The Santa Monica Pier was the place to be this year in celebration of Earth Day! As the day warmed up we ended up talking to shirtless guys, ladies in bikinis, and flip-flopped folks of all persuasions. It was L.A.'s inaugural year of participation with The Green Apple Festival and we were there to help spread the green gospel with our updated LA guidebook. Live music played all day, with bands rocking out on a huge stage set up for the event. My colleague Joy and I arrived in the morning to set up our booth, and the pier was already abuzz with beach-goers, families on Sunday outings, tourists, and joggers. By noon, official event start time, the pier was packed.

Folks were excited to see that our long-awaited Greenopia Los Angeles 2nd edition was available. Our office is located in Santa Monica, so the community is our home base. Plenty of visitors to the booth knew who we were, already had a guide, and wanted to thank us for the work we've done and are continuing to do. Those who weren't familiar with Greenopia approached our concept enthusiastically. "This book lists ALL the places in L.A. that offer eco-friendly products and services?" is the shocked response. Yes, it really does!

From our booth, overlooking the Pacific Ocean on a beautiful Southern California day, I found it impossible not to relish the surrounding natural environment, impossible not to think about how lucky we are to live in such a lovely place. I know these thoughts weren't lost on the other pier visitors, a realization that served as the highlight of Green Apple Festival and Earth Day.
 

Way before I knew anything about the coming solar and wind energy revolution, I was using the sun that comes through our kitchen window to defrost frozen fish, heat up burritos and plump up bread dough. I'd dry my hair by riding my bike downhill. On hiking trips, I "cooked" our food in the perfect solar cooker-my car dashboard on a summer day. I also used to set my ceramic artwork out in the sun to harden and dry-instant kiln! Sure, these techniques took more time than zapping something in the microwave, plugging in the hairdryer or heating up our gas oven, but it's fun and free to work with nature.

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I've avoided it for 24 years, thanks to living in big cities, but now that I'm moving back to Connecticut, I can no longer deny it - I need to buy a car. Unfortunately, cars are not like houses, which you earn equity on. The moment you drive a brand new car off the lot, it starts to depreciate in value drastically. Of course, we can't forget the eco-implications of having a car: oil changes, burning fossil fuels, buying something that is mass produced … etc. Thanks to my car-need realization, I began delving into the world of green automobiles last month. You know what I found? Numerous choices, most of them out of my price range. Add on the choice of what type of eco-car to buy (gas hybrid, electric hybrid, ethanol-ready, biodiesel-ready … etc) and you've got one frustrated consumer. If I had the opportunity, I'd save for the new Chevrolet Volt, which is scheduled to be released in 2 years. Reality check: That is 2 years from now. I need a car in 3 months. So, back to the drawing board - and to the Yahoo! Autos Green Center. Those little Smart cars are adorable - I could pick one of those up in NYC after I get back to the East Coast. Reality check: Those suckers are small! For just a bit more, I could get a brand new Prius. I doubt a Smart car would handle the Connecticut winters very well either. Having a Toyota Prius Hybrid or a Honda Civic Hybrid would be a joy! Reality check: they both start around $23,000 for a 2008 model. Then it hit me … used cars. Duh! While buying a used car can be a stressful process (if you work with an obnoxious used car dealer), it will cost you much less and save from having to use fresh resources to build a new car. Yes, there is the undeniable issue of fuel efficiency, but there are a number of ways to improve that. If you are willing to make an investment, you can buy a kit to turn you current vehicle into a hybrid (or pay someone to do it for you). You can also shop around, and compare MPG's of used cars- be sure to check the engine type and any options packages (sports options can make a fuel-efficient car into a bit of a guzzler) against published reports. Some smaller cars can have very good fuel economy, even it they aren't hybrids (the Honda Fit is an example).

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