Three Steps to Psychological and Environmental Well-Being

September 17, 2021

As a psychologist, I’ve been seeing more and more clients reporting anxiety and depressive symptoms related to helplessness about climate change and other environmental issues. In fact, although more than half of US adults believe that climate change is the most important issue facing us today, about 40% of people have not made any alterations to their behaviors to reduce their impact on the environment.

August 19, 2021

... this summer will be another record breaker for heat in Los Angeles and across the West. More than outlier weather, USA Today reports “persistent heat waves may be sticking around for a while, raising concerns that the extreme heat may become the new normal. Scientists who study drought and climate change say that people living in the American West can expect to see more of the same in the coming years.”

August 17, 2021

On August 9, 2021, eight-billion alarms were rung by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)... The good news: There is still a small window to limit the extent of climate change.

June 18, 2021

The next time you’re walking in your neighborhood, count the number of emerald-green lawns you see. Of those, how many are on the parkway or in an area that’s not being used by anyone – except maybe dogs – and is predominantly for aesthetics?

June 3, 2021

We have more plastic problems than ever since the pandemic began. Most of us have increased our plastic use as we order more takeout in plastic.  Furthermore, using the pandemic as an excuse, the plastic industry pushed for and obtained misguided rollbacks in plastic waste regulation, like a temporary suspension of the California plastic bag ban although reusable bags have not been shown to be a vector for the virus.

May 8, 2021

In the words of David Attenborough, "If we act now, we can put it right." In 2021, the UN concluded that, in order for our species to survive, let alone thrive, we must go plant-based. On April 25th, in honor of Earth Day, the Pacific Palisades took a small step toward "getting it right."

April 9, 2021

One obvious answer to the power problems in our sun-drenched community is a community microgrid. Community microgrids are one of the keys to the cleaner and more efficient electrical infrastructure that will transform America’s energy grid over the next decade.

March 11, 2021

As a Resilient Palisades volunteer in the Green Gardens program, one of the hats I wear is delivering free lawn signs to residents who have stopped using gas powered leaf blowers or lawn mowers (or all gas-powered equipment!) in their yards – creating a low or zero-emissions property.

February 25, 2021

Walking and hiking around the Palisades, I see a lot of plastic water bottles both on the ground and on people’s porches.  The single use bottles are prevalent on the Temescal Loop trail,  along the curb of Temescal on my walk to the beach and then at the beach in the sand.

February 11, 2021

Solving the climate change emergency will require changing behavior. Unfortunately, only a small minority of Americans are currently willing to make the necessary changes in how they live, and the same is true in most other countries. As a result, in order to address climate change within the narrow window scientists estimate we may still have, new approaches are urgently required.

January 28, 2021

With the Covid-19 pandemic surging in Southern California, health departments are asking us to stay home as much as possible. A great way to minimize grocery outings, as well as to lighten the environmental impact of our meals, is to subscribe to a home-delivered farm box.

January 14, 2021

January 5th was my ten-year-old son’s birthday. His day started with chocolate birthday cake batter falling and being plastered onto every conceivable surface across our kitchen. It ended with a pipe bursting in the street outside our house, resulting in severe flooding followed by an overnight water shut-off.

December 17, 2020

In Japan, environmentalists and the government are reviving an age-old custom for wrapping gifts, storing items, and transporting goods called furoshiki. Savvy zero-wasters around the world have taken note.

December 4, 2020

For the past few years, it has been increasingly the norm for shoppers to bring reusable bags when they grocery shop, aided by the city and statewide bans or restrictions on single-use plastic bags. Single use plastic bags are a fossil fuel product that cause untold damage to wildlife as they end up in our oceans, waterways, and landfills.

November 20, 2020

Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for everything and everyone who surrounds us. It is also a great time to consider our foot print on this planet and how we can contribute to a cruelty free and compassionate world.

November 6, 2020

It's well known that American news media devotes alarmingly little space to the climate crisis. This is due, partly, to the way such news interacts with advertising and ratings: that feature on deforestation may turn you off the beef burger advertised in the commercial break..

October 22, 2020

As a physician, I can unequivocally state that our health is on the ballot in this election. No matter your political persuasion, a vote for leaders who act on climate change is a vote for health.

October 7, 2020

For thousands of years Indigenous Americans have honed an agricultural technique whereby corn, beans, and winter squash are planted in close proximity to one another. The corn, beans and squash, also known as “the Three Sisters” rely on one another for their development and growth.

September 23, 2020

This is my go to Pizza Night Recipe (and sometimes lunch).  I make this pizza at least once a week. I try and keep the bags of dough in my fridge at all times.  The toppings can be anything, and have been anything.  From leftover broccoli and corn, to more traditional  toppings like on the pizza pictured above...

September 9, 2020

For most Americans, transitioning to a plant-based diet is the single most impactful change we can make to reduce our environmental footprint. Transitioning to a whole-food plant-based diet, may also be the biggest positive change we can make for our health, vitality, and longevity.

August 26, 2020

In 2007 in a small English town called Todmorden, a woman dug up her prize rose garden, planted vegetables, and put up a sign: Help Yourself! This was the beginning of a group called the Incredible Edible Network...

May 1, 2020

It is sometimes said that personal and local change in response to the climate crisis is pointless given the speed with which the crisis is bearing down on us. I have occasionally found myself in despairing agreement.