Composting at the Mar Vista Farmers Market!

The Mar Vista Farmers Market is taking a huge step to 'Go Green'!

Starting this Sunday, there will now be there will be three bins at each station.

1) Compostables
2) Recyclables
3) Trash

Stop by the MVCC Green Committee booth to learn what goes where and help us launch this successfully.

This program will divert the food waste (85% of which is compostable!) and take it to a composting facility, (instead of a landfill), and turn it into useful by-products such as soil amendments and fertilizers.

The market is using Athens Services who is very pleased to be a partner with the City of Los Angeles to provide food waste & organic recycling for all food service establishments in the City of Los Angeles. Perhaps our Farmers Market can inspire our local businesses to embrace this as well!

The plastic bag challenge!

We were visiting family in Long Island, NY this weekend and made what we thought would be a quick dash into a local Wal-Mart to buy a lawn chair. Big mistake, but that's another story.

I was overwhelmed with the amount of plastic bags I saw! Small, thin plastic bags that held a few packages in each...so people were easily walking out the door with 10 or 20 after doing their shopping.

My first reaction....we live in a bubble in Mar Vista, this is how the majority of the country lives. I was appalled. And feeling a bit self righteous.
Then I thought about Sundays at the Farmers Market ...and visits to the produce section at our markets. Where we use tons of plastic bags for our fruits and veggies but feel like we are green because we stuff them into a reusable bag.

1 year, 1 shopper = 500 plastic bags.

1 year, each Sunday at the Farmers Market - 5 bags each trip? Still probably 250 plastic bags.

Maybe we can do something about it?
Bring your own reusable containers - the vendors will happily weigh them and adjust the price. It saves them money as well!

Ask the vendors if you can bring back their containers for reuse - many (most!) will say yes. Patronize the ones who do!

If you must take a plastic bag - bring your own! Reuse ones you have taken before by leaving them in the bottom of your reusable shopping bag; Consider buying BioBags which can have a second life lining your compost pail.

Learn more about water conservation landscaping!

If you missed the Wise Water Use Expo or if you were there and are eager to learn more, here's your chance!

G3LA gave an amazing presentation on the role our landscaping plays in the water crisis and what we can do to make a difference. They have a work shop on Tuesday night that I highly recommend based on personal experience - many of us on the MVCC Green Committee have taken it. You may have gotten a small taste of what they offer on the garden tour at their garden at Redwood Avenue. As an added bonus, the Tuesday night class is being held in a LEED Platinum home!

If you are thinking about removing your lawn, this workshop will be a huge assist and help you avoid a lot of mistakes and save you money!

Up to 70% of Southern California's household water is used in the garden ― yet 74% of homeowners think they use more water indoors!

G3 LA Homeowner Classes and Workshops help you develop a plan not only to reduce your present outdoor water use -- and your water bills -- but also to create a beautiful, healthy garden that is in line with the principles of sustainability. They will also cover the new mandatory water use restrictions.

July 28 from 5-8:30pm
Attainable Sustainable Landscapes Water Bill Reduction Event
1301 Preston Way, Venice. LEED Platinum private home.
$40 per person. Organic refreshment. Limited seating. Reserve now.

Photo courtesy of Yvette Roman Photography

Free Rain Barrels and Green Wellness Tips at the MVCC Green booth this Sunday!

We have two special guests this Sunday!

Come by the MVCC Green Committee booth on Sunday July 26th to see if you qualify for a FREE Rainwater Harvesting installation where you can save money on your water expenses and join your community in preserving the environment!
By participating in this program you will be capturing rainwater directly on your property and then later reusing it for lawn irrigation. You will also be reducing the amount of urban runoff that will reach the stormdrain system and eventually lead to our local rivers and ocean. The installation and equipment costs for this project are worth up to $250, but they will be provided at NO COST to you for this pilot program.


Jeanne Kuntz of Teaching Wellness will also be at the Mar Vista Farmers Market MVCC Green Booth on Sunday, July 26th offering free Wellness Coaching tips that also benefit the planet. Come and see how easy it is to combine personal and planetary wellness.

We are all struggling with so many "shoulds" these days, people often feel they must choose between personal time and caring for the environment. It doesn't have to be that way!!! Using the Green Daily Dozen as a guideline, you will discover many ways to combine two of the most important elements of positive behavior change.

LA Rainwater project launches at the Wise Water Use Expo tonight!

Join us tonight at the Wise Water Use Expo for the launch of the LA Rainwater Harvesting project!

Mar Vista Park auditorium - opens at 6:00 pm!

You may qualify for a FREE Rainwater Harvesting installation where you can save money on your water expenses and join your community in preserving the environment. By participating in this program you will be capturing rainwater directly on your property and then later reusing it for lawn irrigation. You will also be reducing the amount of urban runoff that will reach the stormdrain system and eventually lead to our local rivers and ocean. The installation and equipment costs for this project are worth up to $250, but they will be provided at NO COST to you for this pilot program.

Wise Water Use Expo Tuesday - Join Us!

The CD11 Empowerment Congress Environmental Committee invites you to their Wise Water Use Expo.

The event is hosted by the Mar Vista Community Council Green Committee and will be held on the evening of July 21st at the Mar Vista Recreation Center. at 6:30 PM.

The evening is designed to further awareness of the drought crisis that we face as a community and provide information and tools to embrace water conservation. There will be three guest presenters who will then offer a panel discussion and Q&A. There will be water conservation information tables with give aways and special raffle items. Caroma has donated two dual flush toilets to the raffle!

Guest presenters are:

Ed Begley, Jr. – actor, author and environmental activist. As environmental issues become more pressing, there are two possible responses: forget it and hope that government and corporations will figure it out, or take action yourself. In the “take action yourself” camp, a few individuals are leading the way. One such person in California is Ed Begley, Jr. Environmental lawyer and long-time friend, Bobby Kennedy, Jr. has said “Ed has a greater sense of social obligation than anyone I know. He’s like a West Coast cadet who gets up every morning and says ‘reporting for duty’”.

Kevin O’ Donnell – sustainable design strategist, presenter for Al Gore’s Climate Project. Kevin was trained by Al Gore to give his An Inconvenient Truth slide show. As a member of the non profit group, The Climate Project, he presents customized versions focused on the relationship between buildings, landscaping and climate change.

Green Gardens Group LA (G3LA) – G3's focus is to change the paradigm of the beautiful Southern California landscape from the water and resource-guzzling gardens of today to the climate- and place- appropriate sustainable ideal of tomorrow. Their organization is devoted to educating homeowners, design professionals, and the local community in the latest eco-restorative landscape techniques and promoting the principles of low-impact development.

The Council District 11 Empowerment Congress was organized by Councilman Bill Rosendahl to bring together the genius, the energy, and the commitment of our neighborhood leaders. The 11th District is bounded by Mulholland Drive on the north, the Pacific Ocean on the west, Imperial Highway on the south, and (roughly) the 405 Freeway on the east. It encompasses the distinct communities of Brentwood, Del Rey, Mar Vista, Marina del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Palms, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, Venice, West LA and Westchester.

Green Job Fair!

Please join Speaker Bass and the 47th District People's Council for:

NexTrendinLA: Green Jobs in Energy Efficiency Job Fair and Conference

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
(Job Fair, with dozens of employers)

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
(Luncheon w/ green jobs panel)

2:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
(Breakout Sessions re: the emerging green economy)

Millennium Biltmore Hotel
506 South Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Exhibitors:
Over 40 organizations and companies representing energy efficiency, solar, weatherization, water conservation and other green industries. Workforce development and training professionals, economic development organizations & other related informational booths.

MVCC Green Committee booth at the Farmers Market!

We have exciting news!

Starting this Sunday July 19th, the Green Committee will have it's own booth at the Mar Vista Farmers Market! We will be on the corner of Pacific and Grand View where the dining tent was. (It is moving and the MVCC/Green/MVFM booths will replace it.)

Our plan is to invite a different guest each Sunday to present eco solutions and information. We will have guest presenters, demonstrations and showcase new eco concepts. We hope to provide a forum to connect our community with local green resources. We will also be a hub to communicate about eco programs and events in the community.

This week, our guests will be:

Go Solar Mar Vista - a community solar program to promote group installations of solar rooftop systems to save on electricity bills and reduce use of coal-burning electricity. Come by to get more information on this exciting new affordable solar leasing program! Read more about this exciting new program on Mar Vista Mom.

Yvette Roman of Beyond the Lawn - she will share how she transformed her front lawn into an organic edible garden. You may have seen her garden on our April tour. Here is a chance to get one on one information to help you on the same path.

Please come by and visit us at our new home!

New program for environmental labeling!

One thing I can assure you after 30+ years in the apparel industry - what Wal-Mart demands from it's vendors becomes the industry standard very quickly. I have former colleagues who have been involved in developing the new environmental labeling program with Wal-Mart and I can assure you - it's the real deal. Here is the bonus - you don't have to shop at Wal-Mart to benefit from it! Most major brands do private label programs for Wal-Mart - so whatever they are required to do for Wal-Mart gets implemented across all of their brands. And the factories that do their production also produce for a wide network of companies. Wal-Mart is the largest customer in all consumer product categories and this means that every factory in their pipeline is going to be working hard to improve their environmental impact. This is very good news.


"Wal-Mart Thursday will tell suppliers they must calculate and disclose the full environmental costs of making their products, then allow Wal-Mart to distill the information into a rating system that shoppers will see alongside prices for everything from T-shirts to televisions.

The world's largest retailer by revenue, once disparaged by environmental groups, said the new initiative represents a bold new step in its efforts to reduce energy consumption, cut waste and introduce sustainable products. It will take years to fully take form. Some of its earlier efforts have had wide-ranging impact -- from selling more than 100 million low-energy fluorescent bulbs to the creation of concentrated detergents that use less packaging and water." Read more...

Green Gardener Survey - please help!

Commissioner Paula Daniels from the Department of Public Works is a great supporter of environmental efforts as well as Mar Vista. She is developing a program that will retrain and certify the gardeners that do landscape maintenance so that they are able to support our efforts to replace turf lawns with drought resistant landscaping. This program is also vital so that they have continued employment.

She has posted an on line survey that will provide needed information as they develop this program. Will you take a few minutes to help her as she helps us? Click here to take the survey and please forward it to others as well.

Green Gardens are residential and commercial landscapes that use drought tolerant plants and rainwater harvesting techniques to reduce water use and prevent stormwater pollution.

This survey seeks to determine your interest in a program that trains, certifies, and provides job placement for “Green Gardeners" in the City of Los Angeles.

This survey should take you between 5 and 10 minutes to complete.

Affordable Solar in Mar Vista!

Together, residents of sun-drenched Mar Vista can switch to using clean energy from the sun to power our homes and reduce global warming due to carbon emissions.

After many months of advocating for affordable solar in Los Angeles, we are excited to announce that the clean energy future of our community has arrived.

The Open Mar Vista community has finalized selection of a leading solar installer who will help us switch to using 100% clean energy from the sun by offering us a group discount on solar panels. Details will be published shortly.

Please join the neighborhood in celebrating this significant milestone in the clean energy future of our City -- and qualify for three months of free solar electricity.

Switch from burning coal to harnessing the sun and start saving with one of the most affordable community solar programs in the country. No upfront costs and savings from day one!

GoSolar Mar Vista LAUNCH EVENT
Saturday, July 25th - 6pm
12024 Venice Blvd.

Event Details:
Meet and mingle with your neighbors and tour the newest residential/retail destination in Mar Vista as you learn more about how you can go solar this summer. Free drinks and hors d'oevres. Dinner menu available from The Curious Palate restaurant.

CLICK here to register for this event:


GOSOLAR THIS SUMMER!
Be part of the movement to repower America and help Mar Vista switch to 100% clean electricity by 2018. Be first to get solar panels on your roof, installed for free, and start saving on your utility bill this summer!

We'll be on Green 'n' Easy Living to talk about the Wise Water Use Expo on Saturday at 11:00 AM

Joseph Treves and Sherri Akers will be guests of Rhonda DeFelice on Green 'n' Easy Living on Saturday July 11th at 11:00 AM to talk about the Wise Water Use Expo planned for July 21st. Link through here to hear it live and feel free to call in! If you miss the show, it will be archived and you can download it about 24 hours later.

Rhonda is a great supporter of our efforts on the Green Committee. She had us on to talk about the Green Garden Showcase and our plans for the Green Committee in May and then came down to check out the Farmers Market. She'll be our guest at the Expo and we look forward to introducing her to more of the green resources in our community.

Must read article in the Argonaut!

Residents, community boards see no allowance for drought in plans for high density residential and commercial projects

BY GARY WALKER read more

Look Ma, No Lawn!

Are you ready to lose the lawn?

Theodore Payne is the 'go to' place for native plants and Lili Singer is their resident expert. Here is a chance to hear her explain how to take out your turf and offer alternatives for the space -- specifically low-care native plants that need no fertilizer and use a fraction of the water required for turf. Lili is a horticulturist and garden writer and TPF's special projects coordinator.

Theodore Payne will have a table presentation at the Wise Water Use Expo on July 21st as well.

What
Look, Ma, No Lawn! with Lili Singer
When
Sat Jul 11 1pm – Sat Jul 11 3:30pm
Where
7747 Foothill Blvd, Tujunga 91042 (City Council District Office Auditorium. Park in lot behind building; enter through rear door.)

$35 members. $45 non-members. Preregistration required. Please call the TPF office at (818) 768-1802 to reserve your place by Visa or MC.

Did you miss the ice cream social at The Learning Garden today?

The Learning Garden is a community jewel! To celebrate the 4th of July, they had their third annual 4th of July Ice Cream Social. Just like the old Ice Cream Socials in the Midwest, they made their own ice cream using mostly flavors from the Garden.

Contact them through their web site and join their subscription list to make sure that you don't miss future events!

Not only do they host wonderful events like this, but they also share mulch, wood chips and more.

The Learning Garden - located on the campus of Venice High School, corner of Walgrove Avenue and Venice Blvd.

Mar Vista Prop O Clean Water Bond project

Mar Vista Recreation Center BMP Project
OPEN HOUSE & GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY
July 23, 2009 – Thursday
Open house – 10 a.m.
Groundbreaking ceremony – 11 a.m.

Join the Honorable Bill Rosendahl, Council member of the 11th District,the Department of Public Works, and the Department of Recreation & Parks in marking the start of construction of another Prop O Clean Water Bond project that will help protect our oceans and promote public health and safety.

This project will divert off‐site surface runoff from an existing storm drain in Sawtelle Boulevard to an underground hydrodynamic separator for removal of heavy sediments, oil, grease, and trash, then to a detention tank under the existing tennis courts for further treatment before being released back into the storm drain system.

For more information:
City of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works, Public Affairs Office
Tel: (213) 978‐0333
E‐mail: michelle.vargas@lacity.org
www.LAPropO.org

East side of the Mar Vista Recreation Center
on the 3400 block of Sawtelle Boulevard
between Rose Avenue and Palms Boulevard