August 2008 Archives

From the visionaries at We Can Solve It, the folks gathering non-partisan support for clean energy, we bring you the newest public service announcement...or is it a call for revolution? Maybe both, you make the call.

The We Can Solve It battle cry: We must save our economy, lower fuel costs, free ourselves from our addiction to oil, and solve the climate crisis. To do this, we must demand that we Repower America with 100% clean electricity within 10 years.

To add you voice to the millions of your fellow citizens clambering for clean, non-oil based energy, go HERE. And pass it on...

So Monday is Labor Day, the last long weekend of the summer. If you are like most of us at the moment, you are hanging at home. So what to do? May I suggest an eco-friendly backyard BBQ/party? Invite a few friends over and enjoy the last day of year that you can fashionably wear white shoes.

Some tips for throwing a green-er bash.

• Shop locally; go to your local farmers market on Saturday or Sunday. You can pick up some great locally grown organic fare. Veggies are especially good from your local growers, but depending on the market in your area local meat and seafood can be purchased for a yummy BBQ.

• Goes without saying, particularly in my crowd, use E-Vites. Or dare I say it call your friends on the tele.

• For your booze needs and lets be honest we have booze needs. Try a local microbrew, some have small bottleing operations. Of course you can pick up a nice variety of organic wines at your local grocery store or Trader Joes. And May I suggest some tasty mixed cocktails made with Reyka Vodka, made at the only distillery powered by geothermal steam.

• Instead of using all those paper plates and red solo cups. Either try using regular old plates and bowls from the house. It doesn't take that much energy to wash them, get your friends to pitch in; after all they just ate and drank for free. Or you can always get more responsible disposables. Try Eco Products it's a good source for all things compostable.

One last thing designate a driver and have fun!!!

Hey y'all...just curious, did anyone happen to check out the naked, nude, in-the-buff Lush protest against product packaging today??

If so, do tell. I want to live vicariously through you...and not because the Lush cuties were bums to the wind. I just love me some Lush and their whole company philosophy, so I'm hoping the demonstration was a wild success.

Last week came the news out of Denver that there simply wouldn't be enough limousines for the gazillions of big-wigs descending on the mile high city for the Democratic National Convention. All I could think, besides the most ladylike way to snort derisively, was "SERIOUSLY?? We're picking a contender for the leader of the free world, gathering the powers that be and no one is thinking beyond environmental rhetoric and actually using reponsible transport??" (Unless of course they're packing pols into limos clown car style and calling it a car pool...)  Trust me, the Republicans will not do better in the Twin Cities at the end of the month. It's both hilarious, in that Jon Stewart kind of way, and sad. 

Well, to that end Humana, a health benefits company, and Bikes Belong, the nonprofit cycling advocacy group, are providing both the Democratic and Republican convention with 1,000 FREE bikes through its Freewheelin bike-sharing program. Anyone over age 18 can check out a bike at one of seven bike stations, use for the day, then return to any station. Use of the bikes is free for everyone, and come equipped with an odometer that tracks distance traveled, calories burned and carbon footprint reduction. They're even providing maps and sanitized helmets for the political domes.

The convention bike-share program kicked off in Colorado Monday, when close to 150 people--led by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak--pedaled their sexy selves, in a bicycle parade of greeniness, about 3.5 miles to the Denver Performing Arts Center's Sculpture Park where they were greeted by a large crowd of convention-goers, local residents, media, and a diverse bunch of activists.

On the very first day of the DNC, Freewheelin reports 1,429 rides taken and almost 3,000 miles of pure pedal power logged.  Just think of all the greenhouse gases that never saw the light of day.

If all 1,000 bikes are used at both conventions, the national carbon footprint will be reduced by 4.4 tons. No small difference, kids. With Americans increasingly worried about the state of the world, bike-sharing and bike riding in general offers one effective solution for the environment, the wallet, and our ever expanding backsides.

I'll pay $1 American to the first person who can send me a photo of House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) or Speaker of the House (D-CA) Nancy Pelosi on a Freewheelin bike attending their respective conventions. First rep wins my party vote.

(Kidding about the vote, not kidding about the cold hard cash.) To get the whole scoop on FreeWheelin, check THIS out. 

In 25 cities across the country, including Los Angeles, the employees at Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics are going all buck nekkid.

That's right, you heard me...the guys and gals who work for Lush will be out there in front of God and your mom nude, except for an apron that reads, "Ask me why I'm naked." And you thought you had a tough day at work.

So why all the public nudity? The brave folks at Lush are leading this cheeky protest in an effort to get shoppers to go 'naked' by purchasing products free of packaging. The nudie nudes will educate passers-by and consumers on the devastating environmental impact of packaged goods sold in cosmetic shops, supermarkets, and other retailers.

Unnecessary packaging includes all kinds of stuff you probably don't notice, stuff like loose fruit individually shrink-wrapped, separate boxes for every already sealed product, plastic bags, plastic trays...ugh, it's everywhere.

The statistics are just as gross: packaging contributes to 2 percent of overall greenhouse gases and plastic uses 8 percent of the world's oil resources. With the U.S. consuming 79.6 million tons of packaging each year, over half of which still ends up in landfills.

Ok, you just want to see the naked people, don't you?

WHEN: Wed., August 27 at 12 p.m. sharp

WHERE: Outside LUSH Beverly Hills, 312 N. Beverly Drive

Lush isn't just about the nude, naked, bare protests, they lead by example. Lush creates naked cosmetic and body products that don't require any packaging at all. No plastic bottles, no excessive shrink wrapping, no boxes, bags or even extra water! By removing the water from the product, Lush's rad solid shampoo bars, conditioners, hennas, massage bars, body butters, bubble bars, and soaps are sold to the customer deli-style, without any packaging. And without water, one truckload of Lush's solid shampoo bars would be enough for 800,000 washes but it would take 15 truckloads of liquid shampoo to do the same job. For more info on Lush, check THIS out.

Just remember: Tomorrow. Naked. Noon. Lush.

Our favorite bicycle-pumping, solar-power advocate, electric-car-driving star of the first eco-reality show "Living With Ed" is moving and shaking again. Ed Begley Jr. has his own line of natural, safe and non-toxic home cleaning products. Now you can clean like the movie stars and, as Ed would say, "live simply so others may simply live." Ed walks the walk, people.

Yeah, I know we've tackled home cleaning products before, but Ed's stuff deserves a mention. Dubbed Begley's Best, so as to avoid confusion, it both by Begley and it's the best!

Begley's Best is your basic all-purpose cleaner with a twist: The natural ingredients are all natural totally BIODEGRADABLE in less than a week.

Made from extracts of pine, de-acified citrus, maize, fermented sugar cane roots, and olive seeds. Begley's Best magical solution dissolves away grease, grime and dirt, quickly, safely and effortlessly. You can use it on any surface that is compatible with water, such as tile, showers, porcelain, counter tops and cupboards, linoleum, plastics, wood, leather, stainless steel, aluminum, chrome and colorfast fabrics.

You can also use it to scrub up colorfast carpets and upholstery. It's the perfect cleaner for use on appliances, large and small, inside or out.

Where do you get the stuff? Well, right HERE of course. (For a complete list of local retailers, go HERE.

And be sure to check out Ed's new book out titled "Living Like Ed." Which is fun, funny collection of easy and awesome green tips for you, your home and your family...and Mama Earth.  All Ed all the time, baby.

So you're still sucking down bottled water because, for some reason, you can't bring yourself to buy one of the many available reusable aluminum bottles. OK, then at least make a responsible choice in the brand of water you buy.

Ethos Water, a late-comer to the bottled water race, was launched in 2002 in response to founder Peter Thum's personal experience working in South Africa. He was bonked in the head by the terrifying realization that there are children in the world who have no access to clean water and he pledged to do something about it.

"Every time you purchase an Ethos product, a portion of the price goes toward our goal of making $10 million in grant commitments toward humanitarian water programs by 2010. To date the brand has helped an estimated 420,000 people around the world and committed more than $6.2 million in grants toward its mission." So say the peeps at Ethos!

For us the fact that cold, fresh water flows from every tap in our own homes is something we take for granted, but around the world the water statistics are jarring: "Worldwide, nearly 1.1 billion people (roughly 20% of the world's population) lack access to safe drinking water. The lack of clean, safe drinking water is estimates to kill almost 4,500 children per day. In fact, out of the 2.2 million unsafe drinking water deaths in 2004, 90% were children under the age of five."

Plus, Matt Damon is the face of Ethos...so there's that.

If the bottle looks familiar, you are probably a regular at the corner Starbucky's, but you can find Ethos in regular old grocery stores, 7-Elev's and anywhere you might find yourself in a buying mood...and thirsty.

Drink responsibly.

Oh, it's almost that time of the year again...BACK TO SCHOOL! Time to replenish your supply of Pee Chee folders, notebooks and the almighty #2 pencil. But does your pencil make the grade, environmentally speaking of course? More importantly, how good is it for California? It is possible to make a more responsible pencil choice...as if you didn't already have enough on your green plate.

I only mention this because recently ForestEthics released a report linking some of the world's largest pencil manufacturers the clearcutting of California's Sierra Nevada. ForestEthics, a non-profit organization charged brining down the powers that be destroying the Sierra Nevada, have accessed all your trusty old-school pencils based on their local environmental impact.

"How were the pencils graded?" you wonder. So glad you asked. The report card grades pencil makers on the amount of pre- and post-consumer recycled content in their products, whether or not their products are made with lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and whether or not the companies purchase lumber from Sierra Pacific Industries, a company ForestEthics calls "notoriously tone-deaf to concerns about its environmental impacts." Yeee-ikes.

Here's how the grades shake down:

• ForestChoice: A
• Greenline Paper Company: A
• Green Apple: C
• Paper Mate: C
• Dixon/Ticonderoga: F
• USA Gold: F

"Parents don't want their children using pencils which degrade California's landscape, drinking water, or species, and the top companies on our report card show that there's a better way," says Josh Buswell-Charkow of ForestEthics. "Those big companies that earned 'F's, however, are like the students in the back of the class with pencils in their ears and their heads in the clouds while the rest of the class leaves them behind."

To check out the report card in its entirety complete with fun graphics and way more information, go HERE.  To learn how you can help save the Sierra Nevada, check THIS out.

Because it's never too early to indoctrinate the little ones into the way of the eco-friendly, check out the latest adventures of William the Garbage Truck and his green posse. "William Is Going Green" is the first book in the William the Garbage Truck series by James Martin II. Starting out the story as a plain old white garbage truck, William learns about conservation, makes friends, and eventually transforms into a green hybrid recycling truck committed to the fight against global warming.

Did I mention the story is about trucks? Kids loooove them some trucks.

Dubbed an "enchanting, colorful adventure" by Amazon, "William Is Going Green" was created by Martin as homage to his 4-year-old son and his love of big, rad trucks. The littlest Martin (James III) was even given the title of co-author and is an integral part of creating the characters and the stories, right down to what each of William the Garbage Truck's transport eco-buddies look like.

A reformed environmental ignorant, Martin was first made aware of the delicate and complicated relationship between the earth and human beans when he inadvertently committed an environmental sin. While landscaping his home in Connecticut, he cut down trees on his property and was immediately fined and instructed to replant. Whoops! Determined to be more environmentally aware, Martin educated himself intensely on global warming and conservation.

"I realized how much I had affected the environment," Martin said. "I realized it was a problem, so once I replanted the trees, I wanted to teach others what I had learned. I chose children because if they can learn from birth where the bottles go -- they go in the blue bin -- then it will be part of them; it will get under their skin."

Among the tips gleaned from the book for the little ones:

• Turn off the lights; when you're asleep at night.
• Brush your teeth, have fun, but don't let the water run.
• Don't throw away your toys; Give them to other girls and boys.

As Crosby, Stills and Nash would say: teach your children well...sing along, you know the words.

Hey there speed demons, anyone remember the 55 MPH speed limit? Well much to Sammy Hagar's chagrin, the lower limit may be making a comeback if the folks banding together in the various "Drive 55" campaigns have their way. As a bit of fun history, the original limit was put into place nationally in the 1970's in response to the fuel crisis then.

The argument then and now: Observing a lower speed limit saves gas and lives. Simply put. "The faster you go, the more you waste," says Tim Castleman, the Sacramento man behind www.Drive55.org.

Of course, there's always offshore drilling to offset our fuel cost...wait what?? Bad news, bears.

Alternately, we suck it up, drive slower, inflate our tires and lose a couple of pounds to curb fuel usage ands save truckloads more gas than offshore drilling would ultimately produce. Don't believe me; check out this easy-to-follow explanation (complete with dry erase markers) from Josh Landis and Mitch Butler of the ''Fast Draw'' team.

For more info on the speed limit roll back, check THIS out.

Pssst...in case you haven't heard yet, California is officially in drought mode. Capricious water use can now cost you a $100 ticket. Everybody is easing up on their water use; nix hosing down the driveway (try a broom), stop drenching the lawn for an hour at high noon and seriously curb the use of precious H2O in the house. That includes shorter showers, my dear.

To that end, I bring you bathing innovation...the shower timer.

Because if you're anything like me, the shower is a prime place for quality space-out time. Time used to contemplate your bellybutton, guess the new yogurt flavors at the corner fro-yo depot or practice your fantasy "Take This Job and Shove It" speech...but while you're doing all that, gallons and gallons of irreplaceable water are spinning down the drain.

A shower timer keeps you on track. I use an old-school egg timer, but Ripple Products makes a snazzy star-shaped digital timer, made to withstand the hot steamy environs of your tub, complete with suction cup so it sticks right to the tile.  They also have oodles of other water conservation products in fun colors and styles. (The company also runs green, running on green power, using recycled and locally sourced paper and encouraging employees to participate in sustainability initiatives.)

So how long should your shower be? Well, keeping in mind that eco-experts say it should be 5 minutes, stay in as long as it takes to get you business done in a super brisk manner...keep to the bare minimum, so to speak. Leave the navel contemplation to dry dock.

Have you guys heard about the guy who's living one year without throwing away any trash? Yep, his name is Dave Chameides and he is at the eight-month mark. Just as a reference the average American will generate 900 pounds of trash in eight months, Dave has produced only 30 pounds. Wow!

"He said, 'I'd like to do this experiment. I'd like to keep my trash in the basement for a year,'" recalled his wife Aliza Chameides, who did not object as long as the project didn't affect her.

He set up ground rules to eliminate potential health hazards such as TP would go where it usually goes but does get logged on his blog.

Food scraps are composted and everything else is saved, even the recyclables because it takes energy to haul and remanufacture.

Chameides has found ways to reduce his waste. He takes his own cutlery and plates to work. He considers packaging before buying anything and takes a glass container to the fish market to avoid any packaging.

If you want to read more about the day-to-day adventures of Dave and his trash or maybe to get some tips on minimizing your own impact on the planet go HERE.

Yes, it's true...Power moguls PG&E announced today that they are teaming up with OptiSolar and Sun Power to build two massive solar power plants that could generate 800 megawatts of electricity at peak capacity, enough to power 239,000 homes. This means that PG&E will be buying power from the two solar farms, slated to be the largest in the world.

The biggest plant will cover almost 10 square miles of farmland in my hometown of San Luis Obispo. Picture a swath of shiny solar panels fro as far as the eye can see, but it will be "very visually unobtrusive," says OptiSolar CEO Randy Goldstein; with panels only three feet high, "It almost looks like a lake." Both plants aim to be up and running by 2011, dependent on state and local approval.

These sexy, sparkling solar squares of love mark the first large scale utility-sized use of solar power which, in case you're keeping track, could radically change the renewable energy industry by proving solar power can be affordably produced for a huge number of people, not just on the rooftops of individual homes and businesses.

"We are very happy to be working with PG&E to help meet California's requirements for clean, renewable energy and are committed to working closely with the local community as this project moves forward," said Goldstein. "Our solar farms are quiet and emission-free, with solar panels mounted near ground level to minimize visual impact. Implementing cost-competitive solar power on this scale establishes thin-film photovoltaic generation as an important contributor to global sustainability."

So there you go. For more info check out THIS or the OFFICIAL RELEASE.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has signed a new ordinance this morning that's aimed at forcing residents into stricter water conservation.

If you are caught wasting water by the drought busters you will now be fined $100 for the first offense and if you happen to be a repeat offender your fines could reach up to $300 for individuals and $600 for business wasters.

City officials did try a voluntary program but that only yielded a 4% drop in usage. The new goal is a 10% drop in water usage.

So the new rules...You cannot water your lawn between the hours of 9am and 4 pm, and you are limited to 15 minutes per day.  Using a hose to wash off hard surfaces like your driveway is prohibited. And like I have said before you must use a hose with a shut-off nozzle when you wash your car.

I must say on a personal note that this will have zero impact on me, because guess what I already do all of the above.

Your neighbors like to waste water? You can always turn them in if you want 1-800-DIAL-DWP.

I realized that there are a plethora of green choices when it comes to paint and the benefits are huge, even if you might have to pay a smidge more for the eco choice than you do your basic old paint of the past. Here's what I found...

There are basically three types of eco-snuggly paints:

• Natural Paints and Finishes: made from natural raw ingredients such as water, plant oils and resins, plant dyes and essential oils; natural minerals such as clay, chalk and talcum; milk casein, natural latex, bees' wax, earth and mineral dyes. Water-based natural paints give off almost no smell. The oil-based natural paints usually have a yummy fragrance of citrus or essential oils.

• Zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds): Any paint with VOC's in the range of 5 grams/litre or less can be called "Zero VOC", according to the EPA. (Some manufacturers may claim "Zero-VOC's", but these paints may still use colorants, biocides and fungicides with some VOC's).

• Low VOC: Low VOC paints, stains and varnishes use water as a carrier instead of petroleum-based solvents and contain no, or very low levels, of heavy metals and formaldehyde. The amount of VOC's varies among different "low-VOC" products, and is usually listed on the paint can. Paints and stains, to meet EPA standards, must not contain VOCs in excess of 200 grams per litre.

Why buy green paint?  EarthEasy makes it easy to understand:

• Reduced toxins benefit everyone, including those with allergies and chemical sensitivities.
• Reduces landfill, groundwater and ozone depleting contaminants.
• Low-VOC products perform well in terms of coverage, scrubability and hideability (covering flaws on previous coats).
• Water-Based. Easy cleanup with soap and warm water.
• Little or No Hazardous Fumes. Low odor during application; no odor once cured. No off-gassing. Painted areas can be occupied sooner, with no odor complaints.
• Non-toxic paints isn't considered hazardous waste, which makes cleanup and disposal greatly simplified.

For an exhaustive list of all kinds of non-toxic paints, finishes and stains and where to get 'em, check out EARTHEASY.

So for all you ballers, shot callers, who want to drive green but can't bring yourself to downsize (or actually GO green)...the 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid arrives in Caddy showrooms at the end of August. Yes, you can still roll all P. Diddy style under the delusion that you're doing your part.

But let's be honest, shall we? The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid still only gets 20 freakin' miles per gallon (which, in case you wondered is a 50 percent improvement on the non-hybrid models). Um, and it costs $71,685. So much for living simply and reigning in the consumerism.

And as TreeHugger points out: Sales of the old-school Escalade have fallen 29 percent so far this year and consumers have largely been shunning other hefty hybrids like the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid...Even Shaquille O'Neal fits in a Smart car."

To see what Car & Driver has to say, read THIS.  For a green perspective, check out THIS by AutoBlogGreen.

Did you ever wish you could trade those books and DVDs that are sitting on your shelf collecting dust for something new? Maybe you want a book that was recommended by a friend or that cheesy movie that you haven't seen in ages. There is an online service that does just that for you, it's called Bookins and it finds old books and movies new homes.

It works on a points system. Points are used to track the value of items you put into the system. For example, if you trade in a 10-point book you can get two 5-point books in return, or save up for a 20-point DVD, or any combination. The Bookins system automatically determines fair point values.

Now for the real question. How much does it cost? It's free to join but you do have to pay a flat rate of $4.49 when you receive an item. It cost you nothing when you trade your items. The charge covers shipping, order tracking and Bookins service charge. As a little extra measure of comfort if there is a problem with an item, such as a DVD that does not play, Bookins will replace it for no charge.

It makes no difference if you are a highbrow literary bookworm or a summertime trashy romance novel poolside reader. Out with the old and in with the new and do it all with out putting a scrap into the landfill. Click HERE to check it out.

Dr. Marcus Erikson shows support for AB 2058 from the middle of the Pacific Ocean, on a raft built from 15,000 plastic bottles.

We live in Los Angeles so I consider us experts on traffic...but that doesn't mean we're good at driving in a responsible or fuel efficient way. For example, ever been stuck in that eternal stop 'n' go and wonder why in the name of high gas prices that guy next to you is revving his engine to speed up to the car in front of him only to slam on the brakes six feet later?

Or on my quiet suburban Valley street, all 1/8 of a mile, my neighbors and I balk at the brain trusts who drag race solo to the end of the block then have to come to a screeching halt at the stop sign.

That kind of driving, besides being erratic and dangerous, does a devastating number on your average fuel efficiency, not to mention your greenhouse gas emissions. Slowing down or speeding up wastes fuel.

The answer, of course, is to drive at a constant, steady moderate speed no matter what your inner impatient brat implores you to do. A car consumes the most gas as it accelerates, while a moving car doesn't require much gasoline just to keep it in motion. Ideally, you should hardly be using that brake--expert drivers roll to a dead stop at every red light and in crammed traffic. Or at least try slowing as much as possible before braking.

Deep thought for the day: taking your foot off the gas has the same effect as the brake without the wasted fuel and rampant emissions.

For more information on this and other gas savers, check THIS out.

Besides, all that lurching around, slamming on the brakes, flooring the gas, then hitting the brake again is making your passengers car sick. It's your own fault if someone heaves.

Oops!

One would think that if you in a reality show promoting greeny living - Battleground Earth. That's aired on a greeny network - Planet Green. You wouldn't try to catch up to the leader AKA T Lee. By ordering a private jet. Um, was that you Ludacris?  I seriously hope you at least purchased a Terrapass for that fuel-sucking beast. DOH!

Come on people, you are immensely entertaining but maybe you can actually try to be green, at least while you promote it.

Just in case you're keeping track of the sexy bottled water race to be the best, the greenest, the most environmentally responsible -- you know, who uses less plastic, who uses smaller bottles, who uses recyclable materials, etc. -- here comes U.K. water purveyor SOURCE.  In the next few weeks, Source will unveil their new 100% recyclable aluminum can filled to the brim with their signature tasty spring water. YAY!

One catch: for now the space-aged receptacle will only be available in SoCal's high end eateries. So I'm assuming Lindsay's lunches at Crustacean will include sipping H2O from Source aluminum from now on.

"Just as SOURCE's water source is sustainable and naturally replenished, aluminum cans can be recycled and turned into a new can time and time again.  Recycling just one aluminum can of SOURCE Water saves enough energy to run a television for three hours or a 100-watt light bulb for four hours," so says Source in a statement. 

"Every year over 50 billion aluminum cans are recycled in the U.S., saving the energy equivalent of 15 million barrels of crude oil - America's entire gas consumption for one day."

"Protecting the resources of our planet should be a priority for every one of us," says Ryan Sowards, President of Source Water USA.  "We are committed to environmental responsibility.  Most importantly Source comes from an entirely sustainable source and we have selected aluminum packaging over plastic in an effort to set a positive example..."

Not dining at The Ivy any time soon? No worries, you can pick up your very own reusable aluminum water bottle (in 144 different styles and 12 interchangeable tops) and hydrate like the stars.

I debated with myself about putting this video up. But in the end my animal loving horror won out and I wanted people to be aware of the things that go on. If you are an animal lover this can be quite disturbing to watch.

This video was taken at "Heaven of Birds and Animals Zoo" in Gaza. They currently have lions, a pair of monkeys, a few gazelles, and a parrot. Some $40,000 worth of animals, the AP predicts, have been smuggled in through the underground tunnels from Egypt, according to Treehugger Website. It doesn't look very heavenly to me.

Five scientists studying shorebirds in northern Alaska had to themselves take flight after a polar bear showed up at a time of year it should have been out on ice floes hunting seals. Read more (VIA MSNBC).

I'm not sure exactly how effective a message this is, but hey...who doesn't want to see Harrison Ford get his chest waxed all in the name of forest conservation? Pain, deforestation, sexy senior with earring...view with my compliments.

The Los Angeles City Council voted today to approve Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's new crackdown on excessive water usage, doubling fines for residents and quadrupling them for businesses.

The "drought busters" plan is to punish residents who water their lawns between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., car owners who wash their cars without "shut-off devices" on their hoses and restaurants that serve water without being asked.

The "drought busters" will be assigned to issue warnings to first-time violators and fines to those who are caught two or more times. The DWP also operates a hotline if you want to drop a dime on someone in your neighborhood that's a chronic waster, 1-800-DIAL-DWP.

It's worth noting that at this time the fines are in the proposal stage. The proposal is expected to reach the full council later this month

If you don't want your friends and neighbors turning you in to the busters here is a list of the CURRENT things you cannot do.

• Use water on hard surfaces such as sidewalks, walkways, driveways or parking areas
• Water lawns between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Allow excess water from sprinklers to flood gutters.
• Use water to clean, fill or maintain decorative fountains unless the water is part of a recirculation system.
• Serve water to customers in eating establishments, unless requested.
• Allow leaks to go unattended.

When Pizza Hut announces an organic pie in recycled packaging do you feel the breeze from the green pendulum swinging right past you? It true...Pizza Hut, the paragon of hot, indulgent, tasty,delivered-to-your-door- in-30-minutes-or-less slab 'o cheese and meat has announced plans to launch a new "all-natural" pie made with organic tomatoes, toppings made without artificial preservatives and a multigrain crust.

They've dubbed it...ready for it..."The Natural." Even the delivery boxes will be made from 75% recycled material, to cushion your au natural pizza purchase in tufts of warm, fuzzy greenness.

"While customers are increasingly seeking options for more natural foods, they still love pizza," said Brian Niccol, Pizza Hut's chief marketing officer.

Exactly how much marketing research did they do to uncover that nugget of information? Is the Whole Foods crowd a previously untapped pizza market?

Hey, I'm all about the giving folks more organic choices and everything recycled warms my heart, but is this a case of green-washing my good ol' fashioned greasy pie? What's next; organic, lactose-free special sauce on my Big Mac?

For more info on the Pizza Hut organic revolution, check THIS out.

The green stars at Plenty Magazine have come up with a list of the "Top Ten Eco Innovations For A Better Planet," so I thought I'd spread the word. It's like Letterman, but different. There are a couple of head tilters, but for the most part it's a pretty comprehensive list. So here goes...

• Personal Computer: It allows us entrée to a world of information without having to get our green behinds to the library. It also allows for us to work from home, web-conference and hopefully, reduce paper use. The sticking point of course, is the waste, but we're getting better at responsible ditching.

• Bamboo Bicycle: It's human powered AND made of a sustainable, biodegradable material. And Plenty points out "...bamboo bike parts are cheaper than others; production isn't factory-friendly, thus helping to support local small-scale manufacturers..."

• Urban Wind Turbines: Wind energy, baby!

• Reusable Water Bottle: We're talking about the non-plastic kind here. Lightweight, sexy, durable and widely available...go get yourself a reusable aluminum water bottle!

• Tofu: OK, so not exactly new, but Plenty defends this choice saying "Compared to tofu, meat production takes up approximately 17 times as much land, 26 times as much water, 20 times as many fossil fuels, and 6 times as many chemicals." So there.

• Geodesic Dome: Think Disney World's Epcot Center; a bubble-shaped dome that "encloses more space while utilizing less energy and material than any other shelter system invented to date, and it increases in stability as it increases in size."

• Electric Car: Well, duh. Now if only we could get off that darn waiting list.

• Digital Camera: This one is a two-fold eco-innovation. First, it obviously reduces the photo processing by-products (chemicals, paper, ink, transport to the photo depot, etc). Secondly, widespread digital shutterbugs are empowered to document (then upload and broadcast) social, political, and environmental injustice on a local or global scale.

• Recycled Glass: Not just because it keeps gazillions of glass containers from festering in a landfill, but because we are making all kinds of new stuff from old glass and using less energy to do so. "Bottles can be converted into jewelry, sand, an asphalt composite, storage vessels, stained glass windows and other works of art, and so much more."

• LED light: Light-Emitting Diodes are even more energy efficient than swirly CFL lights, but without the small amount of mercury. And LED's low-powered light is nearly 30% brighter than the average fluorescent when using the same power. (Availability and price, not withstanding.)

What do you think? Anything missing?

If there was a way to do the responsible thing with your old electronics and earn a little cash at the same time would you do it?

An online company named Gazelle does just that. Gazelle will buy or recycle all kinds of electronic devices like cell phones, MP3 Players and GPS units. Simply find your make and model, get a price quote, and ship the gadget to them for free. Once it's received, Gazelle evaluates the condition of the item, strips your personal data from it, and mails you a check. Once your gadget is refurbished, it's resold or recycled responsibly.

I searched the site and found my 1st generation iPod mini that currently sits in a drawer, I put in a few bits of information about my pod like it's condition and whether it actually works etc. And presto, they offered me $19 for my old music machine.

Now I know your not going to get rich off this but if your not using something and just planning on throwing it away isn't it better to get the current market value than zilch? They will even send you a postage paid envelope so you don't spend a penny to do the right thing.  Click HERE to visit the website and see what your old junk is worth.

I was at the movies this weekend, seeing the obligatory summer blockbuster, when I spied a large donation container in the lobby of the Sherman Oaks ArcLight Theater.  What's this? I wander over to find a bin of donated jeans...and a convenient "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" tie-in, but don't roll your eyes just yet.  This all for a good cause.

The point is that Cotton Inc. is gathering used denim, in their ongoing "From Blue to Green" program, to recycle it into UltraTouch natural cotton fiber home insulation. Once the denim is collected and converted into natural cotton fiber insulation, it will be contributed to help Habitat for Humanity aid in building efforts for communities in need.

"This program provides a way for fans of this hugely popular book and movie series to actively get involved by donating their 'traveling' pants to help people who are in great need of housing," says Paula G. Rosario, Vice President, Consumer Marketing - Strategic Alliances, Cotton Incorporated.

Why not just donate pants to a re-sale charity shop? You could do that, too.  But why on earth would you inflict your old, torn, raggy, high-waisted, pleated, acid-washed jeans on someone else?  They deserve to be insulation.

You can dump that old denim at any of the 42 nationwide Guess stores (where they'll even give you $10 off any jeans purchase during the denim drive, when you donate yours) and selected movie theaters.

To read more about this summer denim donation drive, go HERE and read THIS.

I want to make a correction to a reverse published article that appeared in today's Daily News. I wrote that a 5-minute-shower used 25 gallons of water. It is actually a 10-minute shower. An average low-flow showerhead uses 2.5 gallons per minute and 25 gallons for 10 minutes. Sorry to all for the misinformation.

Summer brings with it park picnics, laptop dinners at the Hollywood Bowl and backyard barbeques. But in this age of responsible consumption do you have to bring your good silverware and ceramic plates, in lieu of paper plates and plastic sporks? No fear, there's another way to enjoy al fresco dining without toting either the Styrofoam OR Grandma's china.

EcoProducts is the one-stop shop for compostable disposable picnic-ware and more. Everything from the plates to the cups to the sporks is made of sustainable, compostable elements like corn and sugar cane. This means you can pop all this stuff in to your composter when you've finished with it, or find a composting location, and it will go back from whence it came.

The clear plastic cups, perfect for a cold frosty one, are made of corn plastic. The plate with three sections, a spot each for baked beans, potato salad and BBQ, is crafted from sugar cane plastic. Even the heavy weight plastic utensils are made of corn, too. They even have take-out containers.  Seriously. And all of it is strong, efficient and totally eco-fuzzy.

There are also coffee cups, napkins, soup containers and two bazillion other alterna-options for all your disposable eating needs. The products are great for offices, businesses and restaurants, as well.

Why, do you wonder, is everything compostable as opposed to recyclable? Because once a paper plate is covered with goo it can not be recycled. It's simply too difficult to separate the pizza cheese from the paper in order to recycle it. (Which means that sticky pizza box is no good in the blue bin either.)

So go ahead, barbeque away in glorious green style with EcoProducts. Besides, Granny would plotz to see your greasy pork ribs sliding around on her wedding china.

This is not the kind green I like. Do you ever wonder where your baseball goes when it rolls down that storm drain or maybe your soda can? Well here you go. This is just a small example of the LA River. By the way the green stuff is stinky algae. Algae grows in standing water we all know that. But phosphates from soap can cause excess algae to grow. Like say when you wash your car in the driveway... Excessive algae smells bad, looks bad, and harms water quality. I mean where do you think that water ends up? That's right kids in the ocean.