Nuff said.

Heres a much better option......

First Flush

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!

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

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

"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

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?

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

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.

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?

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

"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

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

The " Dark Underbelly" of the Farmers Market

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?

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?

"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.....

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!

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

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

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"

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.......