For yet another year, Los Angeles has been named by the American Lung Association as one of the cities with some of the dirtiest air in America. more ›

An electric car company opened its global headquarters in Los Angeles this week. The city lured CODA Automotive with $1.4 million in financial incentives, and because the company wanted to make a home in a state that has a $2,500 rebate for electric vehicles, according to the Associated Press. more ›

Environment California just released a new report, Danger in the Air: Unhealthy Air Days in 2010 and 2011. Guess what, L.A. The top five smoggiest metropolitan areas in the country in 2010 were in California. Ground-level ozone, smog's main component, is one of the most harmful and prevalent air pollutants, exacerbating respiratory illness and causing premature death. more ›

Are you feeling tired, run-down, listless? Do you poop out at parties? Now you can blame the air pollution. A study recently published by Ohio State University claims that "long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to physical changes in the brain, as well as learning and memory problems and even depression." more ›

Now is not the time for Anglenos to breathe a sigh of relief. In fact, after Forbes released a report yesterday naming Los Angeles the sixth most toxic city in America, they might want to hold their breath altogether. While it is no secret that Los Angeles faces a pollution problem, many residents may not realize just how many toxic elements they are exposed to on a daily basis. more ›

Los Angeles is number one in the country....at least when it comes to how much smog we have. The American Lung Association's annual State of the Air rankings names Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside as the most polluted in terms of Ozone this year (we take the #3 spot in Year Round Particle Pollution and #4 is Short-Term Particle Pollution, too). more ›

A report about San Fernando Valley air quality released yesterday states that overall air quality has improved but the West Valley's ozone levels have risen while some East Valley neighborhoods have seen an increase in particulate matter, according to the Daily News. more ›

A report released from the Brookings Institution says Honolulu has the lowest carbon footprint of any city in the United States. Then at number two is Los Angeles, which is a surprise considering the city's sprawling car culture and industry. Who is not surprised is Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office. His deputy for energy and environment told the LA times that "sprawl is a lot worse in other parts of the U.S." and that the city has a "moderate climate, with fewer heating and air-conditioning days, and [it has] relatively newer, less drafty housing stock" than in other parts of the country. more ›

Here's some food for thought. Last Fall, TreePeople founder Andy Lipkis told a group at a Farmlab Salon that "the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) send a request to the Governor and President to declare a state of emergency regarding the 5400 environmental/pollution related deaths a year. That equals out to be one and half 9/11's a year." more ›

• Happy 5th Birthday Gothamist!!
• A "possible" security breach at the Department of Water and Power Monday may result in more than 8,300 employees wondering, why are there two me's? The lifted information included stats on active DWP employee's names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth and could result in a massive case of stolen identity.
• The gig is up for all you stingy, free-loading kids who like to use their school's gym for league sports. "Soccer leagues, volleyball clubs and basketball groups that have had gratis access to LAUSD facilities from the Harbor Area to Carson will need to pony up beginning March 1 to defray usage costs and raise revenue," the Daily Breeze said. And it's about time. I'm sick of hearing the joyful laughter of kids who should be out getting a real job or doing drugs. Thankfully, they now might have to turn some tricks to pay for what was once free.
• Yahoo is planning to lay off nearly 500 employees in the next couple of months, including 111 in Burbank and 52 in Santa Monica. Yah-poo is more like it for the jobless.
• The LA Times offers a scathing editorial of the state assembly's efforts to cut down the $14.5 billion deficit. Wait, that's not an editorial at all. That's a news story with sentences like, "their move would not actually reduce spending" and "lawmakers' measures would put taxpayers on the hook for more debt." Most (not all) of the stuff is attributed, but I can find ten people right now to tell me I look great though I have a bag over my head.
• In an effort to clean our smoggy image, Los Angeles officials are proposing tighter green building standards that would require large, privately built commercial and residential projects to use environmentally sound practices. This is a great step, but you know what would actually reduce smog? Less driving! And more public transportation!
• Do you love Los Angeles? Do you want everyone to know how much you love this city? Monopoly is giving you the opportunity as it prepares to unveil its first global board where you can vote for the city (ahem, Los Angeles) of your choice to appear on the coveted square. Right now, Montreal is first, followed by Istanbul and L.A. is sitting not so pretty in the 43rd spot. Vote here.
• One smart bastard from Long Beach turned his collection of 301 rare pennies into a $10.7 million pay day. Dallas-based auction house Heritage Auction Galleries, which held the sale in Long Beach Friday night says that coin and a 1794 cent with tiny stars added to prevent counterfeiters each raised $632,500. People make fun of me for picking up pennies, but this seals it: I am never throwing away anything ever again.
• Hey Momma, you have two more days to enter the Kanye contest on LAist. Who loves you? We do.

Music video of Rock Bottom Riser by (Smog). more ›

Guess what happens this week. Mexican trucks will be allowed to drive across the border and throughout LA's highways, bypassing local trucking companies entirely. Since 1982, Mexican truckers stopped near our border and transferred all cargo to American trucks, who would then deliver the goods throughout LA. Not anymore…Thanks to the ongoing, infinite wisdom of Mr. Bush, the border gates have swung open even wider. Why? Well, it could possibly lower prices on a... more ›

Douglas E. Hanes became the new publisher for the Daily News today with the goal of strengthening the Los Angeles Newspaper Group's presence in the Valley. If you haven't noticed, it's still freaking hot out and it's not going away. Over 11,000 customers lost power today in Laguna Beach and it wasn't heat related. If someone is trying to rob you, throw a hot cup of coffee in his face. That's what a woman... more ›