Winds of Change....

Tonight it will be exactly one week since the Winds of Change blew through Los Angeles County. Last Wednesday night, Dec. 1st, winds hit Los Angeles moving in some regions at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. These winds brought down concrete lightposts, 100-year-old trees, loose rooftops and basketball hoops, leaving swaths of the city without power or water for several days. Areas of the city still have torn out trees, shrubbery and other debris stacked into 10 foot tall piles, waiting for the city to remove them.  There are still streets with no working streetlights.  Its shocking that a week later there is still so much debris everywhere and that the grid is still down in places.  Its AMAZING that no one died or got severely injured, though word on the street is that some folks did get into car accidents with fallen and falling trees....

 

The Rose Parade bleachers! 

Now, you may be thinking – these gusts sound more like ‘storm’ than ‘winds of change’; why use such a term? Well, Local to Global Life Works (LTG) is taking a global perspective on this local issue. More specifically, LTG is taking a global warming perspective on this issue. Outside of the various reasons for why climate change could be caused or heavily impacted by nonhuman activity, scientific sources generally concur that change is going to happen. The extent of this change is still uncertain, but what is certain is that if humans don’t fundamentally change their manner of producing things (such as our food and energy systems) and doing things (such as how we transport ourselves around), our children and grandchildren may not have a place to call home in the future. So, let’s call this windy event the “Winds of Change” to blow some inspiration into our spirits to make small changes in our own lives that can lead to bigger changes in the world around us.

The rest of this blog post will be dedicated to pictures of the aftermath of the Winds of Change.  See the end of this post for links to information on global warming.

Someone cleared a path here.  It was actually very beautiful.

LIGHTS OUT!!!

On global warming/climate change:

United States Environmental Protection Agency:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/

National Geographic:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html

Union for Concerned Scientists:
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/

NASA:
http://climate.nasa.gov/

NASA information on uncertainties about global warming:
http://climate.nasa.gov/uncertainties/

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL):
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/earth/

On island nations and global warming:
http://www.tuvaluislands.com/warming.htm
http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/172/30325.html

Thanksgiving love!!!

If you are looking to partake in Thansgiving love, join the Venice Learning Garden with a dish to share! They are providing turkey and mashed potatoes and hope you will bring dessert, salad, non-meat entrees, etc.! This is in part a fundraiser for the Program for Torture Victims, so donate if you can since they provide crucial services to torture victims and refugees, which no one else in Los Angeles is currently providing.

I'd you are looking for a recipe, or want to try cooking with a real pumpkin, here is a great recipe for pumpkin pie from scratch: http://www.pickyourown.org/pumpkinpie.php

And, here is a link for a great crust that I used with the pie recipe: http://www.localforage.com/local_forage/2007/11/quiche.html.

I tried these recipes together and my pie turned out DELICIOUS!  The pie picture above is of the remainder of the pie I made a couple of weeks ago using the above recipes. You can easily make such a pie using super fresh, local ingredients!  I have to admit - most of my ingredients were not local to Los Angeles, though they were mostly local to California and the United States in general.  FYI, it took me about an hour to make the crust, to steam the raw pumpkin and to make the batter, plus an extra 45 minutes to bake the pie. Try it out, let us know how it goes and happy Thanksgiving!

Congrats to a colleague!

I recently received an email from the Los Angeles Bicycle Kitchen email listserve that contained a video featuring Jimmy Lizama.  Jimmy is a resident of the Los Angeles Eco-Village, founder of the Los Angeles Bicycle Kitchen, and an avid activist for building better access for cyclists in Los Angeles and raising awareness about cyclist safety.

Check him out giving a talk on cycling, happiness, and economic development at an independent Tedx talk at UCLA:

Weekend events in LA: Dia de los Muertos, Occupy LA, Bike Summit and Creative Seeds!

Dear community:

There is a ton of amazing stuff going on over the next few days.  See info below for Dia de los Muertos events, a teach-in at Occupy LA (featuring UC professors, Wall Street experts and other professionals), the California Bike Summit, a play at The Last Bookstore, a fundraiser for Thailand flood victims, and the Cornerstone Theater Creative Seeds exploration of hunger in Los Angeles.

Also, as of this month I am blogging for two sites: Local Blu (they filmed the last Local to Global event) and Green LA Girl (for whom I am posting a list of weekly events around LA).  And please don't forget to follow or check in with me at localtoglobal.blogspot.com!  :)

Thank you and have a great weekend! 

Nisha Namorando Vida
Director/Founder

Local to Global Life Works

Photo via Space 4205

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Angelica De La Torre (Space 4205) and the Eastside Cafe are organizing great Dia de los Muertos activities:

Fri., Nov. 4:  All are welcome to Dia de los Muertos event at Eastside Cafe with a special performance by Las Cafeteras...a traditional Mexican Fandango.

Sun., Nov 5:  Lazy Sunday afternoon at Space 4205 (4205 Maycrest El Sereno 90032)...bbq and special performance by Kid Band Live Transmission playing classics by The Cure, Joy Division and Nirvana!  at 5p...and last chance to catch the artshow...

see/ buy/ and take!  with many items below $100. :)

Lastly, wrapping up this weekend (til Sunday) is the Saints Behind the Glass altar artwalk on Huntington Drive and Maycrest in El Sereno. Check out these beautiful handmade altars before they are gone!

Click here for map location of events, or search for 'Maycrest and Huntington Drive, El Sereno, CA'.

Cost: free!

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California Bike Summit 2011:

Saturday, Nov. 5: There will be bike tours of Los Angeles and the day will conclude with a reception and party at Angel City Brewing.

Sunday, Nov. 6: Full day session dedicated to strategizing how to increase bicycling in California.

Monday, Nov. 7: Full day session dedicated to sharing and learning skills necessary for implementing goals established the day before. 

Saturday and Sunday events will be held at the Kyoto Grand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.  Monday's events will be held at The California Endowment.  Both locations are next to Metro Gold Line station stops.  For more info, check out the website: http://calbike.org/events/2011-california-bicycle-summit/

Cost: $110 for the weekend.  However, get in for free by volunteering at the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition bike valet!  Email Martin for more info: martin@la-bike.org. 

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Fundraiser for Thailand flood victims:

A childhood friend of mine (who is Thai) is organizing this fundraiser along with the owner of Thai restaurant Night Market.  

They will be donating $.75 per small plate ($5-$8) and Chang beer ($4). Come with a couple friends and get a beer tower ($29) and we'll donate $9. The money goes to the Thai Red Cross Society.  The fundraiser will be going on through Sun., Nov. 6.  See link: http://www.nightmarketla.com/.

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Cornerstone Theater - two weeks of events addressing hunger in LA!

This series actually starts on Monday, however, I wanted to include it in this blast since I am working with these folks!

Cornerstone Theater Company presents the first annual “Creative Seeds: An Exploration of Hunger.” This two-week event has some of LA’s most innovative artists, food activists, farmers, chefs, food critics and thought leaders address the issue of hunger through an artistic lens.  The first day of events is on Nov. 7.  

Cost: some events are free and some have suggested donations.  See website for details.

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A Record of Light - A play at The Last Bookstore

You may remember that the last LTG event, Generating Good Growth, hosted with GOOD LA, took place at The Last Bookstore.  Well, this amazing store is featuring a play written by local artists and writers.  Check it out this Saturday and Sunday at 8 pm.  

A RECORD OF LIGHT is a play about the Akashic Records (complete sacred knowledge of all human experience) being housed, in secret, in downtown's The Last Bookstore.  Orelia Key, a woman whose spirit moves faster than her body can handle, is determined to access it.  On this mission, she encounters denizens of the bookstore - analog people - who in a world of technology, discover the link between body and the substance of the soul.

Cost: $10.

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Occupy LA Teach-in

Saturday, Nov.5 
2:30 - Introductory Remarks

2:45 - Robert Reich:  Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley and former US Labor Secretary
3:15 - Robert Scheer:  Executive Editor, Truthdig.org, author of The Great American Stick Up: How Reagan Republicans and Clinton Democrats Enriched Wall Street While Mugging Main Street
3:30 - 5:00 - Economics Panel:
William Black (professor of Economics and Law at the University of Missouri)
Joel Rogers (professor of Law, Political Science, Public Affairs and Sociology at the University of Wisconsin and president of the Center for Wisconsin Strategies in Madison, Wisconsin)
Michael Hudson - (via livestream) President of The Institute for the Study of Long-Term Economic Trends (ISLET), a Wall Street
Financial Analyst, Distinguished Research Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri, Kansas City.
Robert Scheer (Executive Editor of Truthdig.org) - Moderator
5:00 - Carol Wells (Executive Director of Center for the Study of Political Graphics)

5:15 - George Lakoff (via livestream): Professor of cognitive linguistics at UC Berkeley and author of Don't Think of an Elephant! Know Your Values and Frame the Debate  
5:30 - Closing Speaker TBA
6:00 - Music - Performers TBA    
8:00 pm - Sneak Preview of "Heist: Who Stole the American Dream?" Directed by Donald Goldmacher and Frances Causey - a documentary film which reveals how American corporations orchestrated the dismantling of middle-class prosperity through rampant deregulation, the outsourcing of jobs, and tax policies favoring businesses and the wealthy and gave rise to corporate power. The Director will present the film.

Sunday, Nov.6 
11:00 - Opening Speaker TBA                
11:30 - 1:00 - Organizing and Civil Disobedience Panel:
Madeline Janis - Executive Director of LAANE
Kent Wong - Director of the Center for Labor and Research at UCLA
Erick Huerte - Organizer at Dream Team Los Angeles
Peggy Mears - Organizer of the Home Defenders program for ACCE, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment
Jill Furillo - California Nurses Association, National Nurses United Union
Peter Drier - Chair of the Urban and Environmental Policy Department at Occidental College - Moderator
1:00 - lunch
1:30 - Sustainable Living Panel:
Frank Tamborello - Hunger Action LA
Autumn Rooney - Echo Park Time Bank
South Central Farms
Open Neighborhoods
Joan Stevens - Los Angeles Permaculture Guild and the NELA Permaculture Guild, Organizer of the West Coast Women's Permaculture
Gatherings and the 2011 SoCal Permaculture convergence.
3:00 - American Civil Liberties Union  - speaker TBA
3:15 - Iraq Veterans Against the War - speaker TBA
3:30 - 5:00 - Corporatocracy Panel:
Alex Caballero - Brave New Foundation
Tracy Rosenberg - president, Media Alliance
Mary Beth Fielder - Organizer Move to Amend
Derek Cressman - Common Cause, director of Campaign to Reverse Citizens United
Lauren Steiner - Local political activist, - Moderator
5:00 - Jim Lafferty of National Lawyers Guild
5:15 - David DeGraw - Organizer at Occupy Wall Street, publisher of ampedstatus.org

Additional speakers/updates to be announced. Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=117112968398746

The Occupy LA Education and People's University will also be holding workshops at various times of the day to discuss some of the topics addressed for those who are interested. http://www.olapeoplescollectiveuniversity.org/

Actions:
Bank Transfer Day/ Move Your Money
March Through Financial District - Rally begins at 10:30am at California Plaza

To see the most up to date schedule, please visit www.occupylosangeles.org. (This will be updated soon.)
Search the Facebook event page: Nov.5 & Nov.6 Occupy LA - Teach-In and More!

LA needs more bike lanes! LA is GETTING more bike lanes!

In the past couple of weeks, I have had two conversations with people I am close to (family friends and coworkers) about cyclists in Los Angeles.  Both conversations turned violent, with the people involved (all who only use cars to commute) talking about how frustrating it is to be in a car behind slow cyclists, that cyclists should just be bumped of the road or killed, and that Los Angeles was obviously made only for cars.

I found the conversations I had with folks about killing cyclists to be very sad and disturbing, though I do understand why people in a fast moving vehicle would feel frustrated by a smaller and slower vehicle clogging up the road in front of them.  I believe that the best way to resolve such a conundrum is to change the way things are in our city - such as by having more bike lanes.

A few days ago, former LTG panelist LaTanya Spann sent me an article from Blog Downtown about how a bike lane is being built through the historic core of downtown Los Angeles:

"Downtowners could soon be seeing green on Spring Street as the city moves forward with plans to remove two vehicle lanes, adding a green bike lane to the roadway and setting the stage for future mini-park plans."

At LTG's last event at The Last Bookstore (which happens to be on Spring St.), participants all addressed innovative ways to develop downtown Los Angeles.  One such plan focused on fusing bike lane creation with gardens.  Such lanes would leave room for cars, buses, bikes and pedestrians, while stimulating traffic to local businesses and even the growth of plants (like building garden bike lanes).  Some of these ideas are contained in our strategy paper, which you can find here. 

LTG exists to help people identify things that need to be changed, to identify change-makers, and to show people things that they can do to make change right at home.   Whether you are a cyclist or secretly hate cyclists, we all agree that Los Angeles County streets can and should be made much more bicycle friendly.  If you want to do something to make this change happen, just know that there is a lot you can do.  We suggest for starters that you get active with the Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition, check out the LTG strategies (and maybe advocate to implement one!), or attend this weekend's California Bike Summit 2011!  

 Learning about cyclists and why people cycle, and advocating for better roads, more bike lanes and safety for roadway commuters just might provide the solution to violent thoughts and actions related to bad city planning.  

Peace and love!

Nisha Namorando Vida
Director/Founder
Local to Global Life Works

Local to Global Strategies and Ciclavia!

Dear community:

Firstly, I hope you are all well and are warming up to the arrival of a beautiful new autumn.  :)

Below, please find an embedded and downloadable strategy paper from the Local to Global August event held as a GOOD LA monthly meetup at The Last Bookstore.  Please feel free to share this document with your respective communities, but know that we will soon post a longer version that includes dialogue from all discussion groups.  I am also working on providing videos of the panels based on footage shot by Ro Kumar of Local Blu.  Check out the video he put together on his site of our event: http://localblu.com/2011/08/good-magazine-presents-generating-good-growth-in-downtown-la-video/.

Local to Global Life Works (LTG) is very much a budding organization working to establish itself as a nonprofit.  The August GOOD monthly meetup at The Last Bookstore was only the second official event we have ever held.  Please stay in tune with our work, and please come out to more events, because there is much planned for the future!

Ciclavia // No cars = thousands of cyclists!

I also have some photographs to share from Ciclavia, which happened yesterday.  I volunteered to work the Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) booth and free bike valet service.  Ciclavia was birthed by folks affiliated with the Los Angeles Eco-Village (where LACBC was born).  Local to Global Life Works had the privilege of having our first official event at the Eco-Village and of having a staffmember of the LACBC (Allison Mannos - who will be starting a new position as a communications manager at the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy) as a panelist at our event at The Last Bookstore.

Ciclavia was amazing, inspiring and beautiful.  And it made the streets so deliciously free of car exhaust.  There is so much more that needs to be done in our cities to live healthily with our environment, but this was a great start and a beautiful vision for the future of Los Angeles.

         

                       Bicycle love on the Gold Line!                     Free bike valet + $5 discount on LACBC
                                                                                                    membership = a good deal

LTGStrategies_TeaserDTLA

I hope you all are well and I look forward to seeing you soon. 

Kind regards always,

Nisha Namorando Vida

Director/Founder 

Local to Global Life Works

localtoglobalworks (at) gmail (dot) com

Please Provide Feedback!

Breakout Session Dialogue!

Dear attendees of

Local to Global Life Works, The Last Bookstore and GOOD Magazine Los Angeles present:

The City as a Canvas for Creative Envisioning

Generating GOOD Growth!

We did not provide a feedback mechanism at the event for you to give us your suggestions for improvement.  Suggestions are what make events better each time, so please feel free to leave a suggestion as a comment below (you can leave your comment anonymously) or to email us directly at:

localtoglobalworks (at) gmail (dot) com!

Also, please check out the video created by Ro Kumar for Local Blu based on footage from the event:

http://localblu.com

We are working on a strategy paper containing ideas generated during this discussion to distribute to you shortly.

Peace,

Nisha Namorando Vida

Director

Featured performers, Nola Darling

TODAY! // The City as a Canvas for Creative Envisioning: Generating GOOD Growth!

TODAY!

Local to Global Life Works

cordially invites you to:

The City as a Canvas for Creative Envisioning: 

Generating GOOD Growth!

Tonight, Wednesday, August 24, 2011

6:00 - 9:30 pm

*

Hosted as GOOD Magazine Los Angeles' 

August Monthly Meetup.

*

Located at The Last Bookstore

453 S. Spring Street, Ground Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90013

*Click here for map*

To RSVP, go to the event page:

http://www.meetup.com/GOOD/Los-Angeles-CA/322551/

*

* We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children *
- Native American proverb

"Cultural Equity: It is not our differences that divide us, it is
our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences."
~ Audre Lorde

~~~~~~~~~

Dear friends and colleagues:

This month's Local to Global Life Works event is being held in conjunction with GOOD Magazine Los Angeles as a part of the GOOD LA Monthly Meetup series. This event explores "The City as a Canvas for Creative Envisioning," focusing on how to generate good growth, specifically in downtown Los Angeles.  The goal of the event is to discuss: positive things being done to create community within the rapidly burgeoning heart of Los Angeles; more things that can be done by individuals, businesses and elected officials to foster good growth initiatives downtown; challenges to generating good growth; and how such challenges can be overcome.  We will have some light snacks available and will give a free mini cupcake donated by Big Man Bakes especially for this event to the first 48 registrants!  Come prepared to brainstorm and share your visions for the future of downtown Los Angeles! 

The evening program is as follows:

6:00 - 6:15 pm // Welcome and opening meditation

6:15 - 6:45 pm // Plenary session panel featuring:

• Allison Mannos of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition;
• LaTanya Spann, Property Manager for Old Bank District Lofts, Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk board member and downtown Los Angeles resident;
• Deanna Maria Weakly, Community Master Gardener, gardener in the LA CAN Rooftop Garden in Skid Row and hopeful future founder of the Angel's Flight Community Farm; 

6:45 - 7:35 // Individual group breakout and discussion session

7:35 - 7:50 // Group reconvening and sharing of results from individual discussions

7:50 - 8:00 // Closing meditation and short intermission

8:05 - 9:30 // Open networking and live music from Los Angeles culture changers: 

• Waberi Jordan
• Kris Escajeda
• Nola Darling
• Icy Lytes

*

Lastly, a downtown community member, Coach Ron, is collecting donations for the kids he works with as founder/director of Funzone Kids Reading Club for Skid Row youth. So if you can, please bring something from the list below: 

- Jump ropes

- Dot markers
- Paper

- Cereal
- Markers

- Clip boards
- Cornmeal

- Playdough
- Crayons

- Large paint brushes
- Puzzles

- Small table
- Mirrors

- Blank cds

Strategy Paper: Solutions in action to end food waste!

Below, please find the strategy paper created for our event on food waste reduction at the Los Angeles Eco-Village.  Thank you!

LTG Strategies: Food Waste

May 28th // Waste Not Want Not: Food, the Earth and You! at the LOS ANGELES ECO-VILLAGE

Save the date:

Waste Not Want Not: Food, the Earth and You!

Saturday, May 28th 2011
5:00 - 8:00 pm

Located at the Los Angeles Eco-Village

117 Bimini Place
Los Angeles, CA 90004

Food will be provided!

Please bring something to drink, a pen to write with and positive thoughts!

~~~~~~~~~

*We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children*

The time to fix glitches and sinkholes and to create an ALIVE future is NOW!!!

Earth Day is everyday!

Dear friends and colleagues:

Local to Global Life Works would like to invite you to Waste Not Want Not: Food, the Earth and You! - an event to provide internal peace work, inspiration, information, and a space to collectively manifest your positive visions for future human living patterns. The event will be hosted by the Los Angeles Eco-Village (LAEV).

Below, please find the evening program, information about Local to Global Life Works (and our call to action!), the Los Angeles Eco-Village and the film Dive!, which will be screened at the event. Timmy Vatterott, producer of Dive!, will be present at the event to foster discussion and information sharing.


The evening program is as follows:

5:00 - 5:30 pm // Welcome and opening meditation

5:30 - 5:40 pm // Los Angeles Eco-Village introduces their work

5:40 - 6:25 // Screening of Dive!

6:25 - 7:20 // Workshop breakout sessions for event attendees to share thoughts on root causes for the perpetuation of unsustainable, modern living practices and their input on what is being done/what should be done for immediate and long term solution creation

7:20 - 7:30 // Closing meditation

7:30 - 8:00 // Reception and networking

We hope to see you May 28th at the Los Angeles Eco-Village!

Local to Global Life Works - http://localtoglobal.blogspot.com/
Local to Global Life Works wants YOU as a partner and ally! Local to Global Life Works is a budding project that organizes events to provide a public space for people to foster dialogue to inspire the spread of information and devising of mechanisms to build a society that promotes mental, spiritual, physical, community and environmental health. We recognize the fundamental interconnectedness between the individual and local, state, national and global communities. We aim to empower individuals to understand how they contribute to problems faced locally and globally, which therefore makes them crucial to identifying, creating  and implementing solutions to build a thriving, LIVE future for Planet Earth!  We seek any and everyone interested in learning, creating, leading workshops, hosting and attending future events, volunteering, or donating thoughts/time/tools/talents/anything to make our efforts more effective. Come join us! 

Dive! - http://divethefilm.com/
Dive! follows Jeremy Seifert and friends as they dumpster dive in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of Los Angeles supermarkets. In the process, they salvage thousands of dollars worth of good, edible food during the worst recession since the Great Depression and uncover a disturbing truth about waste in America. Dive! is equal parts entertainment, philosophy, guerrilla journalism and call to action. The film challenges us to conceive of and implement a much less wasteful way of eating and living.

Los Angeles Eco-Village - http://www.laecovillage.org/
We are a neighborhood in the built-out Wilshire Center/Koreatown area working toward becoming a demonstration of healthy urban community. Our whole-systems approach to community development tries to integrate the social, economic and physical aspects of neighborhood life to be sustainable over the long term. Eco-villagers intend to achieve and demonstrate high-fulfillment, low-impact living patterns, to reduce the burden of government, and to increase neighborhood self-reliance in a variety of areas such as livelihood, food production, energy and water use, affordable housing, transit, recreation, waste reduction and education. We also plan to convert the housing in the neighborhood from rental to permanently affordable cooperative ownership.

Thank you for your time!

Peace to you!