Chasing Clean Air

Vegan and Ethical Shoes for a Heating Planet

Saying yes to the Mooo and yes to vegan and ethical shoes. From Portugal.

Hmmm. 

Introducing Bourgeois Boheme, leather-free footwear.

While it's best to buy local, (less transportation pollution)  these shoes are worth mentioning, if nothing else, to inspire us to do better. Being that I write about clean air. And drought creates dirty air with dust and fires (the west coast is in a major drought). And because it takes a lot of energy and water and land and some say insensitivity to create hamburgers and leather products, I thought I'd share this alternative. I have not worn Bourgeois Boheme shoes but I support the idea. To learn more, click here.

Until next time, breathe easy and make life an adventure!

To stay connected with my search for clean air & solutions to air pollution...

 FACEBOOK LIKE Chasing Clean Air 

 Chasing Clean Air RADIO previous episodes here. 

 Subscribe to the Chasing Clean Air RSS feed  

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

 Verify your email. Subscribing is safe. No 3rd party sharing.

 

 

 

Great Walks of the World: Scotland

How in the world did the West Highland Way - a classic scenic walk allowing for overnight glamping (glamour meets camping) in B & Bs - in the Scottish Highlands become a focus?

Los Angeles cars, congestion, and let's face it, I had an injury, making being clean air more attractive than going to clean air destinations. Low carbon, or zero carbon, traveling to minimize climate change and air pollution, without adding to congestion is the right thing to do. I love hiking, and walking, and reading about long walks.

WALK!

Tribewanted! Community Eco-Tourism Goes to Italy and So Can You!

This is what I'm talking about; be the example we want to see in the world. Okay, that was Ghandi talking but I say, Yes! to Tribewanted, an innovative initiative where (looking at their Vimeo video) young people are building sustainable communities. Next stop. Italy’s rural Umbria.

And YOU can join in the creation of this sustainable community, or visit as a tourist.

Ben Keene, founder of Tribewanted,

“Our goal at Tribewanted is to show that it is possible to live sustainably, not just in remote locations and developing countries as we’ve proven with our other projects, but also in our own back yard. It’s a mix of the good life and our future life.”

Tribewanted built an eco-tourism project on a beautiful and barely inhabited Fijian island and then created a sustainable project alongside a Sierra Leone beach community.

Travellers are invited to join the community either as visiting tourists or as tribe-members, as they participate in turning a 15^th century hamlet into a sustainable community. The project is open to everyone and for those who prefer a more relaxing holiday, they can enjoy horse riding, the stunning surroundings, the unique Umbrian food, music and Monestevole welcome.

Clean Air Iceland

Mom went to Iceland, and I got these clean air pictures.

In addition to the excitement of buying her first full-length down coat for the occasion of brrrr cold weather, a chocolate brown color to match her Mini Cooper and many scarves, she loved Iceland.

"Clean air, wholesome food and living habits!"

Her only disappointment was that she didn't make it to Greenland or Iceland's Blue Lagoon where natives and tourists take hot baths in beauty. But she made the boat to Jokulsar Glacial Lagoon with its gorgeous blue ice.

I want to go!

Iceland is known for volcanoes and water. And when the volcanoes are not active, residents and tourists enjoy clean, CLEAN, air!

Beautiful pastoral lands; can you hear Beethoven's 6th?

That's his Pastoral Symphony.

Iceland gets clean energy from geothermal power plants, accessing heat from under the ground.

Mom looked pretty radiant in Iceland if you ask me, and based on my travel to clean air destinations, I'll give some credit to clean air, and mom adds, very clean water.

For the record, mom does not share my clean air obsession.

Opera.

She flies across continents for an outstanding Opera. Even outstanding architecture that houses Operas.

Mom targeted Iceland because Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, opened a new opera house with unusual architecture called Harpa Concert Hall and Convention Center.

Iceland is run by a female president. And another interesting fact, people don't have last names, though still patriarchal. If I lived there, my name would be Donna Robertsdottir. Robert being my father.

If you need more information on clean air Iceland, I think I should go. :-) I know a woman about my size who has a full-length down coat.

To view my mom's (partial) Iceland photo slideshow, click here.

To follow my clean air search and explore air pollution solutions together, subscribe to the Chasing Clean Air RSS feed! 

 

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.

Biking Big in Salzburg

It's been a long time since I biked through Salzburg but I recall the many tree-lined trails.

Jeff Brody was recently there and took this shot of bike trails criss-crossing the European city that prides itself on sustainable practices.

To read highlights of Jeff's clean air Salzburg trip click here.