Free Green Workshops Coming Our Way

Changing to a greener lifestyle can seem like a costly enterprise. For example, insulation made from recycled denim is 15 percent to 20 percent more expensive than fiberglass. If you buy organic produce and organic cotton clothing you've probably noticed that they cost more than their commercial counterparts. But sustainable living is not just about buying green products.  

I attended the free Sustainable Works Green Living workshop presented by Nancy Barba in January 2010 covering six critical aspects of sustainable living that offered hundreds of ways to reduce our carbon footprint.  

I learned that a pencil-thin stream of water works just as well as a big gusher for washing your hands; that the city of Los Angeles now actively encourages you to include fruit and vegetable trimmings along with yard waste in your green bin, and that maybe it's time to dump your commercial lipsticks and buy some that aren't full of lead.

The once-a-week six-part series dramatically changed the way I perceived environmental issues. I began to realize that although things are worse than we thought (electricity from coal is destroying lives), we can have a much greater impact on our environment than we thought possible.

Councilman Bill Rosendahl and MVCC Green Committee Co-Chair Sherri Akers recently collaborated with Sustainable Works to secure a $45,000 grant from LADWP that will be used to reprise the free Green Living Workshop series in Mar Vista sometime in the next 12 months. True to the Green Committee's vision, the new workshops will expand to include additional communities in the 11th Council District. 

Meanwhile,  you can start changing to green behaviors now. Learn about the most economical alternatives to energy-draining incandescent bulbs from fellow Mar Vistan John Betts, a lighting consultant who will be the guest presenter on Sunday from 8:30 a.m  to 2 p.m. at the MVCC Green Booth at the Mar Vista Farmers' Market.