transcends the price tag big time. Pollution, climate change, environmental degradation....how about the human costs - the thousands of lives lost to date in the war, so that we may continue our gas guzzling ways?

According to commentator Robert Frank, we need economic structures in place that demand us to pay the real price for consumer goods:

"The simplest solution would be a carbon tax that would force consumers to confront the environmental impact of their purchasing decisions. Such a tax would raise the price of fuel sharply -- stuff from distant places would become much more expensive, and most people would buy much less of it."

He seems well aware that this would hardly fly with our current admin:

"A carbon tax proposal would be dead-on-arrival in Washington. If so, our problem is not that we don't know how to make the economy sustainable. Rather, it's that we simply lack the political will."

Check out this and other stories on Consumed: is our consumer society sustainable?

Puente Hills Landfill: seen from Google Earth

2007-11-08T08:49:00.000-08:00

A modern day measure of magnitude: can you see it on Google Earth?

Here it is, the Puente Hills Landfill, the largest in the nation.

Landfiills are a pretty fascinating metaphor for the way we deal with our waste. Out of sight, out of --

wait-- not so fast - the landfill is slated to shut down in 2013.

After which time, we'll be sending all of our crap out to Arizona, to the Mequite Regional Landfill, currently in the works. Any Arizoneans out there feeling a NIMBY twinge?

If this leaves you hungry for more landfill tidbits, good news: our local dump will be the subject of an upcoming Forecast Earth series, featuring Marcus Eriksen, shown here with a BYO bag. Looks like a suggestion we can't refuse.......

USA Today: Can Plastic Alter Human Cells?

2007-10-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

Some pretty major publicity for the plastics issue - a huge spread in last week's USA today on plastic, toxicity, and human health.

Women - new or expecting mothers especially - take note. Chemicals used in certain plastic products have been linked to reproductive abnormalities, and can have particularly damaging effects on young children. Research suggests that the timing of exposure is key; infants, fetuses, nursing children etc. are most susceptible.

So where do we find these chemicals?

Baby bottles, baby toys, even the lining in metal cans (yikes) contain Bisphenol A (BPA) one of the dangerous chemical that can act as an endocrine disrupter - see previous posts on BPA.

According to Frederick vom Saal, a leading researcher on endocrine disrupters, BPA is a phenomenally potent chemical that can alter human cells in the part per trillion range".

Parts per trillion may sound like an inconsequential amount, however when you consider vom Saal's finding:

"the amount that leaches out (of a liter bottle) is in the part per billion range, nanogram per milliliter of fluid..." Such that a baby drinking out of a liter bottle is taking in micrograms of BPA.

Sounds like enough to warrant serious concern.....

Further proof: there is no "pristine"

2007-10-30T10:59:00.001-07:00

Not even Half Dome, one of the world's wild wonders, in Yosemite National Park, is free of plastic.

Here, en route to the final ascent, above Vernal Falls, I found a handfull of plastic bottles lodged in the rock, discarded by thirsty, "nature loving" hikers. Their short lived purpose served, these bottles will kick around for thousands of years, winding their way downstream, ugly reminders that there is no such thing as "pristine" anymore........

For an excellent synopsis of this idea, see the Shifting Baselines slideshow here. As we increasingly accept trash in even our most treasured national parks, we begin to think this is "normal", and lose our sense of outrage.

We gotta keep being pissed off - while of course maintaining our sense of humor - or nothin's ever gonna change......

Breaking news: THE PAPER CUP

2007-10-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

Paper cups are all over the place these days. I mean in the media, not just strewn about streets and seas.....

Toronto Star columnist David Rider contemplates cups in Have mug, will travel, for his weekly "enlightened shopper" column. He contacted me to ask my personal cup preference - ceramic vs. steel vs. plastic (see article for my answer: hint reuse!), and gave BYO a nice mention.

Then noticed this plug for reusables in Real World Green, "Paper cups, do you use them?" Clear message here to bring your own!

Seems a small issue in the grand scheme of things, but such an easy one to shift. And as the Real World clip mentioned, paper cups are NOT in fact recyclable, which most people incorrectly assume.

Personally, I'd avoid the plastic mug with hot coffee, as certain plastics can leach out nasty chemicals, especially when heated.

Granted, there are numerous kinds of plastic, 7 actually, not sure what type is used for these coffee cups. This article gives a plastics-health overview, as well as a breakdown of the #s.

I'd stay on the safe side and stick to ceramic or stainless steel.

And LOVE your cup!

TRASHED coming to LA

2007-10-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

After a smashing success at the World Premiere in Chicago, TRASHED makes its way to Los Angeles, Nov. 1st, 7:30 at the Crest Theatre in Westwood. As the name would suggest, the entertaining, thought-provoking doc examines one of "the fastest growing industries in North America", our garbage.

A Q+A with Director Bill Kirkos will follow the screening, along with a speaker or two talking about solutions. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wrinkle your nose, and you'll vow to make a better effort to ditch disposables and BRING YOUR OWN.

How can you "refuse"?

Green garbage - just toss it!

2007-10-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

Finally, the solution to littering: bioplastics. You can toss 'em with impunity, go ahead, they're biodegradable! If you always relished the naughty idea of chucking trash out the window, nows your chance.

Okay okay, this is from The Onion, thus a satirical piece. BUT the message touches on a real issue. Bioplastics, while in some cases a better alternative to petroleum plastics, still don't get at one of the underlying mentality, i.e. our disposable approach to resources.

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for avoiding petro-plastics, and encouraging alternatives. And bioplastics may be a great way to get people thinking about the plastics issue. There are however some other factors with bioplastics that we need to address - I'll be exploring these in the next few weeks.

Ultimately, we've got to shift away from single use disposables - though they may be green/biodegradable/compostable, doesn't mean its cool to use and abuse.

You know what approach I suggest.....

Tell Arnold to sign AB 258!

2007-10-08T11:45:00.001-07:00

AB 258, awaiting Arnold's signature, would demand greater responsibility from plastic manufacturers to prevent pre-production plastic pellets, or "nurdles", from escaping into the marine evironment. By the gazillions. As they currently do, due to poor management practices from the aformentioned industries. And creating a huge mess....

The bill passed the California Legislature, and is now in the Governator's hands, so now is the time to make your voice heard. Send a letter here.

AB 258 is part of the Pacific Protection Initiative, a package of 5 bills aimed at stemming the tide of toxic garbage flowing out to sea. Check out all 5, and stay tuned for an update.

For more on the issue of plastic pollution and the marine environment, see this excellent article in Best of Life. An apropos excerpt:

"Ask a group of people to name an overwhelming global problem, and you’ll hear about climate change, the Middle East, or AIDS. No one, it is guaranteed, will cite the sloppy transport of nurdles as a concern. And yet nurdles, lentil-size pellets of plastic in its rawest form, are especially effective couriers of waste chemicals called persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, which include known carcinogens such as DDT and PCBs.

The United States banned these poisons in the 1970s, but they remain stubbornly at large in the environment, where they latch on to plastic because of its molecular tendency to attract oils."

Nuff said.

2007-09-27T20:45:00.001-07:00

Heres a much better option......

First Flush

2007-09-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

Or, "How three plastic nerds spend a rainy saturday morning for kicks".

First Flush, a poetic sounding term for a less savory phenomenon, when that long awaited first rain of the season washes our unsightly urban crap - garbage, chemical spillage, animal waste, pesticides, oil, human-gastrointestinal viruses, etc. - into storm drains and out to sea, leaving our streets nice and clean again. Phew.

I mean eeew......

After last friday night's downpour, Marcus, Sara and I headed down to the Ballona Creek for a morning after reality check.

According to Heal the Bay, this year's first flush was of particular concern, as we've had one of the driest seasons in 130 years.....

Here are some images of what we found:

Is it me, or does that not look like a floating plastic body?

Lighters and syringes and toys, oh my....

What happens to your disposables when you love 'em and leave 'em.

Thank god someone else is picking up after us.........

Plastic Bag Monster strikes again!

2007-09-20T14:08:00.000-07:00

Readers, beware....there have been several recent sightings of the dreaded bag monster, on the loose again.

The bag monster has been wreaking havoc in San Fracisco, and stalking young women nationwide.

So far no one has been able to catch him.

To avoid any unfortunate run ins with this sinister synthetic scoundrel, make sure you are prepared: Bring Your Own.

Setting sail for the Garbage Patch

2007-09-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

A guided marine meditation:

Vacation day one. You’re standing on a sleek sailboat, gazing out to sea as a light breeze toys with your hair and fills your sails. Endless miles of open ocean stretch in all directions, creating an azure canvas upon which float:

274,000 used toothbrushes, 23,547 lighters, 456,782 plastic bags, 7,600 disposable diapers, 23,409 (insert favorite plastic item here).

Meet The Garbage Patch. The words largest landfill – in the ocean.

That this issue is finally beginning to attract more attention is largely due to the work of Captain Charles Moore and the Algalita Marine Research Foundation. Charles stumbled upon the garbage patch in 1997, and has since dived into the issue full force.

Charles and his intrepid crew set sail for the garbage patch yesterday aboard the Oceanic Research Vessel (ORV) Alguita. For the next 3 weeks, they will study this nasty phenomenon, collecting samples and info to better understand the scope.

You can check their progress on the Ship 2 Shore blog, as well as here – I’ll be following the journey closely, wishing I were there in person....their findings will remind me of why the issue moves me so.

And will fuel me to keep pushing this one, simple solution: Bring Your Own.

The greenest cocktail around

2007-08-16T00:56:00.000-07:00

"I'll have the fresh local tapwater, no ice, in a reusable glass please".

A line to send a date running? Perhaps for now, but might not be so far fetched in the near future.

Bottled water has been in the public eye of late, for a host of human and ecological health reasons - not that the two aren't intimately connected...

*People are noticing the global plastic bottle pileup, from city streets to "pristine" beaches - synthetic shite is EVERYWHERE. And thousands upon thousands of the plastic empties wind up at sea.

* Then theres the rip off factor: bottled water may just be tap water in an appealing plastic package. So essentially, you're buying the plastic. Which is made from petroleum, and may leach crap into your water anways, so.....hardly seems like a good deal.

From the 4 year NRDC study, "Bottled Water: Pure Drink or Pure Hype"?:

"According to government and industry estimates, about one fourth of bottled water is bottled tap water (and by some accounts, as much as 40 percent is derived from tap water) -- sometimes with additional treatment, sometimes not."

Comforting.

So instead of getting suckered in by "pure fountain of youth" marketing schemes, think outside the bottle. Love your tap - love your ocean - love your body - bring your own.

Plastic and female sexuality

2007-08-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

Or more accurately, Bisphenol A (BPA) and female reproductive disorders, but that's a mouthful of a title, and less catchy.

BPA, a chemical found in hard plastics - water bottles, kids toys, baby bottles - may leach into human bodies via the water we drink, the toys we teeth, the food we eat....

And now scientists suggest a connnection between BPA and reproductive issues in women - endometriosis, cystic ovaries, fibroids and cancers.

Read more on Wired, and Treehugger.

I first learned about the plastics-chemicals-health issue through Captain Charles Moore and his groundbreaking research on plastic particles in the marine environment. Charles inspired me to read Our Stolen Future, about the sinister effects of synthetic chemicals on human reproduction.

Perhaps theres some poetic justice here, that we as a species ultimatly self-destruct....BUT taking other defenceless species down with us is not cool. So long as were here, we gotta keep being vigilant. And demand more from our spineless leaders.

Meantime, for all of us health conscious "8 cups of water a day" types, stop sipping synthetics and get yourself a reusable bottle ASAP - try SIGG or Klean Kanteen. More on plastic bottles to come......

Water we to do w/ used filters?

2007-07-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

I had lunch the other week with Charles Rosenberg, nutritionist/DJ/writer and chef for an upcoming Yoga retreat, who I met through 6 degrees of separation. Charles instantly became my new BYO hero.

We ended up chatting about the evils of disposables more than nutrition - it's rare that I meet someone as committed as I to the issue.....Charles even brought my attention to one I'd never really considered: used water filters for Brita, PUR, and other home filtration systems.

Apparently, used filters are not recyclable in the US, which means sending these now toxic, plastic pieces of junk to the landfill. Yet they DO recycle filters in Europe, using "a different technology"......anyone looking to import this superior system anytime soon?

Other concerned hydraters have had this question. Check out this discussion on Fake Plastic Fish, which includes a back and forth dialogue with the Brita reps themselves.

Back to lunch with Charles: when my overambitious ordering yielded a field of leftover greens, Charles whipped out a reusable container, which he totes around in case of disposable emergencies. And took the rest to go sans paper or styrofoam.

Did I mention he's my new hero?

BYO goes to Hollywood

2007-07-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was invited to eco-evangelize at BPM's green anniversary launch party at the Avalon in Hollywood. It was somewhat last minute, and BYO isn't really set up (yet) for tabling, but fortunately one of my fave groups and main inspiration for BYO The Algalita Marine Research Foundation, was able to lend me their incredible visuals.

In fact, their newest volunteer and fellow anti-plastics superhero Montine Blank drove the materials up from Long Beach and joined me at the event. Montine deserves her own separate post, so I'll hold off on more info and get back to the event......

The idea was to target a youngish, hipster demographic, bringing them into the green scene through a fun, star studded event and hot band line up. Great idea - though the green part could've used a bit more planning.....from what I saw and heard, the vast majority were there for the bands, and weren't all that interested in the 'eco' part.

Still, kudos for the attempt, the idea is solid, next time they should bring the sustainability groups into the planning earlier.

BYO will be making the rounds. Tomorrow were constructing a window display for Patagonia's main street store, CityTV will be doing a "be green" segment on BYO soon, and some more exposure down the line - the message is timely. Lets kick some plASStic!

Statewise recycling program: more than meets the eye.

2007-07-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

The plastic bag issue is blowin' around everywhere these days.

First there was San Fran. Then some interest from LA, and recently, a flurry of attention about the nation's first statewide manditory plastic bag recycling measure.

AB 2449, which went into effect July 1st, requires big markets to take back and recycle plastic bags.

YEAY! I can finally load up on plastic bags with impunity, heck - double bag it, and gimme a separate one for my stick of gum, why not? They're recyclable....

Sarcasm aside, at least the issues making a small splash.

Unfortunately, the passage of this bill came with great compromise. So great that many environmental groups were adamantly opposed - I posted about the issue a few times. Turns out that the bill ALSO prohibits local municipalities from placing fees or taxes on plastic bags, a measure that seems to work in other parts of the world.....

Why the compromise? According to Californians Against Waste, ceding to this devious demand was the only way to push SOMETHING forward. Read CAWs statement here.

Time for some more research. I've been accused of being a knee jerk, alarmist liberal, so I'm going to hold my tongue (or fingers) and investigate more before I spout off on this. Meantime, if anyone has any insights, I'm all ears (or eyes).

Incidentally, AB 2449 was sponsored by Assembymember Lloyd Levine, who I joined on a panel discussion on sustainability with the LA County Young Democrats a few months back, thats him behind me to the right. He was certainly passionate about the issue, inspired by jogging around a Los Angeles awash in plastic bags....I'm going to give him a try.

Bring Your Own....eco stud?

2007-06-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe the link to BYO is a stretch, but I couldn't resist posting this.

People mag recently did a spread on "lean green sexy machines", hot eco-minded eligible hunks. And featured my Santa Cruz buddy Guillermo Payet, founder of Local Harvest! Huge kudos to People for having the wherewithal to recognize true brilliance.

Guillermo created Local Harvest way before the local/organic craze became hip - a man way ahead of his time. Combining his passion for sustainable food systems with his remarkable programming skills, Guillermo created a national database linking people directly to local farming resources. You can punch in your zip, and LH connects you to local farms, restaurants, CSAs etc. in your immediate vicinity. Hot stuff indeed.

Building community is second nature to Guillermo. When I lived in Santa Cruz, I think I met most of my friends through his infamous pizza parties, always an eclectic assortment of international folks and Santa Cruz changemakers.

Hes also a phenomenal chef, masseuse, beekeeper, and....get in line ladies. Just don't wash your jeans too often.

Meet the Skooperbox

2007-06-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

"But what do I do about doo doo?"

I hear this pet owner dilemma over and over, from people who want to ditch plastic bags, but haven't found a green alternative to the pick up problem.

Then learned about the Skooperbox, a biodegradable, recycled material option, with added benefit of distancing you from the inevitable squish factor. Nice.

Many of my friends/family members use excess plastic bags to do the deed - like the super annoying ones that come with the LA times for example. (Does it REALLY rain here often enough to warrant this petroleum layer?)

While this is certainly reusing, it unfortunately preserves the stuff in landfills for centuries, due to plastics' nefarious longevity. Which, unless you wanted to preserve your pet waste for future generations to study, is a pretty foul concept.

If I had space for a furry friend, I'd certainly give these a try. And if I also had garden space, I'd chuck both Skooperbox and contents into a special canine composting toilet, directions thanks to the Worsted Witch.

Any plastic eschewing pet owners out there?

All the news thats fit to....wrap

2007-05-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Dave Chameides' eagle eyed father for spotting this brilliant little metaphor.

The " Dark Underbelly" of the Farmers Market

2007-05-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

Farmers markets, mecca of clean, green living, shiny happy people buying organic fruits and veggies from their local farmers.....

...and promptly encasing them in petroleum based plastic bags. Each one a potential turtle choker, sea bird poisoner, and PCB attractor throughout its gazillion-year lifespan.

Many others share my puzzlement at this seemingly obvious contradiction. Today's Treehugger post mentions the issue:

And this excellent little video short by Sara from It's So Easy Being Green enlightens at the scene of the crime.

I saw this months ago and was thrilled to find another plastic-eschewer. Then met Sara herself at last weeks Green Drinks. High time to put our heads together.....

In the video, Sara brings her own set of reusable produce bags along with the requisite tote bag. You can find nice lightweight produce bags here, (also sold at the Santa Monica Co-op) or get creative and make your own.

Hmmm.....maybe a "make your own" booth at the farmers market?

Jumping on the (throwaway) BAN wagon?

2007-04-12T16:59:00.001-07:00

San Francisco's decision to bag the plastic bag continues generating ripples near and far, which is great in many ways....mostly in that its got other cities thinking. Including close to home....

My one concern (granted, its easy to criticize, and I know these things are monumentally complicated to pass) HOWEVER:

Replacing plastic bags with paper and compostable does little to address the root of the issue: our disposable mentality. Yes, its potentially preventing plastic bags from winding up in the ocean, to be chomped by poor unwitting sea turtles.....but at the end of the day, a tremendous opportunity to educate is missed. We gotta start valuing our resources! Bring your own damn bag, use it over an over, take some responsibility for your crap!

The much cited ban in Ireland was effective because it charged people, by placing a 15 cent fee on bags. People no longer looked at the nasty little suckers as expendable, valueless items, to be tossed unthinkingly.

We HATE having to pay for things we think should be free.....and when we have to PAY, even a paltry sum of 10-15 cents, we immediately attach some value.

So as other municipalities and communities discuss how to deal with the synthetic scourge, I'll keep repeating my mantra: Bring Your Own, and quit throwing it all away.

(Image from Graphic Witness)

Sign the petition, Ditty please?

2007-03-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

"Go ahead, touch if you want, they're real....petroleum".

This outstanding image shows The Ditty Bops clad in sexy night attire - made entirely from plastic bags. That's creative reuse, will certainly make more of an impact than, say, a pamphlet.

In addition to touring by bike, riding an Xtracycle, creating a 2007 "vegetable bikini calendar", and championing sane living, these two started an online petition to encourage personal responsibility for reducing disposable plastic bag waste.

They're shooting for 5,000 sigs....go ahead, add yours.

SIGGnificantly better.....

2007-02-06T09:39:00.000-08:00

Than plastic.

I've long admired SIGG's sleek reusable bottles, lost my water bottle a while back (fell outta my bike) and been meaning to replace it.

Then Meredith from Truth Be Told called - she'd caught sight of BYO, and wanted to connect on the reusables tip - SIGG is one of their clients.

I mentioned I'd been eying a SIGG at REI, and a few days later received this awesome assortment of styley bottles to share with friends! Very cool of her.

A swiss company, SIGG has been making these since 1908. They've got the funky, hip look down, the "bottle as fashion accessory" appeal nailed, and best of all, they help reduce untold quantities of plastic water bottles from landfills and oceans.

Oh, and if you don't see any SIGG styles that match your color pallet, create your own on their new MySIGG space.

BYO makes Treehugger!

2007-01-31T08:15:00.000-08:00

Once I got over the childish thrill of seeing BYO on Treehugger, my favorite blog and daily read, I thought about the increasing numbers of people I've met, articles read, bloggers...blogged with, all fired up on the disposables/pollution issue......

Granted, I seek out these folks, so no great surprise - travel to less aware areas makes me wanna throw in the towel. Still, maybe what were seeing here is the beginnings of a new attitude towards our "stuff", the stuff we plough through and toss every....single....day.

Am I deluding myself, or is it possible, are we ready to take the plunge and committ to our future, or are we still a buncha mindless product players?

Check out the curvaceous form on this red-hot commuter, no wonder he's on his knees....love your cup.

BYO breakdown explained

2006-12-26T16:47:00.000-08:00

For all who read last post about my BYO breakdown at WF, and are curious about the resolution of their sticky-note communication crisis, I stopped in today to get an espresso......

No luck. It appears that the issue has more to do with honesty than logistics: too many people get espresso drinks, then tell cashier at the main register to ring them up for a drip coffee.

So really, not much to do with the post-it sitch at all. Granted, I may get a new answer next week. Asked if they'd thought about having a separate reg at the coffee bar in the interest of promoting reuse, a "Whole Foodsy" value.....

"No, we don't really have plans to remodel anytime soon, so this isn't going to happen in the near future." Does it really require a remodel to stick a little cash box in?

In the vein of picking and choosing ones battles, prolly best to just move on from this one.

BYO breakdown at WF

2006-12-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

In all my BYO years, I've never had the issues many friends have with someone refusing the cup, not being sure what to do with it, claiming they couldn't use it for hygenic reasons....

Till this morning at Whole Foods! The exchange was pretty absurd actually:

Barista: I'm sorry, we can't put any espresso drinks in your personal cup, only drip coffee, until we figure out a system for writing down your order to give to the cashier.

(uncaffeinated) Me: Couldn't you just write it down on a little sticky note to attach to my cup?

B: Yeah, so that's what were looking into, my manager is researching all the sticker options, but we want to make sure we don't leave sticky residue on your cup.

Me: (respectfully) How about just a little post-it note, I'm sure you guys have a thousand of them in your office, or even a piece of scrap paper?

B: Like I said, my manager is looking into all the different possibilities and trying to come up with the best system, in the meantime, we can't serve anything but drip coffee in your own cup.

Are you KIDDING me? Is this what happens when bureacracies gets over inflated, a total breakdown in reason? I wonder how long this "research" into the latest in sticky-technology will take......

"Mermaid Tears"

2006-12-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

Mermaid tears.

Has a sort of tragically beautiful, poetic ring to it, much nicer than, say, "potentially poisonous plastic particles phouling up the ocean"

Phew, that was a wee bit too much on the alliteration, got carried away....

These so called tears, or plastic pellets, seem to be taking over our marine environment.

So this is not news to us who obsess about disposable plastics and their cursed longevity, but seems to finally be catching fire in the media.

To recap: petroleum plastics last a gazillion years, they wind up in the ocean by the boatload, where they attract toxic chemicals (PCBs, DDTs, etc.), and pose a sinister synthetic threat to our seas. Read more about it here.......

For the ladies in the house.....

2006-11-30T16:41:00.000-08:00

Men, warning you outright that this is a very femme-specific post. And a slight departure from my usual "kill plastic bags" tirade, but really, my vision is to address our disposables mania in general.....

Which includes tampons.

Check out the following stats on the eco-impacts of these disposable "feminine hygenic products":

"*Over 12 BILLION pads and tampons are USED ONCE and disposed of annually.

*According to the Center for Marine Conservation, over 170,000 tampon applicators were collected along U.S. coastal areas between 1998 and 1999.

*6.5 billion tampons and 13.5 billion sanitary pads, PLUS their packaging, ended up in landfills or sewer systems in 1998."

So what's a green girl to do?

Enter The Keeper, an "innovative feminine hygiene product worn internally, freeing women from dependency on cumbersome, uncomfortable, expensive, paper-based products."

I admit I've known about the keeper for some time, just haven't motivated to order one....yet. Its time though, if I'm going to take this anti-disposable thing to heart, gotta...make it close and personal?

Gettin' (e)wasted on "toxic hand me downs".

2006-11-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

Just after my last Mirror column on E-waste, read about this major UN conference this week. 120 countries meeting for 5 days in Kenya to troubleshoot re: the copious amounts of highly toxic electronic garbage flooding into developing countries.

Often well-intentioned "donations" of old computers etc. to poor nations can end up being more hazard than help. According to this article, last year about 500 containers of old electronics arrive in Lagos every month.

Where then we can imagine they land in scenarios similar to the above.....

I especially love the e-ad here, perfect.

Speakin' Sunday at the Speakeasy!

2006-11-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

I'll be airing my plastic obsession aloud next Sunday eve at a Speakeasy in Los Feliz, joining speakers from the LA County Bike Coalition, Treepeople, The Coffee Cellar, and others in panel for Sustainable LA - What Can I Do Today for a Green LA?"

Events being put on by Smargals Productions, a "non-profit arts organization dedicated to creating intriguing happenings and original theater in unlikely places throughout Los Angeles."

Event info here in case you're inclined to work off some tofurkey and ride on over -- bikers get a two for one entry! Tix are $7 general, $5 members.

More on the oceanic garbage dump

2006-11-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

The "texas sized garbage patch" in our oceans, that haunting image of a waterlogged landfill, is all over the news these days. And its only growing, in direct proportion to our appetite for plastics.

Last week, a new report from Greenpeace, and yesterday an excellent news clip on on KTVU San Francisco, on the increasing strain plastic waste places on our oceans.

The quantity of garbage out there is truly astounding. And though it may well be "out of sight, out of mind" for us landlubbers, it is definitely not out of our lives.....

Petroleum plastics are built to last, forEVER. And as plastics continue spilling from our hands into the ocean, the sea life casualties continue piling up. Plastic packaging is designed to attract us with its shiny, alluring colors. This deadly appeal extends to sea life as well as our pocketbooks - millions of birds, fish, and marine mammals die every year, mistaking bright, colorful plastic bits for food.

As J. Nichols, senior scientist at The Ocean Conservancy and Ocean Revolutionary extraordinaire notes, "We live and die by the ocean. If the oceans in trouble, WE are in trouble."

Perhaps with our recent shift in political momentum, we might finally hope for a bit of leadership. Hold our breath and wait we must NOT do however, we'll need all the grassroots, business, and innovative local leadership we can get to tackle this one.

In the meantime, its up to each and every one of us to keep kickin' plASStic.

Introducing: Zero Waste Girl!

2006-10-29T18:58:00.000-08:00

I've written a few posts about the zero emissions traveler - now I introduce another new hero, zero waste girl!

She has a name (Yolanda) and wears a few other capes besides waste crusader, (biker babe, graphic design guru) but for now, we're going to get close and personal with her garbage.

Yolanda is on a quest to produce as little trash as possible, and share her results with the world on film - the good, the bad, and the downright stinky. Her vision: to show people how they too can travel down the trash-lite path.....

She started this past Sunday at the farmers market - perfect location, as the market went "zero waste" this year. Participating food vendors have switched from sinister sytrofoam and plastic to biodegradable plates and utensils. Which is a tremendous start, now we just need to work on the copious quantities of plastic bags being used at the market - beautiful organic produce and petroleum plastics are NOT a good mix.

Well be checking in with Yolanda periodically, to hear how her experiment is progressing, what's inspiring her desire to purchase pet worms and carry her garbage around, and pick up some practical tips on low-waste living.

Like Orikaso, a reusable, foldable picnic set she used (below) to grab tamales at the market, eliminating the need for the (disposable) biodegradables altogether.

Haunted by ghost nets

2006-10-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

Long before learning about plastics in the ocean, what first inspired an interest in marine issues was reading Song for the Blue Ocean by Carl Safina. An absolutely beautiful, poetic epic that illustrates just how much were losing from our seas.

Founder of the Blue Ocean Institute Safina recently wrote another oceanic hymn, Voyage of the Turtle: In Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaur. And is currently at sea, studying leatherbacks and loggerheads, and preparing for an upcoming west coast book tour.

I've been reading Safina's voyage accounts, and recently asked if he'd been seeing much evidence of plastic waste at sea. A rhetorical question really, as we know its out there.....

"Lots of plastics evident in plankton tows near coasts, less farther offshore. This varies according to where current and convergences pile up the plastics. Laysan Island for instance, absolute mid-Pacific, is loaded w/ plastics."

Photos from his recent trip show a ghost net with billfish bones hundreds of miles from land. Ghost nets - fishing line "abandonded" at sea - can float for months, entangling and strangling all sorts of marine life. Gives me an idea for a very scary halloween costume.

Carl Safina will be speaking here in LA on November 7th, at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach! Details and RSVP info on the website, wanna join me?

Plastics and the small penis effect

2006-10-11T22:20:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the shock value, but talk about an issue hitting where it hurts.....

Yet another reason to eschew plastic products: they just might damage your child's potential manhood.

Exposure to phthalates, an additive used in many plastics and personal care products, has been linked to abnormalities in childrens' reproductive development, including smaller penis size.

Granted, the world is overpopulated - we certainly don't need more casanovas, BUT.......

Good news: there are safer alternatives, you just need to know what to look for. Start with avoiding the # 3 or letter V on the so-called recycling symbol on the bottom of plastic products.

And check out this entertaining little short, "Sam Suds the case of PVC - The Poison Plastic". Even phlalates can be phunny.

Plastic Bags in Outer Space

2006-10-10T07:28:00.000-07:00

Really, its true. This happened a while back, caught my interest again.....Plastic waste has now been spotted floating in space.

Astronauts on Space Shuttle Atlantis spotted a "mystery object" lurking near the ship, raising alarm that it might interfere with a safe return. And delayed their earth-coming a couple days to conduct thorough investigations of said object.

Which was likely a small piece of plastic, and "deemed non-threatening". THEN, a second object was spotted - you guessed it, the ubiquitous plastic bag.

On another, even more concerning note, studies by the US space agency showed that Earth's rapid warming has pushed temperatures to their hottest level in nearly 12,000 years and within a hairbreadth of a million years. Smokin'.

AB 2449 hijacked, call Arnold today!

2006-09-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

Arnold has until Saturday to yeay or nay AB 2449. The bill, formerly-known-as-green, was "HIJACKED" by pro-plastic interests! I posted about this recently - the bill is now just days away from signage.

Which means you should call now, today, pronto. Phone: 916-445-2841

Don't take my word for it, read more about the implications this bill will have. The Earth Resource Foundation has been working hard to stay on top of this, and mobilize efforts to oppose the bill.

In a nutshell:

"The bill is unacceptable for 2 main reasons:
1. It inhibits the rights of local counties, cities and districts to make the best decisions for their own local area and for themselves. The amended bill now prohibits localities from imposing fees, bans, levies, and restrictions on plastic carryout bags. Local actions have often driven large, even global recycling improvements and innovations in the past, and it is critical to retain local power and flexibility so communities can control their own resource flows.

2. This bill, as written, will have very little discernable effect on the amount of plastic going onto the streets, into the oceans or into landfills. As stated above, stores already collect bags, but the vast majority (80%) is thrown away. The language of this bill is defeating environmental steps taken now and in the past to reduce, reuse, and recycle. The bill is now crafted to allow plastic bag manufacturers to continue to sell their polluting product without restraint or any form of responsibility for the environmental consequences."

Its 12:00 - do you know where your recycling is?

2006-09-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

Trash here, recyclables here, end of story.

Wait, what REALLY happens to our urban waste once after the city carts it away? Do we recycle it here, or offshore? Who ends up using these recyclables once they're processed?

"Point of Return", a 17 minute video documentary, illustrates what happens to recyclables after they leave the curb and explores sustainable choices with regard to local, regional, and international consequences. Using Oakland, Northern California, and the Pacific Rim as a case study, Point of Return looks at economic policy and land use planning."

As this doc focuses on Oakland, I have no idea how applicable it is to our local Santa Monica recycling scene - something to look into. I'm guessing its pretty relevant.

And as the garbage gurus in the film suggest at the conclusion, recyling aside, we just gotta use less stuff, period......before the Texas-sized garbage patch in the ocean gets super-sized.

Oceans = Plastic Soup

2006-09-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

Not sure how I missed this documentary - Alphabet Soup....documents a voyage with Captain Charles Moore to an area of the ocean so filled with plastic crap that its known as the "Eastern Garbage Patch". And in so doing, sheds some disturbing light on just how far reaching the impacts of our throwaway lifestyles are.....

As I've mentioned in previous posts, Captain Moore was my motivation to pursue the plastics crusade.

Much has been said about why plastics don't belong in the ocean - amongst other places. To reiterate:

*They attract toxic chemicals - PCBs, DDTs - at concentrations FAR greater than the seawater around them;

*Animals mistake plastic particles for food, filling their bellies with nutritionless nasties;

*Thousands upon thousands of marine creatures die from entanglement in plastic garbage/netting/etc.,

*Plastics LAST FOREVER.

Even if you're convinced, check out the film, and do your tiny but noble part by kickin' plASStic - just don't use the stuff whenever you can avoid it.

URGENT: Ask Governor to Veto AB2449

2006-09-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

Forgive my long gap in BYO blogging - a time consuming business keeping two blogs active....

Apologies aside, there's some fairly urgent business in the recycling policy world: YOUR HELP IS NEEDED.

A while back, the “Plastic Bag Litter and Waste Reduction Bill” (AB2449) passed the California State Assembly. The bill requires larger grocery stores in the state to provide visible and accessible recycling bins for plastic bags, makes bag manufacturers work with stores to ensure that plastic bags are properly collected, transported and recycled, and requires grocery stores to offer reusable bags for purchase to their customers.

All of which sounds great, BUT, as often happens, some disturbing language was added, which would essentially prohibit any local county, city, or township from imposing any fee, ban, levy, or restriction on plastic bags. See new language here.

The Earth Resource Foundation (ERF) has been working actively with other groups to give some teeth to the bill, and find this new turn devastating. In addition to the ban restriction part, there are other problems with the amendments, full list following.

Read on, and take action: ASK THE GOVERNOR TO VETO AB2449. It is important to let the Governor know the environmentally community and recyclers do not support AB2449, particularly its pre-emption of local government authority to impose any fee, ban, levy, or restrictions on plastic bags.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
Or send an Email

Why recycling advocates/environmentalists/concerned citizens oppose AB2449:

1) Opening paragraph suggests there will be some type of recycled content in the plastic bags comparing it to the trash bag bill. Yet this is just about collecting bags;

2) This requires only plastic carryout bags, yet most stores collect carryout, dry cleaning, produce, newspapers, etc.

3) There is no requirement for plastic bags to be made out of recycled content;

4) There is no requirement for the store to reduce their plastic bag usage as was done in San Francisco;

5) There is no requirement to provide incentives for people who use
reusable bags or any requirement that so many consumers use reusable bags;

6) There is no money for enforcement, education, etc.;

7) The "store" requirement is for very large stores and doesn't even use the CIWMB definition for stores based on revenues, which would include more stores (we would like to include malls, 7-11, 99cent stores, etc.);

8) States that the manufacturer must develop educational materials and make available stores yet, doesn't require that stores put up the materials;

9) Doesn't include any education of clerks, managers and other staff on the harms of plastic, bag packing, or the economic/ecological benefits of using reusable bags.

Hope thats convincing enough......

Save the oceans, use less plastic.

2006-08-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

Last weeks LA Times series" on the sad state of our oceans was pretty grim. So what to do about it all?

Check out David Helvarg's response, "How You Can Turn The Tide" for some everyday tips on preserving our seas.

No need to become the next Cousteau to make waves - turns out just about everything we do affects the ocean. From the foods we choose - local organic vs. petroleum-intensive conventional, to our transportation choices - it's all connected....

#3 on Helvarg's list: Use less plastic:

"Plastic objects make up about 60% of the trash found on the beaches and about 90% of the debris found floating in the oceans worldwide. If you take plastic to the beach, take it home with you. Buy from bulk bins and reuse containers. Use canvas tote bags instead of shopping bags."

Right on.

LA times on the plastic plague

2006-08-02T14:59:00.000-07:00

Today's LA times article, Plague of Plastic Chokes our Seas gets to the heart of what first inspired my fascination with plastic waste:

The stuff is slowly but surely filling our vast, "unspoilable" oceans.

The article mentions Captain Charles Moore, one of the leading experts/activists on oceanic plastics. I first heard Charles speak at the 2002 World Oceans Conference in Santa Barbara, and saw his chilling documentary "Our Synthetic Sea", detailing the devastating impacts plastic pollution has on marine ecosystems.

For weeks, I was haunted by his presentation, especially his findings of ratios of 6 to 1, plastic to plankton in various ocean regions. Thats 6 times more plastic than plankton - the critical base of the entire marine foodchain....

I had to see for myself.

So I joined Captain Moore on a 2 week research trip to Guadalupe Island, to collect stomach samples from juvenile Laysan Albatross - the Captain and part of the femme crew in photo to the right.

Which entailed traipsing around this remote island looking for "boluses", the undigested material regurgitated by the chicks - normally squid beaks and such. This photo here shows the remains of a bolus - the dark material is squid bits, the rest - bits of plastic......

These boluses are excellent indicators of humans impact on natural food chains. Every last one of the samples we collected contained anywhere from 30-60% plastic.

This image from the Shifting Baselines website lays it out very clearly.

It's difficult to avoid cliche when talking about how "the little stuff adds up", but here, truly the case - a single lighter, pen cap, balloon, or plastic gadget can spell disaster for a hungry creature with an unrefined palette.

All fairly depressing, but nice to see the issue is beginning to get the coverage it warrants.....

Whole Foods: Plastic vs.....Plastic?

2006-07-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

The paper or plastic question is a doozy. A quick google search on the topic yields 13,900,000 results. Anyone looking for a definitive answer has their work cut out for them.....of course, we know the real answer: neither, bring your own.

Both paper and plastic require raw materials and energy (fossil fuels) to produce and transport, both processes emit water and air pollution, and both need to be "dealt" with after their ever-so-brief lifespans. Which means they either go to the landfill, are recycled, or somehow wind up on the sides of freeways, in local surf spots, etc.

So to make life easier for us, Whole Foods is eliminating the choice, and going all plastic, at least in the Southern region......

More to come about this.

Win TJ's raffle when you BYO!

2006-07-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

Just learned about this one: every time you bring your own bag to Trader Joe's, you enter to win a raffle for a $25 shopping spree! They have drawings twice a month, so the odds are pretty good.....especially since it doesn't seem like a ton of peeps are responding....yet.

Same old same old, this great store promotion, yet not alot of signage, save this little reminder up at the register. Of course, if you didn't bring your own bag, the reg. sign is a wee bit too late. Maybe keychains would work? Something you look at before leaving the house? I've been eyeing these great ones made out of recycled bike chains for when I have some $ to put into BYO goods.

In any event, the TJ's raffle is awesome - $25 at TJ's could fetch some pretty nice loot. So take advantage!

Wild Oats Wooden Nickel Program

2006-07-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

Not only do you cut back on unrecyclable disposable nasties when you Bring Your Own, you often get a little discount from cafes or markets - usually only 5 or 10 cents, but it all adds up in the grand scheme of things.

Even better, Wild Oats has a program where you can either opt for the 5 cents off, OR donate to a local charity through their Wooden Nickel Program. In return for your mindfullness, the cashier will hand you a little wooden nickel that you deposit in a slot, choosing between 3 local non-profits, who likely need the 5 cents more than your average Wild Oats shopper.

What suprises me is how few people I see responding to this - I'm a regular at Wild Oats, and rarely see people bringing their own bags. I wonder what percentage of people remember, and how we might work to up the numbers......will hafta look into this one. Any ideas from anyone?

City of Santa Monica bans styrofoam

2006-06-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

Kudos to the City of Santa Monica! Our City Council just took a bold, proactive step in addressing contamination by styrofoam disposables: ban the stuff altogether.

Council member Kevin McKeown championed a more expansive ban, including non-recyclable plastics in addition to styrofoam. Key to the discussion is styrofoam and plastics' impacts on our marine environment - these nasty synthetics stick around for an eternity, endangering wildlife, choking ecosytems, and spoiling our surf sessions.

How will this affect businesses? What sort of price tag will this carry? And might there be an opportunity to encourage more people to bring their own containers for carry out?

Writings

2006-05-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

Keeping Styrofoam out of Santa Monica Sushi

Planned Obsolescence: Gift Gadgets Turned Toxic

Two Wheels, Zero Emissions, Zero Guilt

Greening Their Bottom Line

A Red Line Connects Us

New Roads for Old Glory

The Flavor of Fairness

New Years Resolution '06: More Grease In My (Car's) Diet

WATTS UP at Samohi

It's the Local Economy Genuius

Tired of Trashy Trysts? Bring Your Own

Anna Cummins

2006-05-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

Anna Cummins would much rather be riding around Los Angeles on her Xtracycle than sitting in front of a computer, however she recognizes the power of the Internet to communicate, motivate, and inspire.

Anna's interest in all things green began with an early gravitation towards compost and worms. She has since gone on to work in environmental non-profits, with a focus on marine conservation, environmental education, and sustainable living.

An avid bike enthusiast, Anna joins the Worldchanging Team to write about two wheeled matters. She hopes to encourage others to ditch their petromobiles and join the fossil-fuel free velorution. When not writing or thinking about bikes, she teaches organic/vegetarian cooking to high school kids, runs a local Bring Your Own campaign, and dreams of travel to beautiful places.

the coffee cup landscape

2006-04-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

A typical day in front of.....a coffee shop on Montana. Not to single this coffee shop out, as a) I LOVE their coffee and b) you'd find the same image at just about any java joint in town.

Granted, vendors of disposables are just the providers, and ultimately we consumers must make the right choices.

I just see such an opportunity for them - markets, coffee shops, "to go" restaurants, etc. - to play a leadership role in helping the busy, forgetfull consumer with some signage. Will post next an awesome sign my super creative friend wendy made.

BYO kits here

2006-04-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

My sassy cousins Audrey Eamer and Ash Adams modeling new BYO cups and bags.

Bags are organic cotton totes - thanks to Patagonia for the generous donation, as well as all the other ways they support eco causes. Printing by Homeboy Industries, downtown (LA) company that trains and employs former gang members.

Cups and bags will be available for purchase soon on website - meantime you can ask me directly and I'll send you a kit - $8/bag, $10/cups, or $15 for both.

"Stop being a ?@#$%^! and Bring Your Own."
- Ash Adams, writer/filmmaker

Gotta pay your (water bottle) antimony??

2006-03-20T19:19:00.000-08:00

Yet another reason to avoid plastics. The chemical antimony present in possibly “unhealthy levels” in PET water and beverage bottles.

It's that confounded “possibly” part that continues to creep me out. I remember learning about the “precautionary principle” back in grad school, fancy way of saying, “if you’re not sure that it’ll harm you, assume it will till proven otherwise.”

While we're talking fair trade.....

2006-03-17T15:03:00.000-08:00

My most recent column in the Santa Monica Mirror, on Fair Trade issues. This will be the first of two in the series, the next will feature some local Fair Trade activism - like the Starbucks Challenge, spearheaded by Green LA Girl and City Hippy.

Parlez vous?

2006-03-12T23:54:00.000-08:00

Ah, the wonders of the cyber world…..

Check out the campaign Maya is kick starting in Antibes, France.

Through her lovely chalk written sign, I learned the French for “Fair Trade” :
Produits de commerce equitable.

Shows yet again that the disposables issue is universal....

Take one down, stitch it around, 120 plastic bags on the wall..

2006-03-11T14:22:00.000-08:00

Melissa’s recent post on her LA Green Living blog about the # of plastic bags in her closet (43) reminded me of the scary, mounting pile I have in my own.

I’ve been saving them since I moved to L.A. last December (’04) with the intention of knitting them into a cool tote - one of those back burner projects. Maybe its time, given I have 140 of them...Majority of them in photo above. Spring cleaning?

Tried this once in Santa Cruz, went through laborious collecting, sorting, cutting, making into yarn process, got a ways in, and...it was awful - I'm not much of a knitter, so working w/ plastic yarn was tough. The result: super awkward shape, just off. So I abandoned the project.

Time to try again, and this time get some tips, maybe from someone with knitting skills. How cute is that knit cell phone case?

(anti) disposable divas unite!

2006-03-06T16:50:00.000-08:00

Through the blog world, I'm meeting more and more people who share my anti-disposables mania.

Just yesterday discovered Melissa, of LA Green Living, exploring green lifestyles in Los Angeles. No, this is not an oxymoron.....In addition to her blog, Melissa started a guide for how to live without plastic bags, a wealth of information on the whys and hows of avoiding this ubiquitous offender.

Mentioned on Melissa's blog is fellow anti-waste champion Stephanie Bernstein, founder of To-Go Ware - an awesome, styley line of reusable lunch kits and wooden utensils.

And then last night found another kindrid spirit in Jasmin, who expresses how pissed off she is watching rampant negligence turn our urban environs into a dumping grounds....she has a few other things to be pissed off about here. And I couldn't agree more, time for a little outrage. Time to get riled up a bit! Too many of us are sleepwalking.

A few other environmensters who share my waste woes: Maya, Siel, Lauren.......looks like I need to meet some more (anti) disposable dudes to join the diva posse. Hombres, come forward!

Plastic in your coffee?

2006-02-27T08:15:00.000-08:00

Just in from Treehugger, a new company MicroGreen working on plastic coffee cups made entirely from recycled beverage containers. Interesting, as there’s a need for more recycled plastic uses. I wonder though, are these still meant to be disposable? Fully recyclable? And how do they rate on the whole safety factor?

Not sure I'd want to drink hot liquid out of plastic. Theres been a slew of reports out in the last year about plastic possibly leaching toxic chemicals into our food and water. While some question this research, I personally would rather play it safe till someone proves otherwise.

I'll take stainless steel with my coffee for now.....

Sunshines gettin' wasted

2006-02-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

As an alternative to the Sunshine Landfill just above Granada Hills, LA is looking into hauling trash elsewhere, to a near by city. Riverside? Avenal? Anyone want our Nimby nasties? We certainly don’t.

Worlds largest landfill...in the ocean?

2006-02-21T10:01:00.000-08:00

Think Hawaii is far enough “away” to find pristine shores? Not so fast.....read this account of a massive aquatic trash heap washing up on the Islands, leaving a trail of plastic crap and fishing gear in its wicked wake.

Further supports the idea that “pristine” wilderness is a thing of the past, as shown here in this excellent slideshow by one of my favorite projects shifting baselines.

2006-02-20T21:03:00.000-08:00

In the last few weeks, anecdotes from friends and supporters have encouraged me to revive this blog. Which, despite xtra time in front of computer, is a good venue for communication.

Like Maya for example, a blogger in France who happened upon BYO through Green LA Girl's wehsite. And several messages from well intentioned BYOers whove tried to bring personal cups to Coffee Bean, Starbucks, and others, to have valient efforts thwarted by baristas measuring java quantities in paper cups, pouring into their reusable mugs, and then tossing paper cup. Thus defeating the entire purpose.

More to say on this topic later. For now, just keep trying, and let me know how it works out for you.....

Think B4 You Drink

2005-11-27T20:51:00.000-08:00

Not directly on the reusables topic, but as it relates to coffee:

Listened to a great group of impassioned teens from New Roads present some awesome posters they crafted on Fair Trade issues. Two addressed the Starbucks Challenge, urging responsible java sipping with their slogan, “think before you drink”.

Whats your contribution?

2005-11-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

Came across this very cool tool for calculating your annual coffee cup waste in pounds, thanks to Kieran Lynn, creator of dzignism. For example, buying 4 throwaway cups a week generates 13 pounds of waste a year......

Joining the blogolution

2005-11-06T16:26:00.000-08:00

Inspired by some fellow green bloggers out there, especially the prolific green la girl, I finally decided to start spreading the Bring Your Own message via cyber space.

The idea for this BYO campaign arose as much from my coffee habit as my growing disgust with the buildup of unnecessary plastic crap in the world. I love a good latte, but the java experience was becoming more unpleasant as I'd watch troops of coffee drinkers getting their daily fix in throwaway cups (with plastic lids mind you) yet drinking them right there!

This, and the copious amounts of plastic bags carted off by "eco conscious" consumers at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, etc. set me off on a personal crusade to spread the word.

So grab your commuter cup, tote bag, cloth napkin, and stand by......