[Student Reporters] How Los Angeles is going "green"

Going green seems to be all the rage lately- hybrid cars houses with solar paneled roofs even green thumbs. The city of Los Angeles has also started to become more environmentally conscious with the launch of "Green LA." Cleaner technology climate air water and earth are the five parts to this action plan for the city. The Tech Advancement Fund is a fund that supports the development of businesses including green businesses in Los Angeles to promote a more environmentally sustainable Los Angeles. It has been used to improve and build many electric trucks all around Los Angeles. The Mayor's Job Team also works on creating attracting and retaining green companies all throughout Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Department for Water and Power (LADWP) has also been promoting energy efficient technologies. The most popular has been the solar panels because the LADWP has been paying cash rebates to solar panel users as an incentive. Solar panels are able to collect more natural energy. Tae Cho an architect working in Los Angeles has been looking for new technologies specifically in solar panels. Recently visiting the L.A Convention center for energy conservation he described the new panels he saw. "These new solar panels are much much more efficient than the ones I've seen before. They move according to the most sunlight and able to absorb the sunlight better" Cho said. In 2007 Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa unveiled "Green LA" setting it on a course to reduce the city's gas emissions by 35 percent below 1990 before 2030 which exceeds the standards of the Kyoto Protocols. It will also increase the City's renewable energy source to 40 percent including more than 50 initiatives to minimize the city's carbon footprint. The city will also install LED lights for street lights saving more than $10 million a year. The project has also launched the "Clean Air Action Plan" that will force 16000 diesel trucks in the Port of LA to meet the toughest standards in the nation. It plans to cut back on 45% of emissions from the Port which is the fifth busiest port complex in the world by container volume encourage ships to use cleaner fuels and set stricter standards for ships accessing the Port. In terms of regulating transportation on land a major environmentally conscious program in transportation is being led by Metro the public transportation authority in Los Angeles. Its 2300 buses use only compressed natural gas (CNG). Many Metro projects promise to decrease several million drivers hence more transit users with less gasoline used. "Securing LA's Water Supply" calls for meeting half of the water demand in Los Angeles by 2030. Aside from conservation of water the city will also start a program to recycle water by recycling groundwater and collecting rainwater to convert into potable water. The "Green LA Project" will also restore the Owens Valley and the LA County's many public parks. The plan has already restarted water flow in the Owens River Valley as well as opened 35 new and expanded parks. The Terminal Island Renewable Energy project has also begun creating renewable energy from organic sources. Through the "Green LA Project" and various other environment conservation efforts the city of Los Angeles is in the vanguard of the green crowd.

2010.12.19. 15:04

[Student Reporters] How Anaheim Orange County is going "green"

With global environmental conditions worsening many cities are straining to put eco-friendly activities into practice. The city of Anaheim California is not an exception as it is one of the leading cities in Orange County and the home to famously-known Disneyland. Anaheim promotes various environmental movements primarily targeted to the students of the younger generation. In 2007 Anaheim's Haskett Library introduced a program called the "Bug Hunt" where elementary students participated in a "scavenger hunt" to learn more about the importance and the impact of recycling and caring for the globe. In August 19 2009 Anaheim Public Utilities the backbone of Anaheim's eco-friendly movements planted a solar flag on the play yard of the First Congregational School. Their intention was to teach the young students about the benefits and usefulness of solar and other renewable energies. In addition to make a full use of the solar flags and the technology involved with it many teachers in the district are trained to incorporate different math science and language projects concerning the flag poles. Anaheim Public Utilities and its officials created the Energy Field which is a "green" urban play area for the neighborhood. The Energy Field is surrounded by California-friendly flowers and plants and the field itself is made out of turf which is very efficient in saving water. Not only that the field incorporates solar energy panels which will be very useful in supplying near-by houses and the Energy Field itself with solar energy. Anaheim as the second biggest city in Orange County is expending effort to promote green and eco-friendly movements and products especially outreaching to the younger generation. It is about time for the residents to take a part in the environmental movement spouting everywhere throughout the world.

2010.12.19. 15:02

[Student Reporters] Reflecting on Proposition 23

A Public Policy Institute of California poll surveying 1067 people from October 10 to 17 2010 found that support for Proposition 23 was steadily decreasing as the mid-term election approached in November 2010. The proposition would have suspended AB 32 the "Global Warming Act of 2006" which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Just a month before the poll the approval rate was 43% and the disapproval rate was 42% among voters. These statistics however changed as more Americans began to see the battle between the lines. Law AB 32 is highly unprofitable to many corporations so they pushed Proposition 23 to postpone the cut-down on emissions until unemployment rates were down to 5.5%. Their justification: efforts to reduce emissions would mean a loss in profits and consequently more employee cuts and lay-offs. Supposedly Proposition 23 would have helped prevent poor Americans from losing their jobs and income. Yet by enacting AB 32 more jobs would have actually been created than lost. In the current market the fastest growing industry is green energy. In order to cut down emissions industries must naturally turn to green energy which in turn opens up more places for employment in that field. In addition unemployment in California has steadily averaged about 8% for the several past years. It will take approximately a decade at the very least for this number to drop to 5.5% giving companies plenty of time to amass their profits. In reality Proposition 23 was not to benefit people; it was suppose to keep more money in the pockets of large industries. Although it may seem at first to be a reasonable contract Proposition 23 was a major step backwards both economically and environmentally.

2010.12.19. 15:00

[Student Reporters] Teens get up close and personal with earth

With many environmental issues rising to attention, more teenagers are getting involved in the efforts to make a difference. Three environmental programs that students can participate in are the Linking Girls to the Land program for Girl Scouts, the KYCC tree planting programs, and the Climate Ambassador program. Linking Girls to the Land gives girls opportunities to interact with nature and its problems, whereas in school, they would only be learning about the environment through books. Many girls approve of this program. Marissa Yamada, a sophomore student, said, “It would make them more aware of their surroundings, thus having them make the right choices in order to make the world a better place. [For example,] they wouldn’t litter because it [would] pollute our home.” The Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC) tree planting programs teach students about the significance of plant life. There are three steps Korean American teens can take to protect trees and promote tree planting. The first step is to join the KYCC tree planting program to plant trees around Koreatown. The second step is to join the Million Trees Los Angeles Program, which gets trees planted at businesses or homes. The third step is to take care of the trees planted by the KYCC members. Katherine Park, a sophomore student, said, “[The KYCC tree planting programs will] help by showing how there are not so many trees, and that trees just don’t pop out of nowhere. Planting…trees should show the volunteers that the environment is more precious than it seems.” The Climate Ambassador program is another environmental program open to teenagers. Students can become Climate Ambassadors by raising awareness of environmental issues in their community. “Things don’t work that well with just one person doing all the work, and if there [are] more people, there is a better chance of a great idea being dumped out,” Adreana Lee, a sophomore student, said.

2010.12.19. 14:59

[Student Reporters] Peninsula High School’s Audubon Club Focuses on Habitat Restoration

A television set can run for six hours with electricity that is saved by recycling one aluminum can. According to the Go Green Initiative, for every ton of paper that is recycled, the following is saved: 7,000 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil, and enough electricity to power an average house for six months. Seemingly insignificant actions- the recycling of a piece of paper or the use of a canvas tote bag- have far greater effects on the environment than many are aware of. Responding to the ubiquitous need for more environmentally friendly practices, Peninsula High School’s Audubon Club takes steps to make the world a cleaner and more hospitable place. An extension of the Audubon Society, a well-known environmental organization, this club molds students into responsible, environmentally-conscious individuals. More than 65 members strong, the Audubon Club at Peninsula High School focuses on restoring the habitats of local areas within the South Bay area. Our club mainly tackles habitat restoration. Madrona Marsh is a highly polluted, but crucial habitat that, if restored to natural conditions, will greatly improve the aesthetic beauty and biodiversity of our local community. This project has the potential of saving the lives of countless animals and native species,” said Co-President Vedika Kumar. Through beach clean-ups, habitat restoration projects, tree plantings, and numerous other activities planned for the year, Audubon members are empowered with the ability to directly improve the quality of the environment. Manu Vaish, an avid member and active participant in Audubon activities, said, “As teenagers, we need to realize that we are going to be inheriting this world very soon, and it will be up to us to clean it up. The least we can do is give back to the environment; I mean, we depend on it so highly, yet we are so willing to take it all for granted.”

2010.12.19. 14:57

[Student Reporters] Taking time for Earth can mean gaining a future for humanity (and service hours)

The continuous chain of hot-weather days is taking a toll on students not only causing massive perspiration but also driving them to speak up about global warming. Very recently students have given a way to environment-friendly activities in an attempt to keep mother Earth healthy while receiving numerous community service hours as well. "Honestly taking action to conserve and restore our environment not only provides organisms a habitat but it also helps humans" says Anna Yegiyan the president of TreePeople Club at North Hollywood High School. "Along with planting trees and taking care of them we clean up beaches and rivers educate the public about how their actions impact the environment and help animals." The TreePeople organization a non-profit environmental group recently sponsored the TreePeople Club at North Hollywood High School. Not only can students create affiliated organizations within their schools but they can also volunteer at the TreePeople headquarters in Beverly Hills. Another group called 30-Minute Beach Cleanup cleans the beach together and receives community service hours at the same time. Organized by Justin Rudd a leading environmentalist in Los Angeles 30-Minute Beach Cleanup meets in Long Beach every third Saturday of every month to pick up trash on the beach. "Our goal is to completely rid the beach of debris. We've been doing this for more than 11 years and we get more than 250 volunteers each month" Rudd said. "The cleanups each month already have made a significant impact in getting less trash on the beach." Another way to make a difference is through Sustainable Works which trains students on campuses to incorporate sustainable practices into everyday lifestyles. "When I used to be a member of the Sustainable Works group I really felt like I was making a difference" said Sarah Park a junior at UCLA. "This really changed the way I treated the planet I live on. Even now I always throw away bottles and cans in the recycling bin."

2010.12.19. 14:53

[Student Reporters] Teens taking "green" beyond the trend

If our generation is to ever coin a term or phrase for itself "environmentally conscious" should suffice. Countless scientists politicians and environmentalists have relentlessly warned us of the pending environmental apocalypse if we are to continue our erroneous ways against planet earth. Frightful images of the ice caps melting and trendy 100% recycled products have got us all obsessed. More bicyclists can be seen en route to work wind turbines are spanning across the country and people are gearing their entire lives to lessening the carbon emissions entering into the atmosphere. What we have found noteworthy is that even the youth can partake in this movement. We chose to comment on this modern day trend as it has come to define our very generation finding ways to "go green." Mother Nature is waiting.

2010.12.19. 14:50

[Student Reporters] LA? Sustainable?

As the KAC‘s LA Riots commemoration also advocated sustainability, Hunger Action LA and the LA Community Garden Council were also present at the event to advertise methods of being self-sustainable. Hunger Action LA, a nonprofit organization, works “to end hunger and promote healthy eating through community education, outreach, networking, and empowerment of low income people to speak on issues that affect their lives directly,” as it says on their website, hungeractionla.org. Their mission is to also ensure that everybody has access to fresh, healthy food that is sustainable and environmentally sound. Their take on sustainability? Hunger Action LA encourages the production and distribution of food in a region within a few hundred miles, minimizes pesticide and herbicide use, and works toward cutting down on the fossil fuel use and ending monoculture. The LA Community Garden Council, also a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1999 and currently owns around 80 community gardens all around Los Angeles County. It hopes to connect people with community gardens all around LA, for they claim that a family with a garden has the potential of cultivating an average of at least 1 extra serving of fruits and vegetables per year compared to a family without a garden. Alongisde promoting sustainability, the LA Community Garden Council works towards giving students free meals, making food stamps more accessible, picking fruit for the hungry, helping people learn new jobs and plant gardens, and providing food for senior citizens.

2010.05.16. 17:21

[Student Reporters] Interview with Rafael Gonzalez(Office of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa)

Q: Could you tell us about yourself? A: My name is Rafael Gonzalez and I'm from Los Angeles. Right now I work in the mayor's office. I am the associate director for everybody's community services. I am the first person who's in charge of the community nation's team for the mayor. We share with the community on what is going on in the city and what the mayor's different initiatives are. We share with the mayor as well what the community is thinking or saying. We're sort of the eyes and ears of the community and the bridge between the people and their city halls. Q: How and why did you come to speak at this event? A: I was invited through a phone call by Mr. Park who is with the KAC and I accepted because I am a big fan. I also knew Grace Yoo who is the executive director and a close friend of mine whom I respect tremendously. Q: What is your view on what happened during the LA riot? What is your take on the LA riots? Were you there to witness it? What do you think caused it? A: I think there was so much going on during that period so much hostility so much distrust and lots of isolation. When the verdict came down on Rodney King which sort of released every piece of energy…that was good bad and ugly into the air… there was an explosion. There was a social explosion of everything that was frustrating with the different communities and it was a very reactive time. I think a lot of people didn't even know what they were doing although some did. There is a positive thought [to] this which is that it did force the city to sort of confront; we were basically forced to sit on the table. [However] I think we still have a long way to go. It's always easy for us to talk about what the differences are [but] we should talk about the commonalities and the good things we can use together [also]. We're basically living in a city where many communities lack in the social and economic structure. Q: What is your take on sustainability in LA? A: If there was something that could bring all of us together…it's going to be food. I think there's a long process [to obtain] food because you have to find the land cultivate the land and [find] the things that would make sense for the community areas. I mean that forces us to work together. If you're looking for land in a place like LA it's not that easy. If you're going to cultivate a fruit vegetable or flower you need time [for] planning. I think food and the process of cultivation is a very beautiful and special process that requires many of us who would not [normally] talk to each other to come together and communicate with each other. Q: What is your view on racial diversity in Los Angeles? A: My view is that it is a beautiful thing. I think it's a piece that makes Los Angeles [the] city that it is. Our strength is [in] our diversity and I think the fact that we are able to know more about ourselves by knowing others really contributes to our body electric as a city. Q: If you could change one factor in LA what would it be? A: If I could change or bring something to LA I would bring more jobs. Jobs that pay people a living so that they can support their families so that they don't have to live in poverty. Also so that their kids don't go to school hungry and they could learn in school and then develop themselves into human beings and [develop] a profession. They can be [productive] citizens. If we don't start at all with the good paying jobs…we aren't going to grow as a community.

2010.05.16. 17:18

[Student Reporters] What were the 'LARiots'

Trucks sound systems lights and vendors began to set up on South Serrano between Wilshire and 7th to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. The LA riots were mainly attributed to a jury verdict that pronounced four Los Angeles Police Department officers not guilty for physically abusing an African-American man by the name of Rodney King. King who had been caught after a high-speed chase was dragged out of his car and brutally assaulted by the officers. All evidence was captured via tape recorder. Furious citizens protested the decision in the Los Angeles County Courthouse and at Parker Center the Los Angeles Police Department's headquarters. A series of looting burning arson and murders ensued over a span of six days as 60 people were killed and roughly 2000 were injured. Commander Andrew J. Smith who was in his fourth year as a part of the police force during the riots remembered having to constantly patrol the streets in South Los Angeles and subdue criminals during the 12-hour shifts. He commented "It was a surreal experience seeing the fires and the looting but thankfully Los Angeles today shows more tolerance and respect." Robert Park a 19-year old UCLA student experienced the riots when he was just one. He remembered "My father owned a Korean restaurant at the time and he would protect the shop by standing on the roof with a gun in his hand. My mother and I didn't go out of the house for several days because of the constant violence." The riots were centered in Koreatown; thus a large number of Koreans were wounded or killed during this time. Jennie Choo the representative from the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census stated "The people of Los Angeles need to mutually respect each other. At the time the relationship between our cultures was too separate." Ahn Kyung Sang a man who has lived in an unaffected part of LA during the riots said "It was frightening to see the events unfold through the news. There are many empty lots near where I currently live and they are there because of the many fires. It's surprising to see how big of an impact this really was."

2010.05.16. 17:17

[Student Reporters] Remembering the Promise We Made

Eighteen years ago the Korean American community was witness to an unexpected breakout of violence in the LA riots of 1992. From that year since an organization called the Korean American Coalition active since 1983 has hosted an annual event to commemorate the significance of this event. However the Korean American Coalition (KAC) does not only revolve around this single event for it has consistently been involved in integrating as much Korean American presence into modern society as possible. It is through selected leaders of the KAC that the Korean American society has been expanding its influence amongst the surrounding areas and into the minds of today's youth and tomorrow's leaders. Current Executive Director of KAC - LA Grace Yoo has observed the growth and change within the coalition during her years a part of it. "In the beginning [the event] was more about sadness and concentrating on the tragedy of the riot. Then it became more about community building and now it's about remembering the promise we made" she said. "As part of the Korean American Coalition our goal is to promote communities to grow their own produce in order for communities to efficiently sustain themselves. And our ultimate goal is to unify the coalitions." The KAC is using its power to help achieve this goal. "We are working on the 4.29 Dispute Resolution Center as a means for communities to resolve their problems through techniques like the use of English translations" explained Grace Yoo. Not only has KAC been a part of the LA Riots commemoration it has consistently worked alongside other programs. THINK (Topple Hunger in North Korea) the Michael Cho Case KAC Model United Nations (MUN) and the previously mentioned 4.29 DRC are all ways KAC are making sure that Korean American societies are involved within the community.

2010.05.16. 17:16

[Student Reporters] "Eat and Greet" to bring together

Interview with Esther Park (a volunteer at the KAC) Q: How did you come to organizing this "Eat and Greet"? A: Because last year we did a commemorative event to raise awareness among the youth about the riots this year we thought it would be an opportune time to use a common cause to bring different parts of the LA community together and in this case it was spreading awareness about alternative produce sources and food security in low income communities. Especially because Korea town has such a diverse population and it's important to bring everyone together around issues like this that affect everyone. Q: What is the significance in a 'La Riots Commemoration'? A: It's an opportunity to reflect on how far we've come from the violence and from the anger and the past of LA especially Koreatown. So this is really a good opportunity and it's also almost crucial to reflect at a moment like this on what we can do now and what's need in this community at present. Q: What do you hope to get this out of this event? A: In a sense I think that every outreach event or opportunity in LA especially because we're so organized into ethnic enclaves is always a chance to bring the community together and I would hope that through more events like this that reach out to all different types of the community not just certain ones we might be able to continue to facilitate collaborative action because if all the people came together around common causes like this and spoke out to the policy makers and showed them that we're altogether around things like this then we can empower the community in a way that is unifying rather than diversifying.

2010.05.16. 17:13

[Student Reporters] The KAC's LA Riots Commemoration, "Eat + Greet"

On Thursday April 29th the Korean American Coalition (KAC) held the "Eat + Greet" event in remembrance of the L. A. Riots. Grace Yoo the Executive Director of KAC in Los Angeles helped introduce the event by stressing the importance of unity among all races. The purpose of the event was to use food to unite different people together. Rafael Gonzalez Mayor Villaraigosa's Associate Director of Neighborhood and Community Services also attended the event and recalled being in the neighborhood as the riot took place. He described it as "a confusing time" and the need for tolerance and cultivation for the community. He exclaimed that the Kogi Truck was a shining example of two different cultures combining to create food for everyone to enjoy. Another focus of the event was to stress easier sustainable eating in Los Angeles and to make fresh produce a daily effort. Al Renner the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Community Garden Council presented the opportunities available in community gardens and the positive effect they have on the community. He was also a victim of the L.A. Riots who saw his house burn down from the roof of another building. Commander Andrew Smith and Captain Matt Blake of the LAPD commented on the event and the L.A. Riots as well. Commander Smith stated how glad he was to see change and the progress that the Korean American community has gained. Captain Blake a member of the gang unit during the L.A. Riots also declared a 20% violent crime reduction in Korea Town due to the efforts of the Olympic Police Station. Captain Emile Mack of the Fire Department commented on how the young inherited the memories of the L.A. Riots and how it was important that they understand such a significant moment in Korean American history. When asked why the KAC desired to do this event Allen Park the Community Outreach Director of KAC replied "We wanted to do this event to commemorate the L.A. Riots. We felt like the memories and lessons of what happened are continuously slipping away from younger people people of your and my generation and we wanted to especially remind these folks. This is why we did the program in English to appeal to the 2nd generation. The L.A. Riots was a seminal event in the history of Korean Americans here in the U.S. and perhaps even the nation and we wanted to hammer that home."

2010.05.16. 17:10