My old college bud, Kenny Scharf, is arguably the original green artist – a brilliant guy from L.A. who began his career nabbing trash from the streets of Manhattan and embellishing old appliances with his phantasmagorical, Fifties-inspired, squiggly creatures and symbols.

Working alongside East Village graffiti muralists like Keith Haring and Jean Michel Basquiat, his uproariously spacey icons were quickly embraced by Andy Warhol and other enthusiasts with clout. He quickly rose to the ranks of artist superstar.

Scharf  conveyed his …

Tags: AIDS , alternative transporation , Andy Warhol , art , bikes , Brazil , Brooklyn , carbon footprint , Cosmic Cavern , East Village , emissions , graffiti , Jean Michel Basquiat , Keith Haring , Kenny Scharf , los angeles , New York City , pop art , recycle , reuse , sculpture , trash art

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Where would Malibu be without its surfers and where would its surfers be without safe water?

That’s part of the driving energy behind the Legacy Park project. Construction has been launched this week as veteran wave riders joined Malibu City Council to reduce stormwater pollution in Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon and world-famous Surfrider Beach.

According to the L.A. Times, the sand breaking drew pioneering surfers Cal Porter and Richard Davis as well as Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, state Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), Assemblywoman Julia Brownley …

Tags: aluminum , beaches , cyanide , environment , Legacy Park , los angeles , Malibu , Malibu Creek , Malibu Lagoon , Marine life , ocean , pathogens , pollution , stormwater , surfers , Surfrider Beach , urban runoff

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The grass is always browner when officials have Los Angeles homeowners turning off their sprinklers during the sizzling days of summer.

Starting June 1, the L.A. Dept. of Water and Power imposed mandatory restrictions aimed at reducing the city’s water use by 15%. Residents were ordered to use their sprinklers only on Mondays and Thursdays or be slapped with higher utility bills.

Nearly two months later, it’s clear that suburban lawns are dying of thirst in the San Fernando Valley where folks are complying as temperatures climb past 100 degrees in …

Tags: cemetaries , colleges , conservation , consumption , front lawns , golf courses , grass , los angeles , parks , San Fernando Valley , water restrictions

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A “green alley” movement is gaining momentum in cities across the country. All I can say it’s about time. Getting rid of the dark, smelly, and often scary and dangerous places in the big cities will go a long way to making cities not only safer but also cleaner and greener.

Here’s how three cities are turning their alleys green:

Chicago’s Green Alley program began in 2006 as part of  Mayor Richard Daley’s environmental and beautification campaign. One of its goals was to eliminate polluted water from spilling into Lake …

Tags: chicago , green alley program , green alleys , los angeles , seattle

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