Brighter Planet: Please vote for Apps for the Environment
Brighter Planet has been working on some free apps that integrate sustainability information into online tools, and a few of them are competing for votes in the EPA’s green apps challenge. They invite you to check them out, and if you like any and could spare a few seconds to click through and vote for them, they’d be much obliged! You can log in using your Facebook account.
You can vote for all of them:
- Vote for Careplane (your Facebook login works) – compare flight options on sustainability while shopping on Orbitz, Kayak, Travelocity, etc
- Vote for Hootroot – navigate sustainably from point A to point B
- Vote for Greener Pastures – track city housing efficiency rankings
- Vote for TripCarbon – manage your travel footprint right from your TripIt account
Be sure to click around, there are lots of other cool apps competing too!
Earthship Biotecture Green Buildings

I’ve been fascinated by Earthships for a while now, and would love to stay in one someday. I love the idea of a completely sustainable way of living.
Here is some info about Earthships:
“An earthship is a type of passive solar house made of natural and recycled materials. Designed and marketed by Earthship Biotecture of Taos, New Mexico, the homes are primarily constructed to work autonomously and are generally made of earth-filled tires, using thermal mass construction to naturally regulate indoor temperature. They also usually have their own special natural ventilation system. Earthships are generally Off-the-grid homes, minimizing their reliance on public utilities and fossil fuels. Earthships are built to utilize the available local resources, especially energy from the sun. For example, windows on sun-facing walls admit lighting and heating, and the buildings are often horseshoe-shaped to maximize natural light and solar-gain during winter months. The thick, dense inner walls provide thermal mass that naturally regulates the interior temperature during both cold and hot outside temperatures.
Internal, non-load-bearing walls are often made of a honeycomb of recycled cans joined by concrete and are referred to as tin can walls. These walls are usually thickly plastered with stucco.
The roof of an Earthship is heavily insulated – often with earth or adobe – for added energy efficiency.”
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthship
EnrichLA Fundraiser – Canele Restaurant “Closed on Mondays”
Show your support for my friends at Enrich LA!
Written on September 22, 2011 by enrichla in Leonardo, Shana
On Monday, September 26th there will be a fundraiser at Canele Restaurant to benefit EnrichLA and to help us build even MORE gardens!
Canele Restaurant hosts Closed on Mondays, something they created in order to benefit local food initiatives. Canele opens its doors to non-profits like EnrichLA on a day when they would otherwise be closed to the public. For $35 you get a 3 course prix fixe meal, with choices that include greek salad, salt-roasted branzino with dill rice and tzatziki, or roasted half chicken over french fries with vinegar and greek oregano. ALL profits from food sales on this night go directly toward EnrichLA! Vegetarian options also available!
The Atwater Village Farmers’ Market is donating produce, and Fox Gives has generously agreed to MATCH whatever is raised from this fundraiser! This thereby doubles EVERY DOLLAR that is earned through the fundraiser.
Below is a sample menu for the dinner at Canele. We would love it if you joined us for good food and a good cause!
Canele Restaurant is located in Atwater Village at:
3219 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039
Happy Autumn Equinox
Photo by By *Micky on flickr
We don’t really have a visual fall in Los Angeles, in the sense of the leaves changing. I realized I don’t have any fall photos, so it is my goal to take some photos this season. I may have to travel to do so, which would be nice.
On the first day of fall—the autumnal equinox—day and night are each about 12 hours long (with the actual time of equal day and night, in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring a few days after the autumnal equinox). The Sun crosses the celestial equator going southward; it rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west.
I hope you all have a wonderful Autumn Equinox!
Ork Posters!
Ork Posters is a small company that creates unique city neighborhood posters since 2007. Jennifer Beorkrem is a Chicago based graphic designer and founder of Ork Posters. She creates fun, modern, maps of several different cities. I have the Los Angeles poster which is a full six square feet of the City of Angels stuffed with a whopping 111 neighborhoods. It is printed with soy-based ink on 100% recycled paper. Check out their site and see if your city is available or coming soon: http://www.orkposters.com
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ecoATM
The other day, my significant other and I were walking to the Apple store to recycle our old iPhones. We weren’t expecting anything in return. On our way there we passed by an ecoATM. They pay cash for old cell phones and other electronic devices. We decided to give it a try. We had an original iPhone and an iPhone 3G. We got $96 total for the two phones! We were super stoked to get money that we weren’t expecting. Love it!
When I got home I looked them up and discovered that they are a San Diego based company and mostly has locations in Southern CA. There are a couple other locations in other states, too.
Park[ing] Day LA – 2011
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Friday, September 16, 2011, is the 5th annual celebration of Park[ing] Day LA and park-ticipants throughout the city will step up to the curb, put a quarter in the meter, and proceed to transform metered curbside parking into urban parks, just for the day.
Parking meter in front of LOCAL in Silverlake |
Parking meter in front of LOCAL in Silverlake |
Parking meter in front of LOCAL in Silverlake |
Parking meter in front of old Circuit City in Los Feliz |

Amara Gold Everlasting
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Amara Gold Everlasting is an eco-friendly company that makes beautiful fine gold & silver jewelry without disturbing a single meter of the earth. The Amara fine jewelry collection is 100% renewed which is created using a carefully crafted recycling process.
I purchased the Boho Bead Chain earrings and they are superb quality. The attention to detail is apparent to every component including the back of the earrings. These earrings are very elegant with a bohemian style and contemporary flare.
The designers at Amara Gold Everlasting uses various colors of recycled precious gold & silver in multi, rose, white gold, and yellow gold. They make bracelets, charms, earrings, necklaces, and rings. This jewelry is gorgeous for special occasions or for someone special. Look fabulous and feel great about it.
I remember…

Do you remember where you were on 9/11? I woke up and I was on call for work. I called in and my boss said “Planes in NY. No work, gotta go. Everyone is freaking out!” Then, she hung up. I had no idea what she was talking about until I turned on the television. The imagery was so surreal and haunting. I will never forget…
http://totallycoolpix.com/2011/09/remembering-9-11-the-tenth-anniversary
Blue Q
I’ve been interested in wallets and coin purses lately and I discovered these great coin purses by Blue Q. They make their bags from 95% post-consumer material. Also, 1% of the sales support conservation work of the Nature Conservancy. They have so many cute and fun designs to choose from.
I purchased a couple of the coin purses and the quality is superb! Later, I looked around my home and realized I had a couple bags made by Blue Q that were gifts. Awesome! I love rediscovering items that are eco-logical and I forgot about them.
They have several other items available on their website. Check it out: http://www.blueq.com
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Parking meter in front of LOCAL in Silverlake
Parking meter in front of LOCAL in Silverlake
Parking meter in front of LOCAL in Silverlake
Parking meter in front of old Circuit City in Los Feliz




















