Earth Day ’94 : A Greener Valley : Earth Rebirth : Celebrating Earth Day By Conservation

Today marks the 25th celebration of Earth Day. In 1970, 20 million people turned out for nationwide demonstrations to draw attention to environmental issues. That is credited with birthing the environmental movement in the United States. Here is a reading of the Valley’s environmental vital signs in terms of garbage generation, air quality, water conservation and other areas. On the plus side, the air is much cleaner than it used to be. In the needs-improvement column, the average area household sent 2 tons of garbage into landfills last year. As it was in 1970, Earth Day is an occasion for people to reflect on how to preserve our precious natural resources. Here are tips for living greener. *Preserving the Land Valley residents recycled 33,593 tons of garbage in 1993. Last year, the average Valley household produced 12 pounds of garbage per day, equaling over two tons per year. Tips for Reducing Garbage Start a white-paper recycling program at your office. Also recycle aluminum cans, cardboard and glass bottles at your office. To have you name and address removed from an unwanted mailing list, write to the Direct Marketing Assn., Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008. Buy recycled products and products with the least amount of packaging. Learn how to start a compos heap for the garden. *Keeping Garbage Out of Landfills Percent of garbage diverted from landfills in 1990 through recycling, composting and using goods more wisely. Burbank: 23.2% San Fernando: 16.5% Calabasas: 12.2% Lancaster: 11.4% Glendale: 8.7% Santa Clarita: 8.4% Agoura Hills: 5.3% Los Angeles: 4.5% Palmdale: 1.3% *Cleaning the Air Levels of ozone , the main component of smog, measured at the Reseda monitoring station of the South Coast Air Quality Management District exceeded federal health standards on 32 days in 1993. They exceeded the standards on 122 days in 1976. *Tips for Improving Air Quality Paint with water-based paints. Drying paint releases smog-forming compounds, and oil-based paints contain 3 to 5 times more toxic solvents than water-based latex paints. Paint with brushes or rollers. The gas that propels the spray and some paint particles create pollution. Buy products in their non-aerosol forms. Propellants used in aerosol cans of household products contribute to smog. Clean your oven with a paste made from water and baking soda rather than a lye-based cleaner, which releases pollutants *Commuting by Car The average daily amount of traffic at the Ventura / San Diego Freeway interchange was 185,000 in 1970. By 1992, it had jumped to 273,000. According to Commuter Transportation Services, approximately 15% of Southern Californians currently car-pool to work, compared to 16% in 1980. A total of 639,570 Los Angeles County residents regularly commute, compared to 567,467 countywide in 1980. L.A. has the highest car-pool rates for all metropolitan cities in the U.S. The estimated cost of driving alone to work , 15 miles each way, five days a week, is $231 a month. A monthly Metrolink pass from Van Nuys to downtown Los Angeles, which is approximately 15 miles each way, runs $112. Many employers reimburse employees for a portion of their mass transit costs. *Commuting by Train Ridership on the Metrolink rail system has more than doubled since the Jan. 17 earthquake. Before the earthquake, an average of 9,500 people rode the rails each day, compared with 20,000 now. More people board the train in Santa Clarita, about 2,000 a day, than any other site in the 39-station network. *Commuting information To further explore transportation alternatives call 1-800-COMMUTE: Car-pooling matching Van-pool availability Park and ride lots Rail and bus transportation *Conserving the Water Despite an increase in population citywide of nearly 800,000 since 1970, roughly the same total amount of water is used each year in the city of Los Angeles. In 1970-71, overall water use averaged 183 gallons per day per capita, which dropped to 144 gallons by 1992-93. About 40% of the water is used by Valley residents and businesses. * Water-Saving Tips Turn off the faucet as you brush your teeth or shave. Install an ultra-low flush toilet. Put a plastic bottle or displacement bag in your toilet tank. Install a water-saving shower head and take shorter showers. Check faucets, pipes and toilets for leaks. Sweep rather than hose down your driveway. Run only full dishwashers and washing machines. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator so you won’t have to run the tap to cool it. Water your yard only when it needs it, and then only before 10 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Plant drought-resistant trees and shrubs. Use mulch around trees and plants. Don’t run the hose while applying soap to your car. Teach your children not to play with the hose and sprinklers. In Los Angeles, call 800-773-CITY for ways to reduce waste. For recycling center locations, call (800) 553-2952 (includes motor oil). For recycling center locations that take beverage containers, call (800) 332-SAVE. For toxic waste roundup information, call (800) 98- TOXIC *Bike Lanes There are 39 miles of bike lanes in the San Fernando Valley today. *Car-pool lanes Anticipated completion dates of area car-pool lanes: 1995-Ventura Freeway: From the Hollywood Freeway to the Golden State Freeway From the Golden State Freeway to Glendale Freeway *1995-Glendale Freeway From the Ventura Freeway to the Foothill Freeway *1995-Hollywood Freeway From Ventura Freeway to Golden State Freeway *1996-San Diego Freeway From Ventura Freeway to Golden State Freeway *1996-Simi Valley Freeway From Ventura County line to Golden State Freeway *1997-Antelope Valley Freeway From Sand Canyon Road to Escondido Canyon Road Sources: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Caltrans, Metrolink, California Waste Management Board; Research by STEPHANIE STASSEL and KAY HWANGBO / Los Angeles Times