viva verde

the past couple of days have been nice: cloudy skies, clean air and most important, some much needed rain.

i am not sure if any of you have noticed, but there have been a number of radio advertisements about conserving water.  why do you ask?

recently, a small fish (see below) has become endangered in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a place that Southern CA exports  water from (in addition to other places, big surprise!) and according to the LA Times,

  endangered = no  

“In a normal water year, [water officials] said, deliveries through the delta could be cut by up to 37% — a loss of enough water to supply upward of 4 million households. Dry years could see smaller cuts, but there would be less water to begin with.”

if we don’t get enough GOOD rainy seasons in the next couple of years and we keep expanding the way we do, be assured in this:  high and higher water bills  coupled with the depletion of whatever water that we have left (as well as ecosystems that depend on them-no an ecosystem is not the next “upscale living” development project).

this really scares me because i like brushing my teeth, having a nice shower at the end of a long day and having water, at my call to cook and clean my rat-trap.

back in the day, when i didn’t own a business and had a couple extra pennies, i would travel to parts of the world where water (let alone HOT) was a real treat. for most of the planet, water at anytime of day, any amount you want is a luxury that is beyond the latest car model or clothing line.  why we choose to waste it like it is here forever is beyond me.

i am sorry if i seem so pessimistic, i really want to help.  there are some things that all of us can do that DO make a difference (and save us some pennies for that next trip to a place that has it 10 x worse). the the couple posts will be dedicated to finding some solutions, without living in the Dark Ages.

have been hearing though the grapevine that the Times will have a popular LA green blogger do their green blog called Emerald City. well, it’s out! from what i can tell, this really focuses on LA, Santa Monica specifically. and i have to admit, is more “newsy” than practical, but who am i to say. i just write to express my daily experiences as a result of owning a green store.

what do you think??? do you find it helpful???

was given a link to a recent article in the Times concerning Long Beach’s water restrictions because of recent drought & dry weather.

For some reason, i thought we were still carrying on this behavior from the drought we had in 1990 (which personally, i don’t think we are out of), but i guess everyone else thinks that we are so now we are in a water crisis again. what i found most hilarious was how officials think that, “Southern California is in better shape now than during that drought because agencies have been aggressively storing water in recent years in reservoirs, which remain at healthy levels.”

Healthy compared to what, nothing at all? i can’t believe this, i just can’t. our population has been exploding in this state, and with the exception of a couple of years between now and 1990, i can remember a handful of really good rainy seasons. And i can’t imagine that most Californians have been watching their water consumption. We need to stop babying the people in this state, we have it the best out of most on the planet, and i don’t think it is too much to ask for

most of the people on the planet DO NOT have access to fresh water, i think we can start laying off the manicured and useless lawns.

Very very interesting article on the rising interest in Freegans: or people who basically live off of discarded, unused items as a way living an anti-capitalism life.

this doesn’t look too bad! and items like these are thrown away at alarming rates in this country.

well, my point is that i was talking to the friend who told me about the article and i am thinking about trying this out at the uber-whole foods! most postings to come.

the latest Sunday LA Times printed an interesting article on the Hollywood green push and how, despite push more ecological awareness, the upper-echelons of society are under scrutiny for doing the opposite in private.

this is something that i have been thinking about lately. we have great people like Al Gore, the champion of global warming, having a home that requires 20 times more energy that the average US household. or Leo Dicaprio supporting eco-movements & creating films like The 11th Hour, but uses private planes for travel. this and a number of celebrities owning a number of homes, planes, cars and other unnecessary “luxuries” yet lending their voices & names to helping the green movement.

to me, the bottom line is that the green movement is more than lending your name to a cause or playing a set at Live Earth. you have the money to change your life and the general public listens to the preaching. but if it is not connected to an action, if we dont see that you do what you require of us, then what is the point? celebrities need to understand that, as much as we know you have more than the rest of us that we want to live like you, we want to have like you. if you are going to market becoming green then you have to walk the talk as well (and it is not as much of a sacrafice too!)

but maybe i am wrong, i am not in their shoes….i started my store on 5K in waitress money…i can only imagine what i would do if i had 1/2 of the amount of a celebrity!

as most people know in the county, the only Whole Foods has moved from Holt St in Tustin to the new development “The District”. According the the OC Register, the store is almost triple the size and has created contracts with local growers to supply organic, seasonal produce, has a tea bar, wine area, clothing, basically the works…

i shouldn’t be complaining, because i am happy to see that natural, safe and local foods are taking center stage and thank you Whole Foods for doing that. but, it is seeming more and more like a “big box” retailer. not to mention the “Whole Paycheck” characterization with $5 grapes (comparable to $1.69 at T Joes & about $3 at your local farmers’ market). i am also wondering if with this new store they are incorporating alternative energy (they should have the money from all of those $5 grapes), and using low/no-VOC and eco-friendly materials that don’t off-gas on their certified organic produce & baked goods. hopefully they did.

i dont know what much about this upcoming development, “the district”, but to me, to have this large of a store seems to really cater to that specific area only. surrounding this is wide industrial area. i cant see that many people wanting to brave the 55 fwy for food, when there are T Joes, Mothers, and Henrys sprouting up all over the place. i guess i still think this is a weird location.

has anyone else been to this new store?

Orange Coast Magazine did a little something on our store this month! if you can’t get a copy my mother (as all parents do), scanned the piece.