Kristy Pyke

Interactive map of MPA network by Santa Monica Baykeeper The controversial debate over marine protected areas (MPA) and marine life preservation is now open to the public. For years environmental non-profits and activists have been lobbying for a greater network of MPAs off the coast of California; and now it is up to the average citizen to give their input. MPAs are particular areas of ocean that restrict human activity in order to protect...

Years of lower water levels caused this at Boulder Canyon in Lake Mead | Photo by AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker via Flickr Despite the much needed rainy season, officials say we are technically not out of a drought until water reserves are replenished. The Metropolitan Water District (MWD) has recently declared they will continue on with their water-rationing plan and sell water at full price. “We want to rebuild our reserves before starting to...

Photo by Ed Yourdon via Flickr The plastic bag industry has stepped up in the fight against Assemblywoman Julia Brownley’s ban on plastic bags, which is currently making its way through Sacramento. The American Chemical Council, whose members include prominent plastic bag manufactures, has sponsored a study to test the cleanliness of the reusable bags that will replace plastic bags, according to the Pasadena Star News. Researchers at Loma Linda University and the University...

Photo by Brownpau via Flickr With yesterday apparently being Social Media Day, Mashable encouraged their readers to be electronically social. So in the spirit of this internet-loving holiday, we're celebrating the available opportunities and creative activities at our disposal. Here are a few interesting (or at least interesting in concept), but more unknown sites that we've come across. First is a site called NEUROTRASH.tv. It is a new YouTube designed specifically for the youthful...

A Temple Church of Latter-day Saints in West Los Angeles is under careful watch as police are looking for the man who allegedly tried to set it on fire. Three hours before a suspicious fire appeared in the church garden on May 17, a man was caught on tape walking up to the church steps with combustible material inside his backpack and a thermo cup, according to police. He then realized the doors were...

L.A. City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl before he boards the new line | Photo via Metro The push for public transportation in Los Angeles takes another step with the opening of a new higher speed Metro line that travels from the beach to the heart of the City. Opened on Sunday, Metro Rapid Line 733 runs from Santa Monica to downtown Los Angeles. It mostly runs east and west along Venice Blvd every 10 minutes...

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Tuesday that his office will expand their annual Summer Night Lights program, which aims to reduce Summertime gang violence. Eight more parks are being added to the master plan for this Summer totaling at 24 locations to host after-school activities, athletic leagues, arts initiatives and family programs in high crime rate areas.

Photo by Google Maps Echo Park is in the process of potentially hosting a new historical monument. Some bungalow apartments, known as the Lento Brick Court, have been nominated and taken on by the Cultural Heritage Commission as a potential candidate. The Echo Park Historical Society originally submitted the application suggesting this hillside courtyard of five buildings in uniform brick deserved the protection, status, and benefits of being a historical monument. But in order...

Photo by Zoolcar9 via Flickr Our society can now be characterized with the phrase TMI (too much information), according the Daily Breeze. Facebook, status updates, Twitter, and other social media sites all share a part in this trend toward “oversharing” and privacy disregard. "People report in studies that they care deeply about privacy," said Ryan Calo, a fellow at Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society, in an interview with the paper. "But...

Photo by Xtrah|KT via Flickr Teens may not be the only ones driving recklessly. A recent study showed that adults are much more likely to talk on the phone while driving and they text just as much as teens do at the wheel. Pew Internet & American Life Project surveyed more than 2,000 adults, 18 years or older, about their driving habits. Nearly half of the adults who admitted to knowing how to text...