CITY HALL — For City Hall planners, it’s time for a toast. Having worked for more than four years on the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) — a general plan update that will govern development in Santa Monica over the next 25 years — they’re billing the final two workshops on the voluminous doc
Dear EarthTalk: Oceans are in big trouble and I understand President Obama is creating a high-level ocean council to address them. What are the major issues? — Steve Sullivan, Bothell, Wash.
CITY HALL — Dead bees typically don’t get much sympathy. For most humans, the buzzing, stinging creatures just don’t have the appeal that mammals like, say, bunny rabbits or whales do.
Dear EarthTalk A friend with many minor health problems recently switched to a diet of only raw plant foods and reports feeling much better. She also insists her new eating habits are better for the environment.
Dear EarthTalk My husband and I want to start a garden this year. I really want to make compost from leftover food scraps and yard materials. He says it will attract unwanted animals, and refuses to agree to it.
CITY HALL — Following a two-month delay, the City Council is again set to approve a “deal in principle” to bring billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad’s proposed art museum to Santa Monica’s Civic Center.
Dear EarthTalk: Isn’t the interest in electric cars and plug-in hybrids going to spur increased reliance on coal as a power source? And is that really any better than gasoline/oil in terms of environmental impact? Graham Rankin, via e-mail It’s true that the advent of electric cars is not necessaril
CITY HALL — Federal prosecutors Wednesday filed criminal charges against a chef and the owners of The Hump, a highly-regarded sushi restaurant at the Santa Monica Airport, for allegedly selling banned whale meat.
CITY HALL — Santa Monica’s most influential political party, Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights, has weighed in on City Hall’s long-term planning blueprint, knocking the proposed Land Use and Circulation Element for allegedly favoring job creation over housing.
Dear EarthTalk: I see a lot of “healthy snacks” being marketed for kids that list “natural flavors” but don’t identify them. Should I use these products? John Stein, Methuen, MA Beloved food writer Michael Pollan recommends steering clear of foods that advertise their green attributes on their label
Dear EarthTalk: When the plug-in Prius is released, how much electricity will it use? Will my electric bill double if my Prius is plugged in each night? Or will the increase be minimal? Also, will all this recharging put a strain on the existing electricity grid? — G.
CITY HALL — Environmentalist Terry O’Day, a former chairman of the Planning Commission, was selected by the City Council Tuesday night to fill the seat vacated by the death of Mayor Ken Genser last month.
