2013: Year of the L.A. Aqueduct - L.A. City Council Declaration

 

Los Angeles Aqueduct Day is the least noted, most important nonexistent holiday  in Los Angeles. DATE: January 18, 2013 2:57:52 PM PST     Los Angeles City Council Declares "2013: Year of the L.A. Aqueduct" LADWP to Celebrate Engineering Marvel that Brought Water from Owens Valley to L.A. 100 Years Ago LOS ANGELES — (Jan. 18, 2013) The Los Angeles City Council officially declared “2013: Year of the Los Angeles Aqueduct” today, joining the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in launching a centennial celebration to mark 100 years of continuous operation of William Mulholland’s great engineering achievement that brings water to Los Angeles from the Owens Valley, 233 miles away. The declaration, a City Proclamation, states, “the completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct 100 years ago is a significant historical event that led to the growth and prosperity of Los Angeles and Southern California, helped spur an economy that today rivals many nations’ and supports a distinct culture synonymous with invention, creativity and entrepreneurship. It was presented by Councilmember Jose Huizar along with Councilmember Tom LaBonge.  “The Los Angeles Aqueduct is a critical reason the City of Los Angeles was able to expand from a sparsely populated region to the second-largest city in the United States and a thriving metropolis,” said Councilmember and Energy & Environment Committee Chair José Huizar. “The L.A. Aqueduct’s importance continues to this day and the City of Los Angeles is proud to recognize this engineering marvel.” "The story of Los Angeles is the story of water, and Angelenos will keep on writing it for centuries to come, thanks to this aqueduct," said Councilmember LaBonge. The entirely gravity-fed Los Angeles Aqueduct remains one of the engineering marvels of modern times, and to this day continues to supply water through effective and responsible management by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.” James B. McDaniel, Senior Assistant General Manager of the LADWP Water System, was in Council Chambers to unveil the Department’s plans for the Centennial celebration, called “L.A. Aqueduct Centennial: Our Legacy, Our Future,” and to describe the events, activities and public awareness campaign planned for the year. “The enduring legacy of the Los Angeles Aqueduct is a source of immense pride at LADWP, and its stewardship is what we do unfailingly each and every day,” he said. “On behalf of the men and women who help operate a system that supplies 600 million gallons of drinking water a day, and the countless others who built the aqueduct or worked for the Water System in the last century, we thank the Mayor and Council for its recognition and appreciation.” Also on hand was Christine Mulholland, great-granddaughter of aqueduct engineer William Mulholland. “Few times in the history of Los Angeles has there been such a reason to celebrate the feats and accomplishments of our ancestors. That the Los Angeles Aqueduct, one of the modern wonders of the world of engineering, continues to bring fresh, clean water to the the people of L.A. is a tribute to my great-grandfather, William Mulholland, and all the people who built, and now continue to maintain, the system,” she said. Today, the Los Angeles Aqueduct still provides about half of the water needed for the city’s 4 million residents and retains a vital role in the city’s water supply portfolio. LADWP is working hard to expand local water resources through water conservation, recycled water, stormwater capture and groundwater cleanup.  The Los Angeles Aqueduct Centennial will include special activities and events, a public awareness campaign and a celebration on November 5, 2013 to mark 100 years to the day when a crowd of 40,000 gathered at the northeast end of the San Fernando Valley to witness the first flow of water down the Cascades and to hear Mulholland’s immortal words: “There it is. Take it.”

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2013: Year of the L.A. Aqueduct - L.A. City Council Declaration

Canada Blooms and Landscape Ontario Events Calendar '13 - '14

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO’S EVENT CALENDAR

Toronto, Ont. – January 22, 2013 - Landscape Ontario events calendar.

Canada Blooms 

March 15 - 24, 2013 Direct Energy Centre

100 Princes’ Blvd, Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6K 3C3

www.canadablooms.com

Canada Blooms is a not-for-profit organization that gives back to the community throughout the year by funding community garden projects around Ontario. 

Canada Blooms is also dedicated to providing the community with horticulture expertise, education and resources on an ongoing basis.

Canada Blooms was founded in 1996 by Landscape Ontario and The Garden Club of Toronto. Each year it is supported by a committed group of partners, sponsors and volunteers.

Canada Blooms has been named One of Ontario’s Top 100 Events by Festivals and Events Ontario and One of North America’s Top 100 Events by the American Bus Association. Canada Blooms is also the recipient of the 2011 Garden Tourism Award for “Garden Tourism Festival of the Year”.

Garden enthusiasts delight in stunning floral creations at the standard judged flower show featured at Canada Blooms. Interested non-professional exhibitors as well as members of Horticultural Societies and Garden Clubs are welcome to enter these classes. For information go to www.canadablooms.com 

Landscape Ontario’s Expo, Garden and Floral Expo

October 23 – 24, 2013

www.loexpo.ca

Show Dates and Hours:

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Future Dates:

Landscape Ontario’s Expo, Garden and Floral Expo 2014

October 22 – 23, 2014

North Building, Toronto Congress Centre

EXPO 2013 is Canada's fall trade show for the garden and floral industry. The spotlights are on flora, fauna and exquisitely merchandised displays that capture imaginations and provide retail inspiration that can be executed on store floors in the spring of 2014.

Early morning educational and networking events, running 8 – 10 a.m. offer industry professionals the opportunity to improve their retail knowledge.

Current news on the trade show, education programs and social events can be found at www.loexpo.ca 

[Oh Canada! : ) ]

 

Landscape Ontario's Snow and Ice Conference and Expo 2013
Thursday, September 19, 2013

www.snowandiceexpo.ca
Show Dates and Hours:

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Conference 8 a.m. to 12 noon

Trade Show 12 noon to 4:00 p.m.

Landscape Ontario’s Snow and Ice Conference is a one day industry specific event that features morning sessions followed by displays of exciting new products as well as popular snow removal equipment and technology. The purpose of the event is to create a timely and convenient opportunity to help snow contractors and municipal workers responsible for snow management make their operations more efficient and cost effective. In addition to the must attend workshop, the event is host to outdoor displays of some of the latest equipment and technologies for the snow and ice control industry. The tools that will help improve your snow contracting business  include everything from trucks and plows to electronics and software.

Landscape Ontario’s Congress Conference and Trade Show

January 7 - 9, 2014

www.locongress.com

Show Dates and Hours:

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Landscape Ontario’s Congress, one of North America’s largest horticultural, lawn and garden trade show and conference, enters its 41^st year of serving the green industry on January 7 – 9, 2014. Over 13,000 industry professionals congregate in 8 acres of 600 multinational vendor displays – everything a business owner requires  for the construction and maintenance of commercial, public and residential landscapes. 

Landscape Ontario partners with the Canadian Fence Industry Association to co-locate with their fence focused trade show, Fencecraft.

The four day event offers a broad range of products, dynamic educational programs and networking events that advance professional development and business prosperity of those working in the green industry.

Detailed information about the trade show and conference is available at locongress.com. Landscape Ontario is  dedicated to technological improvement, cost reduction, improved relations, and advancing the horticultural industry. 

Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association, one of the most vibrant associations of its kind, is comprised of over 2,000 member companies, ten sector groups and nine local chapters. Its trade mission is to promote the horticulture industry in Ontario, and its public mission, Green for Life, promotes the joys and benefits of plants and green spaces.  Visit www.landscapeontario.com for more information. 

  

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Canada Blooms and Landscape Ontario Events Calendar '13 - '14

Q&A on Wine And Climate Change - Coppola on Donner

These questions were submitted by reader Sara Coppola to Paige Donner, Founding Editor of the Green Blog Network , Local Food And Wine and Producer-Director of the documentary work-in-progress, Wine And Climate Change:

Q: Sara Coppola:  Paige, you're embarking on a new important and insightful project: the “Wine & Climate Change” Documentary; a project that stems from your great interest and involvement in environmental causes and your previous research on issues concerning global agricultural security.

When did you first start to get involved with environmental projects and how?

A: Paige Donner:  My enthusiasm for protecting the environment stems from having grown up on a Pacific Island and in California, alternatively. My brother and I would spend part of the year with my father in California where we would camp, hike, go on vineyard treks in Napa and Santa Barbara where my grandmother lived...and then with my mother in Guam and Hawai'i where we were raised like earth-bound dolphins - when we weren't SCUBA diving we were surfing or swimming or water-skiing. 

Also, I was homeschooled from grades 6-9 so I was able to pursue tailored coursework about the environment and natural landscapes that might not have been available to kids learning from regular school curriculum at that time in the mid-70s.

Then, early on in my career as a journalist, I worked with a morning news producer at KTVU-Oakland. She allowed me to develop and pitch a series of 2-minute segments that we called "Earth News." It never really got off the ground, but it was good training. That was the early 90s. It wasn't until the digital revolution that I was free to report on environmental issues as I wished. So in the 2000s I began writing a column called Greening Hollywood, which married my years spent as an entertainment reporter with my passion for environmental issues.

Q: Sara Coppola: How was the idea of this project born?

A: Paige Donner : I feel I am most naturally expressive as a filmmaker. Since journalism is my professional background and the career I have pursued for 20 years now, a documentary about this compelling subject matter makes perfect sense.

This project in particular is based on the article assignment I did for the International Herald Tribune (the global edition of the N.Y. Times) which published in November 2011.  I pitched an article about this subject to my assigning editor at IHT and he helped me to refine the angle and the approach. This documentary builds upon that one-page article and allows greater in-depth analyses and examination of Wine And Climate Change as well as allowing for the incorporation of up-to-date and newly released climate science reports.

Q: Sara Coppola:  How do you think this documentary will contribute to the vineyards´ environmental problems due to climate change?

A: Paige Donner:  In fact I feel this documentary will contribute to vineyards' coping successfully with challenges that predicted climate change and climate variability in this century are forecasted to manifest.

When we are caught by surprise or unawares, that's when the most damage can take place. When we are prepared, we can adapt beforehand and put in place certain measures to ward off significant impacts.

An example would be Hurricane Sandy (that recently hit NY and the U.S. East Coast). The greater advance warning, the more safety measures can be taken to preserve and protect.

Another example is the case of Phylloxera, a disease that ravaged Europe's vineyards at the beginning of the last century. Had the vineyard owners and managers been forewarned before this disease was imported from America, they may well have been able to take measures to protect against the devastation of their vineyards.

We may have some justification in drawing similar parallels now, though climate change is not a disease but rather a disruption and departure from known climate patterns.

It's also crucial to point out that one of the main points made by some climate scientists is that if and when vineyards are unalterably changed due to climate fluctuation, our other agricultural crops will also be severely impacted. So this documentary is as much about the future of wine vis a vis climate change as it is about the future of global food security.

Q: Sara Coppola: What tangible and realistic steps do you think the global community could undertake to slow down climate change?

A: Paige Donner:  That is a huge question. And it's one I will be tackling in the documentary. It is one of the questions I will be putting to some of the world's leading climate scientists and environmental leaders. Of course, one of the studies I will be examining more closely in the documentary is the newly released report titled, Too Late For 2ºC, which more or less states that we are already past the point of no return.

Q: Sara Coppola: Are you carful to (sic) environmental issues in your daily life (e.g. grocery, shopping etc.)? What suggestions can you give to people willing to pursue more conscious shopping habit? (sic)

A: Paige Donner: I've made personal commitments to live a sustainable life all around, practiced on a daily basis. I keep my personal consumption within reason. I use alternative energy sources whenever available. I'm also a fan of electric vehicles. I'm an advocate of local food production/consumption. As for shopping, I personally appreciate the creativity displayed in upcycled fashion and accessories. A Cradle 2 Cradle approach to design and manufacture is something that resonates with me. 

Q: Sara Coppola: Thank you.

A: Paige Donner: My pleasure. Thank you for your interest. 

@GreenBlogNetwork

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Q&A on Wine And Climate Change - Coppola on Donner

Have A Wild Dynamic Organic Christmas! Holiday Picks - Bubbles, Roses & Geraniums, Smoothment

by Paige Donner

Dynamic Organic Bubbles

The holidays just aren't the holidays without a bottle of bubbly!...

Bio-dynamic Champagne is still something of a rarity. I'm talking Champagne Champagne - the real thing, not the fakes and wannabes from regions other than Champagne, France.

Champagne Fleury was the first House in Champagne to convert their vineyards to bio-dynamic viticulture. That was in 1989 and the visionary was Jean-Pierre Fleury.

Fleury Champagne produces about 200,000 bottles of Champagne per year - half is sold domestically and half goes to export. The family owned vineyards are located in the Côte des Bar area of Champagne, France - about 45 k. south of Troyes. 

The taste? Clean, fresh, authentic and dynamically organic!

champagne-fleury.fr

LIST OF ORGANIC CHAMPAGNES HERE

Roses & Geraniums 

Delicate and soothing - the newest fragrance combo from NYR (that's Neal's Yard Remedies, natch) is scented as gently as it is formulated. Made with shea and cocoa butters, enhanced with avocado oil, this shower gel and accompanying body lotion make perfect stocking stuffers for that sweet, delicate someone. Scent is from prescious rose otto and geranium flowers. 

nealsyardremedies.com

Smoothment -  [To Start The Year Off Right!]

Timed for launch before the holidays, the 3-Pack of organic smoothie blends is an ideal gift or stocking stuffer for anyone that enjoys delicious gourmet food, or whom may be looking for healthy superfoods to boost a health commitment in the New Year. 

3 Flavors - Antioxidants, Omega-3, Protein  

Our Fave: The rich, chocolaty Protein Smoothie Mixer features three of the most nutrient-dense superfoods in the world (hemp, cacao and maca) and a delicious low-glycemic natural sweetener from Peru (lucuma). This kosher blended powder is a nourishing source of protein and omegas, as well as antioxidants found in the feel-good cacao. Blend this gluten-free Smoothie Mixer with a banana, peanut butter, non-milk of your choice and honey.

Join the Smoothment! Smoothies are an ideal tool to reach a higher level of nutrition and diversity in your diet. That's why Navitas Naturals created the Smoothment – an interactive program that features easy, delicious smoothie recipes. The Smoothment inspires people to add a superfood smoothie into their daily routine in place of a meal or snack.

Exclusively: online at williamssonoma.com.

@GreeningBeauty

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Have A Wild Dynamic Organic Christmas! Holiday Picks - Bubbles, Roses & Geraniums, Smoothment

happy holidays! ... and a Wine Tip

A quick note to wish you a Happy Holiday Season... And may I offer a Gift Giving suggestion?

A Contribution to Wine & Climate Change  http://www.indiegogo.com/wineandclimatechange

brings you PERKS  - both large and small -  that make great Holiday Gifts.

Wishing you Joy and Peace this holiday season- 

P.S. Please feel free to share the link with your friends -  http://www.indiegogo.com/wineandclimatechange 

happy holidays! ... and a Wine Tip

Sustainable Super Yachts

The Following Article originally appeared in the International Herald Tribune on September 19th 2012 and in the NY Times online.

by Paige Donner

Contact the Author 

@GreenBlogNetwork

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Sustainable Super Yachts

Eco.Luxury.Style Magazine - The Documentary Film Issue - Autumn 2012

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Eco.Luxury.Style Magazine - The Documentary Film Issue - Autumn 2012

Greening Beauty Gift Giving In The Age of Organic

The challenge of holiday gift giving is a. to be unique and b. to be not so unique that your gifts go unappreciated.

For the ladies (and men!) on your list this holiday season 2012, organic beauty products are some of the best choices because they not only fulfill everyday needs and are useful products that most of us ritually use, they are also the healthier version of those personal care products we tend to use every day.

Marie Veronique Organics falls squarely into this product category of Good For Your Skin and Good For The Planet, Too. Marie Nadeau is a former chemistry teacher based in Berkeley, California who decided to create a simple skin care product line-beauty regime with the help of her physicist daughter, Dr. Jay Nadeau.  As a mature woman going into this business venture, Marie’s emphasis was on anti-aging through the use of intelligent sunscreens and skincare ...”the most important being safe and effective sunscreens made with intelligent ingredients.”

Just what are “intelligent ingredients” you may be wondering?  Well, for the MVOrganics Moisturizing Face Screen / Everyday Sheer Coverage which protects against UVA rays with its non-nano zinc oxide, think red raspberry for healing and moisturizing, sea buckthorn and emu oils for their anti-premature aging reinforcements all topped off with a rich dose of anti-oxidants. 

The sheer tinted coverage comes in SPF30 and SPF20 (with green tea and coffee berry extract) and both are hits over at the EWG. Tip: only those with porcelain skin tones can get away with wearing the Everyday Sheer Coverage SPF30; the SPF20 is good for most other skin tones. In fact, the product offers such complete skin tone even-ing coverage that when it was first marketed as simply a sunscreen, ladies started wearing it out in the evening as a light foundation and loving the matte effect it gives to the facial skin.

Not to miss - and this goes for you guys, as well - are the MVOrganics Anti-Aging mist and Anti-Aging Oil+. The mist is slightly fragrant with hints of geranium essence while the Anti-aging Oil that you gently massage into your neck, chest and face while the skin is still moist contains over 20 different kinds of oils like kiwi seed oil, meadowfoam oil and tamanu oil which results in a soothing essence reminiscent of that last great Swedish massage you had.

Packaging for the products is recyclable and the ingredients are all bio-degradable. “We don’t use toxins, petroleum-based products, nanoparticles, or anything else that’s potentially harmful,” states the founder, Marie Veronique. Check their website for prices and more product information.

mvorganics.com

@GreeningBeauty

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Greening Beauty Gift Giving In The Age of Organic

Neal's Yard Remedies Makeup

by Paige Donner

Neal's Yard Remedies, the UK-based natural remedies, skincare, bodycare and now makeup line, feels that the Tree is a perfect symbol of beauty: The roots represent our health/inner beauty, and the outer blossomings of gorgeous leaves, fruits and flowers are symbols of our outward beauty. That's the logic behind their logo.

So when they moved into developing their makeup line, after several years of careful thought and reflection, they knew that mineral makeup was the direction to go in.  However, based as they are on holistic and organic remedies masquerading as personal care products and skincare, they wanted nothing to do with the common additives found in many of the mineral-based makeups on store shelves today. One good example is talc and talcum powder. Believe it or not, many "mineral" makeup lines today use these as fillers to round out their color-based mineral makeup lines. But never NYR!

White Tea (Powder)

So what NYR did before ever launching their makeup line in any of their 42 U.K. stores (70 boutiques worldwide) was to do a fair bit of research focused around white tea and white tea powder.

"Color That Cares"

Many of us know white tea as the super anti-oxidant we can sip, but what NYR lab researchers found was that white tea, ground up as a powder and used topically on the skin, also makes for a superb anti-oxidant ingredient and free-radical protector for the skin. So when you apply any of the Neal's Yard Remedies mineral makeup, on face, eyes, cheeks and lips, you are actually doing your skin a favor by giving it a good dose coating of anti-oxidant and free-radical fighting White Tea.

Autumn's new shades are gorgeous gem colors such as plum,  royal blue, blue bell and silver birch. When you add just a smidgen of water to your makeup brush, the mineral color makeup for your eyes, for example, goes on wet and stays on all day long. What's more, these mineral makeups in rich and flattering pigments are the first makeup line to be Soil Association Certified.

On The Horizon: Soon to be launched - by end of 2012 in the U.K - is their new range of lipsticks in a range of luscious shades. And for 2013 they promise to have come out with a jaw-dropping, eye-popping fully-functioning, organic based mascara.  For U.S. customers, NYR lipsticks will be available by early 2013.

Never Tested on Animals, Fair Trade, Natural, Organic - Neal's Yard Remedies

 

@GreenBlogNetwork

 

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Neal's Yard Remedies Makeup

Hollande Sets Ambitious CO2 Emissions Reductions Goals For France And EU

Paris - Francois Hollande, France's President, last Friday (Sept. 14, 2012), announced that under his watch, environmental issues will be placed at the top of the national, and even international, political agenda. His announcement was issued during La Conférence Environnementale, an annual environmental conference held in Paris.

His most ambitious statement issued is his recommendation to cut CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030 and 60% by 2040 at the European Union level. Current EU targets are 20% reduction of 1990 levels by 2020.

Hollande stated that he would like to see more global dialogue on environmental issues, citing the lack of a renewed agreement on climate goals reached internationally so far makes this an urgent and important matter. The Kyoto Protocol expires at the end of this year so climate talks are expected to once again take priority at the upcoming November Doha COP 18 conference. According to the Paris-based International Energy Agency, CO2 emissions rose by 3.2% last year to 31.6 billion tons, spurred by increases from China.

More initiatives he announced/ launched:

• New tenders for solar and offshore wind power by end of 2012.
• Closing of Fessenheim's Nuclear Power Plant by end of 2016.  
• Rejected applications for shale gas exploration.
• Cut France's nuclear power from 75% to 50% by 2025.

 

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@GreeningParis

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Hollande Sets Ambitious CO2 Emissions Reductions Goals For France And EU