Michelle Obama really made organic veggie gardening popular when she rolled up her sleeves, but even long before the first lady got involved, urban gardening had no shortage of fans. My Angeleno neighbors have been growing food in community gardens for a long long time — and many more neighbors have been waiting a long … Read more

A sense of “doom or shame” isn’t the way to spur action against global warming. At least, that’s the way the founders of a new, small think tank, the Breakthrough Institute,** put it on NPR** recently. They said that China will never stop burning its vast reserves of coal, and never will the U.S. for … Read more

If you’ve ever lived in a big city, you know how precious green space is. For many cities, parks are often a source of pride. They provide beauty and a space for recreation, relaxation, and a feeling (even if for a few hours) that you’re not choked up by so many people, cars, and buildings. … Read more

My family and I live in a beach community that pretty much revolves around, well, THE BEACH. From the onset of June Gloom to the hot, hazy days of September, we spend an enormous amount of time outside. Certainly a fair share of our outdoor time is spent at the beach, but we also love … Read more

My local 99 cent store now charges three cents for each plastic bag.   This has inspired me to bring along my own bags.  While I’d like to say that my motivation for carrying shopping bags is 100% to help the planet, saving the fifteen cents per trip is an added incentive.  This brings up a … Read more

I’m a make-up girl. One of my daughters loves to play make-up also.  Make-up is one of those things that definitely rubs off (no pun intended) on your kids. It wasn’t really until I took a look at her little kid make-up set today, that I wondered, ‘what is in that nasty looking lip … Read more