Green Weekend

Los Angeles

Though synonymous with glitz, glamour and, well, traffic, Los Angeles is also home to more EnergyStar-certified buildings than any other city. A quick getaway to L.A. can be made as green as you choose, with a variety of accommodations and activities available within a short distance.

Though it's consistently listed as one of the nation's top polluted cities, L.A. has several sustainable activities for residents. Photo: Wikimedia/Thomas Pintaric

Activity: With so many beaches nearby, beach cleanups are regularly scheduled year-round activities any eager individual can take part in. They’re also a fun way to escape the city center for a bit, meet new people, while doing something productive at no cost.

• Seal Beach Cleanup: Fourth Saturday of each month
• Santa Monica Beaches Cleanup: Third Saturday of each month
• Long Beach Beach Cleanup: Third Saturday of each month

Eat: Finding a green restaurant in Los Angeles is quite easy as the Green Restaurant Association certifies nearly 20 restaurants in the area. Mendocino Farms, for example, is a neighborhood sandwich eatery and marketplace.

Mendocino Farms uses local, organic and seasonal ingredients; recycled, tree-free, biodegradable and organic products for service-ware; and of course, recycle their waste. Average menu item is $7-$10.

Other restaurants may not be certified by the Green Restaurant Association, but they are definitely leading the way in sustainability. Street works with sustainable fisheries, local family farms and sustainable ranches to supply the menu.

As part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program, they serve lesser known sustainable seafood and distribute pocket seafood guides to customers. They never serve bottled water, use recycled and/or biodegradable containers and only produce 3 percent pure waste, as the rest is recycled and composted. The average lunch and dinner prices are $10-$15.

by Lori Brown of Earth 911.

Excerpt taken from her article 10 Green Weekend Trips near You.

http://earth911.com/news/2010/08/23/10-green-weekend-trips-near-you/