Asian Mega-Cities Approach Catastrophic Disaster

Jul 20, 2010 No Comments by

The arguments over what’s livable and sustainable will always drone on; but they are screeching in Asia, where cities are reaching their tipping point. The transformation from rural to urban has had enormous consequences for the Pacific Rim; Tokyo has long been a mega-city, but the Seoul of 1950 would be unrecognizable today, and the rural poor still stream into cities like Jakarta and Manila.

air - land - quality of life, International Read more

Djibouti, a geothermal model?

Aug 31, 2009 No Comments by

Despite its proximity to the oil-rich Arabian peninsula, Djibouti has no fossil fuel sources of its own.  Lack of resources in general has led to high unemployment, almost no industry, and a huge national debt. 

energy, International Read more

Danes on Bikes

Aug 30, 2009 No Comments by

I miss my bicycle.  Years ago, I lived in Gainesville, Florida, and as a poor graduate student, a car was out of the question.  I had just moved from Baltimore, where I got by without a car because downtown was compact enough to walk around, and when venturing out, I could take water taxis to [...]

International, transportation Read more

The La Canada / Flintridge Fires – Photos

Aug 29, 2009 2 Comments by

The La Canada Flintridge fire, along with the other fires consuming California, has been devastating.  Here are some pictures I took yesterday along CA-2. (more…)

air - land - quality of life Read more

Palms Away

Aug 24, 2009 No Comments by

When one thinks of Los Angeles, palm trees immediately come to mind.  Hardly a city block lacks a business with Palm in its name, and whether you’re in affluent Brentwood or the effluent neighborhoods near downtown, palms line the streets.  When visitors send postcards home, most likely they’re showing off palm trees.  We’ve got a [...]

air - land - quality of life Read more

Let’s Just Blow Them Off

Aug 12, 2009 5 Comments by

Last Saturday morning, I was walking Cosmo before it got too hot for him . . . forgetting that the problem with walking him in the morning is like playing dodge ball—we are always avoiding the neighborhood nemesis, the leaf blower.  Discussions on pollution often focus on cars, factories, and LA, the ports:  but these [...]

air - land - quality of life, energy Read more

Grand Central

Jul 12, 2009 No Comments by

Los Angeles is often the straw man when you read about California’s environmental problems.  The left screams bloody murder at the thought of offshore drilling.  Conservative farmers ask why “their” water is going to swimming pools in Southern California.  LA = smog, which is the view of many people, including one former college pal who [...]

air - land - quality of life, business, water Read more

Green Travel

Jul 06, 2009 No Comments by

I love to travel.  Well, not air travel–American carriers are atrocious, from their fight against security measures, horrific service, and filthy planes.  Southwest and Virgin America have become our luxury airlines, while the legacy carriers have become Greyhound with wings.  Sorry, that’s unfair to Greyhound.   But I’m not taking the Queen Mary to Asia [...]

air - land - quality of life, business, energy, International Read more

The heartbreak in Iran

Jun 22, 2009 No Comments by

Unless you’re completely apathetic, it’s painful to see what’s going on in Iran.  What was once one of the world’s most powerful and important powers is now a tragedy.  Years of plundering by the shahs’ regimes, and the rigidity and incompetence of the Islamic Republic has left this nation of over 70 million in economic [...]

air - land - quality of life, International Read more

Less NOx and SOx = more tots?

Jun 03, 2009 No Comments by

I love The Economist.  I guess the UK has to have one tame level-headed publication considering its outrageous tabloids and magazines.  The latest little tidbit I ran into on their web site quoted an MIT professor’s study that basically says Not that a recession is good . . . it means promising economic initiatives such [...]

air - land - quality of life Read more

Cap-n-Trade . . . or Cap’n Crunch?

May 26, 2009 No Comments by

There’s been much discussion in the US and abroad about moving to a cap-and-trade system. How can I put this term in layman’s terms? Okay, I’m a dog owner, so let’s give you a real life scenario (if there’s such a thing in LA): (more…)

air - land - quality of life, energy, politics Read more

Pollution, Climate Change, and Henry Waxman

May 15, 2009 1 Comment by

Every day I check the green tech news feeds and the biggest boldest headline today was titled, “US Lawmakers Formally Unveil Climate Change Bill.” I haven’t read it yet—I’ve been following the debate, and I’m fearful of what the bill will say. Overall, I tend to side with the Democrats on the environmental issues, but [...]

air - land - quality of life, politics, transportation Read more