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By Jonathan Peters for LAist
This past weekend the Go Green Expo rocked the Los Angeles Convention Center, bringing a diverse array of vendors, activists and entertainers downtown. A traveling tour of all things green, this was the Expo’s second year in Los Angeles. More than 300 booths, grouped into several sections, from “Green Jobs” to “Eco-Pet Expo,” offered options for every stripe of environmentalist. (More than 8,000 attended.) Activist and actorEd Begley Jr. gave the keynote address, providing one of the highlights of the fair.
Begley gave a lecture on his personal environmental journey. He told a packed audience that his change of life came in 1970 after the first Earth Day. He began by making incremental lifestyle changes, such as riding a bike and building up to solar power only after he could afford it. He was adamant that whether or not you believe in global warming, going green “can reduce air pollution, lose dependence on foreign oil, and buy an insurance policy for climate change.”
His lovely wife Rachelle joined him onstage, after which he took questions. His poise and intelligence during the Q&A only added to the audience’s esteem of him and proved why he is such an important activist in the green movement. And like all true class-acts, he spent the next several hours signing books and speaking to fans at a nearby booth.
An array of booths afforded hours of entertainment. Froobi, run by entrepreneur and all around nice guy Ben Kim offered free samples of their delicious seaweed chips called “Sea Snax.” Taylor’s Tonics provided samples of their delicious all-natural Chai Cola, which will keep you caffeinated for at least six months more of expos. Susan Blacklocke demonstrated the ancient Maori Poi dance for the audience at Mamapalooza’s makeshift stage.
Innovation was also on display at the fair. Plug In America showed off a Tesla Roadster, a top of the line electric sports car that does 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds and runs 200 to 250 miles per charge. Beat that, Porsche! Many booths showcased electric bicycles, but the old standby and hipster favorite, the Italian Vespa, may have won the battle for best scooter. Their scooters run about sixty-five to one hundred miles per gallon.
Check out photos above from other Go Green Expo highlights.
