Chasing Clean Air

8th Annual Pre-Oscar Global Green Party

All that dazzled was not gold at the 8th Annual Pre-Oscar Global Green Party.

It was green!

The Green Car Journal's 2011 Green Car of the Year--the Chevy Volt--took centerstage amongst stars and environmentalists out on the town at the Avalon Hollywood to support smart solutions to climate change.

The plug-in electric car with its back-up engine graced the green carpet for Global Green USA's big pre-Oscar party bash.

The American arm of Mikhail S. Gorbachev's Green Cross International is committed to progressive environmental initiatives.

Today, Global Green USA unveiled a city carbon index for Los Angeles to grade its progress in creating clean jobs, clean air, and clean energy.

Folks on hand included  environmentalists James Cameron and wife Suzy Amis, James Van Der Beek and wife Kimberly Brook, and dazzling personality Flavia Colgen and her talented friend and animator Denis Thomopoulos, who created Hippo Works games for kids to increase climate change awareness.

Matt Petersen, President and CEO of Global Green USA, was looking eco-cool.

All appetizers were vegan or vegetarian, which I noted was a smart move on Global Green's part and for anyone striving to be green.

Throughout the VIP party, I spoke to agents,  actors and environmentalists above a loud cacophony of creatives.

I wanted to know,

"What did you do to be greener today?"

"Recycled!" "Drove a hybrid!" "Rode a bike!" "Walked! I don't own a car!"

Actor Chin Han smirked, "I bathed with a friend."

Or did he say, I came with a friend.

Book Review: The Reluctant Volunteer: Reuniting Trafficked Children in Nepal

The thing about travel is it takes us to new parts of ourselves, as much as new places.

Transforms us into something better. Something more. Expanding our awareness.

So when I was asked to read about a young fellow named Conor Grennan who made a choice to volunteer in Nepal, helping kids, a choice that created his new life path, I jumped on the chance to read his inspiring book.

 

Focus: Aging Oil Refineries or Happy Thoughts?

I'm no superwoman, and I don't multi-task well. My oatmeal will burn if left on the flame while reworking a sentence.

I need focus.

And being that I just got hit with two air pollution studies, I feel challenged.

Too many risks to human health they say.

Too much for my head to digest while cooking a tofu and vegetable dinner I say.

Dinner is on the stove right now and I'm thinking about aging infrastructures that bring us energy. Like my body.

And oil refineries, gas pipelines, and nuclear power plants because when they age, toxic leakage makes news in the form of frightening studies and reports like on tonight's ABC Nightly News.

Brian Ross shared his Toxic Acid Risk Report about aging oil refineries that create serious pollution. Brian's report was one of two that shivered my spine today but stopped when I replaced it with an Oprah-like Aha! moment.

Ask Donna: Woman with Multiple Chemical Sensitivies Needs to Know Where It's Safe To Go?

Dear Donna:

Thanks for your website!

I am trying to find the best place to live for good air quality/ ozone, particulate/pesticides -possibly other criteria I don't know about. I can move anywhere.

I suffer with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. I have lived in Santa Monica for almost 7 years and feel I am swimming against the tide here.

I have found a number of sites that have the best clean air cities, but they seem to only include criteria based on particulate and ozone, not pesticides.

I look forward to hearing from you.

I am at the beginning of the process of finding the best place for me to move to and your input will be most appreciated.

Can't figure out how to use you sight to find. Suggestions/instructions?

Thanks,

Lori

To read my answer, continue below...

Enroute Marin County to Los Angeles On I-5

I left clean air Marin to head to Los Angeles on I-5, and was reminded that I never know what gems and toxic hotspots I may find while chasing clean air. 

Stockholm's Congestion Tax: When it Comes To Cleaning the Air, Sweden & Denmark Rock!

 

California  needs money. We need less traffic. And cleaner air. Put a camera on the Sunset Bridge (whichever side remains up) to implement pay to "play" for folks driving in and out of the Westside. This would encourage car-pooling and public transportation just like it did in Sweden with Stockholm's Congestion Tax. Do the same for folks entering downtown. The Los Angeles Congestion Tax. What do you think?

The majority of people in Sweden and Denmark seem to care more about protecting the environment than Americans if you consider how they vote and where they put their money.

Denmark gets 1/5 of its electricity from wind power, and its nearby island Samso gets 100%, which means, clean air and bad hair days.

Plus Denmark partnered with BetterPlace to implement electric cars and charging stations.

Sweden succeeds in combating what happens to be my #1 frustration in Los Angeles (contributing to our nations worst air pollution) big, black, and ugly traffic.

Denmark and Sweden's civic leaders and transportation departments rock. Our Department of Transportation writes reports, and okays projects like the demolition of Sunset Bridge and the widening of 405 freeway because here in Los Angeles we encourage the flow of cars.