Book Watch

New Green Books @ Burbank Public Library

Farewell, My Subaru: an Epic Adventure in Local Living
Doug Fine – Villard, 2008
333.72 FINE
~ recounts hard won lessons learned from trying to live a sustainable lifestyle

Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies
Eric Corey Freed – Wiley, 2008
690.8047 2008 FREED
~ fun and easy way to plan and build your dream green home

Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities & the Durable Future
Bill McKibben – Times, 2007
306.3 MCKIB
~ a new way to think about the things we buy, the food we eat, the energy we use, and the money that pays for it all

Internet Watch

. . . some green websites of interest:

EcoGeek was conceived and founded (and is run and edited) by Hank Green. Hank spends most of his time thinking about how our brains can save our planet and has, in the last few years, become something of an expert on the subject. He appears regularly on Planet Green's nightly news show "G Word."

EcoTech Daily is the continuing journal of a green revolution. We’re here to help you make sense of change. We’ll keep you in touch with the latest green technology, gadgets, and news.

Green Progress provides the latest green technology and environmental science news and resources. We're interested in the ways people are developing and using technology to create a more sustainable world.

GreenerTrends is a response to consumers around the globe who want greener lifestyles. We track, evaluate and explain trends in sustainable business, technology and consumer goods, to help you learn green, live green, and save green.

Jetson Green is a daily updated magazine that's obsessed with green building and everything related to it, including sustainable architecture, good design, green prefab, clean technology in the built environment, affordable housing, and eco-friendly development.

Neighborhood Watch: Compost

Composting is the Way to Go
Burbank Leader: September 1, 2009 by Robert Rush

Anyone who planted tomatoes this year found it to be one of the best years ever. But I made a discovery that was really something.

When we had the drought two or three years ago, when Burbank got almost no rain, I let the grass in my backyard die because I would have had to flood the backyard daily to save it.

Dead grass is like a brown carpet. You walk on it and your feet don’t get dirty. I left it that way for a couple of years.

This year, I decided to take the dead grass out and try a garden with more than just tomatoes. I have been growing only tomatoes for the last 20 years or so. I have been composting for just as long.

The Burbank Recycle Center gives composters to residents. I found out that the soil under my grass was completely depleted of any nutrients. No wonder I had to put so much water on it during summer months. My soil could not hold water longer than a few hours.

Story continues below ↓

This was a great year, compost or not. But for me, the name of the game is homemade compost. Give it a try — it’s magic, and it’s organic. READ MORE !

The City of LA free mulch give-away program

Bring your own shovel, bag or pick-up.
Load up your own containers and take as much as you need
IT’S FREE & IT’S MADE FROM YARD TRIMMINGS!

Available Locations:
Lake View Terrace -11950 Lopez Canyon Rd.
(near Sylmar)
Everyday 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Sheldon-Arleta - 12455 Wicks St.
(near Sun Valley)
Everyday 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
West Valley - 16600 Roscoe Pl.
(near North Hills)
Everyday 7:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Donald C. Tillman - 15800 Victory Blvd.
(near Van Nuys - S. of Densmore)
Mon-Fri 7:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M., Sat 8:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
West L.A. - 6000 W Jefferson Blvd.
Everyday 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
East L.A. - 2649 E Washington Blvd.
Fri-Sun 9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.
Elysian Valley - 3000 Gilroy St.
Everyday 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
San Pedro - 1400 N Gaffey St.
Everyday 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
N. Mission Rd. - 850 N Mission Rd. Los Angeles
Scheduled to open soon.

Call James Kurz: (818) 834-5128
City of Los Angeles. Bureau of Sanitation

Findacomposter:
a service of BioCycle magazine. You can use this searchable data base to locate a composting facility in your area. Choose a state or province in the magnifying glass, or click on Facility Search to search by any of the fields in the data base.

Public Works: Transportation

Green’ Buses Set to Arrive: Natural gas vehicles brings the city’s municipal fleet up to 20% alternatively fueled vehicles.

Burbank Leader: August 28, 2009 by Christopher Cadelago

CITY HALL — Five new compressed natural gas buses will roll onto city streets in the coming weeks, each serving as the latest example of Burbank’s effort to “green” its fleet, transportation officials said.

The 30-seat buses, each with a price tag of about $395,000, bring the city’s number of alternatively fueled vehicles to 101, or about 20% of its municipal fleet, including compressed natural gas, hybrid and hydrogen technologies, said Ari Omessi, assistant Public Works director of fleet and building.

The newest buses were paid for with a mix of city and grant funds.

“We’re one of the cleanest cities out there,” he said. “And it’s genuine. We purchased [compressed natural gas] vehicles and put in a refueling station long before it was [politically correct.]”

To support its green quest, as well as the aspirations of private companies and neighboring Glendale, the city six years ago opened a public natural gas station at 810 N. Lake St., paid for with $600,000 in state grants and $200,000 from ENRG, the company originally contracted to operate and maintain the station for 10 years.

A demonstration hydrogen fueling station is at the city yard at 124 S. Lake St. READ MORE !