CITY HALL — In a series of votes late on Monday, the Planning Commission supported allowing developers to build taller projects in most areas of the city, sparking criticism from neighborhood activists and their allies on the commission.
CITY HALL — Hoping to improve recycling services for residents, the City Council is expected Tuesday to approve a $65,000 contract with Morley Construction Co.
Dear EarthTalk Can airplanes be run on cleaner fuels or be electric powered? Are there changes afoot in the airline business to find cleaner fuels? Reema Islam Dhaka, Bangladesh Given air travel’s huge contribution to our collective carbon footprint — flying accounts for about three percent of carbo
Dear EarthTalk: At a meeting of a local art association, an artist who paints in acrylics said that doing so is more eco-friendly than painting in oils.
Dear EarthTalk: I’m told that, despite improvements in recent years, pesticides in flea collars are still harmful to pets and humans. Are there ways to minimize fleas without resorting to chemical concoctions? And is anything being done to ban these dangerous products from store shelves? — Nancy Tro
Dear EarthTalk I am very interested in purchasing household cleaners whose ingredients and final product are not tested on animals. Where do I look? Debbie Reek via e-mail According to most animal advocates, the fact that manufacturers of household cleaners still use animals to test the toxicity of
Dear EarthTalk: Which woods are OK to purchase, and which are not, in the interest of preserving forests and not harming those who depend upon them? Jon Steiner, Boise, ID Deforestation continues to be one of the world’s biggest environmental problems, especially in fast developing regions like Sout
CITY HALL — Santa Monica could take a step toward repealing its beekeeping ban on Tuesday, as the City Council is set to discuss a proposal that also calls for setting up a bee sanctuary on City Hall-owned land.
SM PIER — Illuminated by Pacific Park’s solar-powered Ferris wheel with a pulled pork sandwich in one hand and a light beer in the other, Australian TV personality Troy Gray stood on the Santa Monica Pier last Friday night and watched as roughly 2,200 of his fellow countrymen drank and danced to pop
Dear EarthTalk What are the major threats to the Great Lakes in the United States and what’s being done to address them? Saul G., Racine, Wisc. The Great Lakes watershed is a unique and important ecosystem that contains some 95 percent of America’s fresh water surface area, and is a continental hub
CITY HALL — Having failed, so far, to convince the City Council to enact a ban on smoking inside apartment units, Rent Control Board Commissioner Robert Kronovet is planning to take his pitch for stricter smoking laws directly to the voters.
Dear EarthTalk How effective have plastic bag bans and restrictions been on reducing plastic litter and other problems associated with their proliferation? And is it really better to use paper bags, which will just lead to more deforestation? Peter Lindsey New Canaan, Conn.
