CITY HALL — After years in the works, the City Council is set to take a step toward greatly limiting the number of taxi cabs allowed to operate in Santa Monica.
Dear EarthTalk Are there efforts to increase bike lanes and paths around the nation? I’d like to be able to bike more instead of drive, but I’m concerned about safety.
DOWNTOWN — Right now, electric car company Coda is a startup in an unproven industry whose employees are still settling into its new headquarters at Broadway and Ninth Street.
CIVIC CENTER — In an effort to get drivers to pay more attention to what’s in front of them, City Hall has installed Santa Monica’s first solar-powered LED stop sign.
Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard conflicting reports regarding how long it really takes for a plastic grocery bag to decompose. Can you set the record straight? — Martha Blount, San Diego, Calif.
Dear EarthTalk What would it take to produce “green” tires? The tire industry is huge and I understand that tires contain a large amount of petroleum products.
CITY HALL — In a move meant to crackdown on illegal leaf blowing, the City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to change the way City Hall enforces its ban on the noisy machines and opted to spend $55,000 to hire a new leaf blower point person.
Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series that tracks the city’s expenditures appearing on upcoming Santa Monica City Council consent agendas.
Dear EarthTalk Is it true that some countries have turned over public water supplies to private companies, effectively denying local communities much-needed access? J.
Dear EarthTalk When we talk about “endangered species” we usually think of animal species, but someone recently told me that there was a worldwide crisis pertaining to the extinction of plants.
Dear EarthTalk I’ve been hearing about the great gas mileage for Volkswagens that use diesel fuel. But is it better for the environment to use diesel or unleaded gasoline? K.
CITY HALL — With the fate of a proposed statewide plastic bag ban still uncertain, Santa Monica officials on Thursday declared their intention to move ahead with a local version of the law should Sacramento legislators fail to pass the ban by the end of the legislative session on Tuesday.
