Environmental Law // Current

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8 days ago

Santa Monica Restaurant Admits Selling Meat of Endangered Whales

Activists march on whale-sushi restaurant Friday, March 12, 2010 Carlos Granda SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KABC) --... more

EthicalVegan
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Villaraigosa says all L.A. employees -- even police and firefighters -- should take pay cuts to help cut deficit

Villaraigosa says all L.A. employees -- even police and firefighters -- should take pay cuts to help cut deficit February 19,... more

EthicalVegan
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Activists Raise $8M after Hollywood Sign Changed to "Save the Peak" - Update 2/16/10

There are two choices for the 138 acres of private land sitting to the left of the Hollywood Sign: develop it into a site for luxury living or leave it as open space. What happens next is up to the community, or perhaps, the world at large.

When the LAPD on Monday sent out a mysterious community e-mail alert stating that the sign would be "covered up for an international campaign [...] until further notice," a surprise meant for Thursday began to unravel. The world's most famous sign, which originally read "HOLLYWOODLAND"--and thanks to pranks, "CALTECH," "HOLLYWeeD" and other phrases throughout the years--is expected to read "Save the Peak" on Thursday.

Call it activism, if you will, to save one of the most famous pieces of open space in Los Angeles. When the Cahuenga Peak and surrounding land was sold to a Chicago-based investment firm in 2002 for a cheap $1.675 million and later put on the market for $22 million, it concerned environmentalists (preserve the open space) and preservationists (don't ruin the backdrop of the world's most famous sign) alike. Touted as "the last private, undeveloped promontory ridge in Los Angeles," the property was divvied up in five parcels and marketed to those seeking the ultimate luxury home.

At 1,821 feet, the Peak sits nearly 150-foot above Mount Lee, where the Hollywood Sign rests, and offers a 360-degree view over the city to Catalina Island and across the expansive San Fernando Valley. Hikers and even some city officials assumed the land was part of the city's 4,210-acre Griffith Park, but when it was sold, some local history spilled out.

Billionaire Howard Hughes bought the land in 1940 with the idea to build a romantic hilltop home for his love, actress Ginger Rogers. "We'll live up here by ourselves with the world far below," he told her. The gesture, however, didn't sit too well with Rogers who feared he would lock her up and never let her see anyone. The two broke up and the land was put in Hughes' trust for 62 years until it was sold.

As the market began to crash, so did the new owner's bloated $22-million asking price. Last year, the San Francisco-based Trust for Public Land entered into a one-year due diligence period with Fox River Financial Resources for a total of $12.5 million. The goal is to purchase the land and deed it over to the city's Griffith Park, but to date, only $6.3 million has been secured. By April 14th, the rest of the money is due or the property risks being sold to other buyers.

For L.A. City Councilman Tom LaBonge, whose district includes Griffith Park--he hikes atop Mount Hollywood daily--this issue is close to his heart. "It's absolutely critical that we acquire this piece of land. I've been working for 10 years on this and the moment is now." he said in a statement to LAist.

Now LaBonge, the Trust and other organizations have teamed up to ask for help. "Although donations are coming in, we have a long way to go in a very short time," an appeal reads on the Save Cahuenga Peak website. "Protection of Cahuenga Peak will prevent development from scarring one of Los Angeles' iconic views--the Hollywood Sign backed by the peak's sweeping natural landscape."

Come Thursday, it will be hard for Los Angeles and the rest of the world to not notice that appeal. "Save The Peak" will be seen loud and clear and that's what fundraisers are hoping for.There are two choices for the 138 acres of private land sitting to the left of the Hollywood Sign: develop it into a site for... more

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1 month ago

A Sprinkling of [Bad] Irony - Los Angeles Rainstorms

A Sprinkling of Irony Workers near the offending sprinkler say it's nothing new By JONATHAN LLOYD Updated 8:04 AM PST,... more

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1 month ago

How Bad For The Environment Can Throwing Away One Plastic Bottle Be? 30 Million People Wonder

'How Bad For The Environment Can Throwing Away One Plastic Bottle Be?' 30 Million People Wonder

WASHINGTON—Wishing to dispose of the empty plastic container, and failing to spot a recycling bin nearby, an estimated 30 million Americans asked themselves Monday how bad throwing away a single bottle of water could really be.

"It's fine, it's fine," thought Maine native Sheila Hodge, echoing the exact sentiments of Chicago-area resident Phillip Ragowski, recent Florida transplant Margaret Lowery, and Kansas City business owner Brian McMillan, as they tossed the polyethylene terephthalate object into an awaiting trash can. "It's just one bottle. And I'm usually pretty good about this sort of thing."

"Not a big deal," continued roughly one-tenth of the nation's population.
Enlarge Image What America's Thinking?

According to the inner monologue of millions upon millions of citizens, while not necessarily ideal, throwing away one empty bottle probably wouldn't make that much of a difference, and could even be forgiven, considering how long they had been carrying it around with them, the time that could be saved by just tossing it out right here, and the fact that they had bicycled to work once last July.

In addition, pretty much the entire states of Missouri and New Mexico calmly reassured themselves Monday that they definitely knew better than to do something like this, but admitted that hey, nobody is perfect, and at least they weren't still using those horrible aerosol cans, or just throwing garbage directly on the ground.

All agreed that disposing of what would eventually amount to 50 tons of thermoplastic polymer resin wasn't the end of the world.

"It's not like I don't care, because I do, and most of the time I don't even buy bottled water," thought Missouri school teacher Heather Delamere, the 450,000th caring and progressive individual to have done so that morning, and the 850,000th to have purchased the environmentally damaging vessel due to being thirsty, in a huge rush, and away from home. "It's really not worth beating myself up over."

"What's one little bottle in the grand scheme of things, you know?" added each and every single one of them.

Monday's plastic-bottle-related dilemma wasn't the only environmental quandary facing millions of citizens across the country. An estimated 20 million men and women wondered how wasteful leaving a single lightbulb on all night really was, while more than 40 million Americans asked themselves if anyone would actually notice if they just turned up the heat a few degrees instead of walking all the way downstairs and getting another blanket.

Likewise, had they not been so tired, and busy, and stressed, citizens making up the equivalent of three major metropolitan areas told reporters that they probably wouldn't have driven their minivans down to the corner store.

"Relax," thousands upon thousands of Americans quietly whispered to themselves as they tossed two articles of clothing into an empty washing machine and turned it on. "What are you so worried about?"'How Bad For The Environment Can Throwing Away One Plastic Bottle Be?' 30 Million People Wonder... more

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7 months ago

US EPA launches online forum for water enforcement program

Comment, comment, comment.

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7 months ago

Zealous Advocacy for Biodiversity

On our final day, the highlight was meeting with local attorney, Jeff Weiss, who opened the class' eyes to the challenges,... more

stopnoise
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Environmental Law 7 items | updated Mar 13 2010

Santa Monica Restaurant Admits Selling Meat of Endangered Whales

5 comments

Villaraigosa says all L.A. employees -- even police and firefighters -- should take pay cuts to help cut deficit

0 comments

Activists Raise $8M after Hollywood Sign Changed to "Save the Peak" - Update 2/16/10

4 comments

A Sprinkling of [Bad] Irony - Los Angeles Rainstorms

0 comments

How Bad For The Environment Can Throwing Away One Plastic Bottle Be? 30 Million People Wonder

2 comments

US EPA launches online forum for water enforcement program

0 comments

Zealous Advocacy for Biodiversity

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Environmental Law 7 items | updated Mar 13 2010

about

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current videos

about current

watch current

the people are talking

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© 2010 Current TV, LLC All Rights Reserved

© 2010 Current TV, LLC
All Rights Reserved