Saturday, September 26, 2009

It's Indian Summer and the environment and music scenes are buzzing...


Happy Autumn everyone...mind you it sure doesn't feel like it's fall over here in Los Angeles, where it's been unseasonably hot as the fiery fires of, well, anywhere that's on fire, clocking in at 90 degrees at the beach and an ungodly 100 + inland. Some Midwestern rain could come in handy any time now...yeah right. Moving on, loads of exciting goings on in the environmental scene right now!

Over the past few weeks, the documentary film FUEL (see post below) has been on a cross-country tour with a caravan of alternative energy fueled vehicles including the first ever car to run on algae based gasoline (yes you did just read that, algae based gasoline), the Toyota Prius Algaeus. I've been working my bootay off planning loads of their events in different cities, but the coolest one thus far has been their event with my one of my favorite public people, Sir Richard Branson. The Veggie Van Organization, the nonprofit stemming from FUEL, launched their green educational curriculum for schools and ages K-12 in NYC with Sir Branson and Steve Howard from the famous Climate Group, based in the UK. This event was part of Climate Week NYC, which was a week long conference and set of events to prepare the international community for the United Nations Climate Change Conference coming up this December in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ironic that I visited there just this past summer? Me thinks not...

Check out this conference, it looks like it will be an interesting gathering of people, and sure to garner up quite the protesters, of those not only who don't support the idea of climate change, and even moreso, those who do not favor globalization and organizations like the UN (check out what protests have been happening in Pittsburgh at the G20 Economic Summit too http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6848176.ece).

Governor Schwarzenneger will be holding his 2nd annual Global Climate Summit next week here in LA. *Fingers Crossed* I get to attend and cover it with a press pass :) Loads of awesome people will be present including the likes of Tony Blair, many big environmental influencers, people from the UN, the Mayor of Toronto (teehee)...you get my jist!

So enough for current environmental events, here's your:

Environmental Tip of the Day!!!

We all know how bad plastic water bottles really are for the world. Yes, even if you consciously recycle these puppies, there are just too many of them out there, and too few people who actually take the effort to dispose of them in the right way. Has anyone else seen the recent commercials against plastic water bottles where a woman is running on the treadmill and sipping her water, and then the line comes up, "30 minutes on a treadmill, Forever in a landfill..." Yeah, that one hits home for me and all of you exercise conscious people out there.

So what is the best answer to the use of plastic water bottles? I have been using an EcoUsable aluminum water bottle since last December and it has become attached to my hip. EcoUsable is the most eco friendly and has the least chemicals in it's components (compare to the brand Sigg). Not only are they cute, colorful, and come in different sizes, but if you opt for a larger size, you can get an in-bottle-cap filter!!! Yes, this filter supposedly kicks the Brita Filter's mangey butt all the way off of this planet. All you do is fill your bottle up with tap water-yes I did just say tap water- and drink with the filter cap on the top, and Walaaa! you have delicious, filtered, freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (recesionnistas) water! Kudos to you helping our planet. Here's a link to their website so you can see for yourself. If you know me personally and have seen me in the last 9 months (which I hope you have), it's that bright green bottle I have with me constantly.

www.ecousable.com

Now onto the life and times of indie music as of late.

Band that's been blasting out my car and computer speakers as of late would be...

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros!

I had the pleasure of stumbling upon this band back in April, a bit intoxicatedly I must admit, at La Cita, the divey Mexican restaurant and bar in downtown La La land. At the moment, my friends and I had a raging dance party, along with the rest of the crowd, jumping around, hooting and hollering, acting a bit like cave men and women.

Yes, we did appreciate the music. We all had a few moments where we stopped and just quietly listened, breaking out of our stream of consciousness dancing and galavanting to take a breath and ooo and aaaahhhh over Edward Sharpe and his magnetic zeros band. Whistling, playing a gazillion different instruments, invoking classic rock and some 1960s folk fever and passion, this band of 10 happy hippies produces heel stomping, cheery yet provocative and evocative music.

La loves this band, and I'm sure you will too once you catch them live. They are currently setting on a tour across the U.S. (and for my favorites in NYC, they are playing the Bowery Ballroom on November 17).

I like that NPR says that their song "Home" "is enough to make even the tiniest heart grow 3 sizes." Add alcohol and friends and it grows at least 5 sizes, you can hold me to that.

I really like this recent video of their photo shoot for Flaunt Mag on the beach here in La.

www.Flaunt.com

Listen to their music at www.myspace.com/edwardsharpe

Oh and guess what!? Did you think I would really write about a band that YOU couldn't see in LA any time soon? NO YOU DIDN'T, so they are playing the Abbot Kinney Festival tomorrow, Sunday, 9/27!!!!!!

www.AbbotKinney.org

I went last year, lots of fun artistic stuff, shirts, food, beautiful people, sunshine, music and an all around awesome time for a random late summer/early fall Sunday in September.

Call me (if you have my number) and want to come with tomorrow to the festival and the Edward Sharpe show!

I'm off to work on a Saturday, unpaid, for the Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Organization event at the Playboy Mansion...yes Hef is going green. More on that next time!!!

peace and harmonies,

eb